Spring Pilot 2014

UNIVERSIT Y of Northwestern – ST. PAUL

Open for

Innovators

Developing a rich environment for creativity, research and discovery

SPRING 2014

UNIVERSIT Y of Northwestern – S T. PAUL

Cover: As University of Northwestern restructures to bring departments into colleges, Jeremy Kolwinska, D.M.A., has accepted the position of Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities at Northwestern. He’s pictured with Kenny Calvert ’14 and Alyssa Temte ’14.

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Cover photo: Josh Stokes Illustration: Heather Weideman

9 DEPARTMENTS 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT 4 NORTHWESTERN NEWS

5 What’s Your Legacy? It’s not too early to be planning for Homecoming 2014, a celebration designed around the theme of “Legacy.” Find the dates and the fun that are in store for alums this fall.

8 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

9 Snapshots From Lessons for Leaders The value of strong leadership is a cornerstone of a Northwestern education.

28 ALUMNI NEWS & FEATURES

High-impact leaders came to campus this spring to give students an up-close-and-personal opportunity to meet, greet and learn.

12 Embracing Creativity, Embracing God Can exercising our creativity bring us closer to the Creator?

14 A Changing Horizon (Ripe With Opportunity) As institutions of higher learning rethink old assumptions, UNW leadership and faculty are innovating to meet the changing needs of 21st-century students.

18 My Un-Usual Spring Break Dozens of Northwestern students traveled overseas during spring break for creative learning outside of the classroom and their comfort zones.

22 A Few Entrepreneurs Some alumni create nontraditional careers, tapping into their personal passions and gifts.

Here are just a few examples of what can be accomplished with a Northwestern education.

35 Moving Pictures The eighth annual Five16 Film Festival brought nearly 1,000 attendees to Maranatha Hall for a gala awards night and original, student-created films.

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Pilot is published by the Office of Marketing & Communications University of Northwestern – St. Paul 3003 Snelling Avenue North St. Paul, MN 55113-1598 651-631-5166, unwsp.edu/pilot Letters and comments may be sent to pilot@unwsp.edu.

Pilot Staff Managing Editor Marita Meinerts, M.A. Editor Shelly Barsuhn Graphic Design BARSUHN, Inc. Production Manager Colleen Bemis ’05, CPPM Photography Josh Stokes Contributing Photographers Bri Anderson, Drew Elrick ’12, Keely Joy Photography, Guy Magno ’08, Brian Tanning ’84 Contributing Writers Shelly Barsuhn, Jenny Collins ’05, Janelle (Hamre ’11) Higdon, Amy McCann ’00, Amy Ritter, Nancy Zugschwert University Marketing Team Joan Ayotte, Colleen Bemis ’05, Drew Elrick ’12, Janelle (Hamre ’11) Higdon, Marita Meinerts, Tess O’Connor, Eric Olson, Amy Ritter, Becky Sharkey ’14, Jacki Smith ’15, Josh Wielgus ’06, Ashton Wirrenga ’14, Tammy Worrell ’04, Nancy Zugschwert

14 22 18 If you want to be creative, you’ve got to stick your neck out.

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UNIVERSITY Administration President Alan S. Cureton, Ph.D. Sr. V.P. for Academic Affairs Janet B. Sommers, Ph.D. Sr. V.P. for Media Paul H. Virts, Ph.D. V.P. for Institutional Advancement Amy Bragg Carey, Ed.D. V.P. for Student Life & Athletics Matt Hill ’89, Ed.D. V.P. for Business/CFO Douglas R. Schroeder, CPA Chief Information Officer David Richert, MBA Director of Human Resources Timothy A. Rich, PHR Northwestern Media FM 98.5/AM 900 KTIS Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN FM 101.9/AM 1090 KNWS Waterloo, IA FM 97.9/AM 1200 KFNW Fargo, ND FM 96.5/AM 1270 KNWC Sioux Falls, SD FM 102.5/AM 1190 WNWC Madison, WI FM 97.3 KDNW/FM 90.5 KDNI Duluth, MN FM 107.1/FM 96.1 KNWI Des Moines, IA FM 88.5 KJNW Kansas City, MO University of Northwestern – St. Paul does not discriminate with regard to national origin, race, color, age, sex or disability.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN SPRING 2014 PILOT

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from

The President

As we move toward our first anniversary as a university, I’m thinking a lot about innovation.

Higher education is naturally devoted to innovation, of course. Scholarly research is academicians’ modus operandi, and discovery lights up their synapses and expressions. I often see that look of deep engagement on the faces of UNW professors across every discipline. Extending the limits of existing knowledge is a noble purpose and a high calling for any university, but Northwestern professors move even further, asking, “How do we innovate and advance in knowledge in order to serve God in our world?”

This issue of Pilot highlights the transformative creativity and innovation of just a few of our departments, professors, alumni and students.

Relentless innovation has also been a theme for this university as a whole. With tremendous competition and the pressure to remain both academically rigorous and financially healthy, we continue to refine the “how” of what we do while remaining steadfast about the “why.” In board, cabinet and faculty meetings, we earnestly discuss and pray about fresh and exciting pathways that will strengthen Northwestern for the decades to come. We know it’s not enough to keep pace with the changes around us; we must anticipate coming realities. Whether finding ways to lower the average debt of graduating students or incorporating technology and blended learning options (see pages 14 and 15), we are seeking better ways to provide that “only-at-Northwestern” education for students at every stage of life, career and ministry.

Jesus was an agent of change—what a casual observer today might call an innovator. I am struck by how Jesus the student devoted Himself to learning in preparation for ministry. He spent time “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46b). Jesus the Christ is in fact the one who makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). His life, death and resurrection changed the very way we approach God. The ripples of His message of love and forgiveness and His purpose of salvation continue to be felt across the centuries, moving through the barriers of language and culture.

Yes, the landscape for institutions of higher learning is changing.

Northwestern will embrace creativity and innovation while staying grounded in our purpose of “equipping Christ-centered learners and leaders to invest in others and impact the world.” That is my guarantee to you.

news Cureton Accepts NCAA Leadership Role President Alan Cureton has been appointed to serve as 2014 vice chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Presidents Council, the highestranking group in that division’s governance structure. This four-year term will lead him to serve as the Presidents Council’s chair in 2015.

“Serving the NCAA Division III membership in this new leadership role is a delight for me,” Cureton said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues, athletic directors and coaches from around the country as we work together to advance the mission, viability and visibility of Division III during a critical time for collegiate athletics.”

The Presidents Council has ultimate authority for creating, modifying and implementing policies as well as oversight of allocation of the annual NCAA Division III budget.

As vice chair of the Presidents Council this year, Cureton will chair the NCAA Division III Strategic Planning and Finance Committee.

Congratulations, Dr. Henry Charles Smith During 2013 homecoming, Grammy-winning Dr. Henry Charles Smith was inducted into the Music Hall of Recognition.

He is an internationally acclaimed conductor and musician.

His connections to Northwestern include guest conducting special concerts such as the Maranatha Orchestra and the United Bethel/ Northwestern Orchestra. He also hosted Conductor’s Choice which aired on KTIS and the Northwestern radio network.

Dr. Smith exemplifies the spirit, integrity and Christian commitment of Northwestern and the Department of Music.

Alan S. Cureton, Ph.D. President, University of Northwestern – St Paul

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brian tanning

Stay curious… and turn the page.

Homecoming 2014 October 6–11

What’s Your Legacy?

Come back to campus at UNW, October 6–11, to celebrate your time at Northwestern and this year’s theme of “Legacy.”

Some alumni leave a legacy of academic excellence and vocational success; some, a legacy of artistic and musical impact; others, a legacy of ministry and sacrifice. Whatever your legacy, gather with fellow alumni during Homecoming Week to reflect and celebrate!

Several alumni will be formally recognized at our annual Legacy Luncheon and Alumni Honoree Dinner.

Children of alumni are also invited to enjoy the Junior Eagle Zone during Saturday’s festivities.

Eagles-in-training can stop by to get a special gift, take some fun pictures in the photo booth and

even fill up a bag with goodies from Screech’s Sweet Shop.

More details are coming in July.

Visit unwsp.edu/Homecoming.

Cheer UNW athletics Tour and experience Northwestern’s brand-new, state-of-the-art athletic fields and athletic complex funded by your generous giving to the Soar campaign. The new facilities will include fully turfed and lit football/soccer and baseball/ softball competition fields, six new competition tennis courts, a full concession stand, locker rooms, a stadium with nearly 1,500 seats and a new press box. Interested in giving to the Soar campaign? Visit unweagles.com/soar.

Don’t forget to attend the football game on Saturday, October 11. Cheer on the Eagles as they soar to victory!

Bring your school spirit and loudest outdoor voice to Homecoming 2014!

Celebrate arts Join Northwestern’s musical ensembles for an exquisite Showcase! concert in Maranatha Hall on Friday, October 10. Each year, Northwestern’s choirs, Orchestra and Symphonic Band display their skills and passion as they make music to glorify God. As the first concert of the year, Showcase! gives you a peek into the exciting new musical talent for the 2014–15 academic year.

is excited to welcome you to campus. “Homecoming has grown to be one of the premier events on campus with nearly 3,000 attendees coming to celebrate with us throughout the week. It is a time to remember that Northwestern is ‘Mine for a Lifetime’ as we reconnect with the school, old classmates, new friends and as always, honor God and thank Him for His faithfulness to UNW.” Welcome home!

Make plans now Northwestern has been shaped by its alumni. Come to Homecoming 2014 to celebrate your participation in this legacy.

Jim Bender ’83 & ’00, director of Alumni & Parent Relations,

Golfing With the Eagles: Golf Classic 2014 Each year, Northwestern hosts a Golf Classic event to support the Northwestern Fund and the Wade Wahl Memorial Scholarship. In 2013, over $30,000 was raised to directly benefit students.

For the second year in a row, the Classic was held at the Tournament Players Club (TPC) Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota. The course hosts the PGA Champions Tour 3M Championship every summer. It is connected to Northwestern through alumnus Chris Weinhold ’03, head golf professional at the TPC. The Classic was held on May 19.

Charlotte Wahl Saxon ’76, wife of the late Dr. Wade Wahl ’78, former Northwestern psychology professor, said, “It means so much to our family for the way it honors Wade and his memory. We feel very, very blessed that we’re able to offer as many scholarships as we do because of the tournament.”

When asked what golfers could do to ensure success at the Golf Classic, Wahl Saxon offered sage advice and a little encouragement: “Make sure you have some

really good partners on your team! You don’t have to be a great golfer to win!”

To see photos and get an update on funds raised during the 39th annual Northwestern Golf Classic, visit unwsp.edu/golfclassic.

Speaking of golf Here are some of our favorite new terms from the Golf Classic this year.

• Afraid of the dark: A description of a ball that has been putted but simply refuses to fall in the hole.

• Banana ball: A sliced ball that arcs like a banana.

• Fried egg: A ball that lands in a sand bunker with its top half still visible.

• Golden ferret: Describes the result of hitting the ball out of a bunker and directly into the hole.

• Wormburner: A hard-hit shot that rolls fast and low, never rising more than a few feet off the ground.

Share your favorite golf terminology: #UNWgolfterms.

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d: Voices From the Class of 2014 Meet just a few of the Northwestern graduates excited to make a difference in the world.

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Anacari Jankowski

Benji Fernandes

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PILOT SPRING 2014 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN

Benji Amanda

Andrew

Andrew Kyle Larson Major: Elementary Education Hometown: Annandale, MN Six words that describe you: Adaptable, warm, accepting, exhorter, conscientious, traveler.

Most important thing you learned at UNW: I was reminded that there are only two things that last for a lifetime: God’s Word and relationships. Dream career/ministry: I’m already doing it! I work for Royal Servants, a division of Reign Ministries, a nondenominational missions organization that focuses on discipleship and evangelism. What you’d like to accomplish in life: I want to live a life that’s worth following. Advice to current UNW students: Always strive to grow in becoming a responsible citizen of an increasingly global society.

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Major: Accounting Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Six words that describe you: Listener, passionate, driven, insightful, open-minded, ambitious. Most important thing you learned at UNW: Work toward your goals. The only one holding you back is yourself. Dream career/ministry: Go back to Tanzania…a place that has never known freedom from poverty and fear. What you’d like to accomplish in life: My initial goal is to start a variety of businesses in Tanzania…to lead my people to a new life that is selfreliant and rooted in a shared sense of community and optimism. Advice to current UNW students: Seek the Lord.

Anacari

Major: Dual majors in Biblical & Theological Studies and Philosophy Hometown: Greenfield, MN Six words that describe you: Wise, discerning, courageous, adventurous, passionate, leader. Most important thing you learned at UNW: How to treasure and apply God’s Word in everyday life. Dream career/ ministry: Advocate for the Church as a lawyer.

What you’d like to accomplish in life: Bring God’s Kingdom to earth through hope to the hopeless and truth to the lost. Advice to current UNW students: Get to know your professors! Chat over coffee in the café and randomly pop into their offices to ask questions.

Amanda Fredrickson Major: Communication Arts and Literature Education Hometown: Roseau, MN Six words that describe you: Bad poet, coffee lover, united with Christ! (That’s seven words.) Most important thing you learned at UNW: Become bold. Dream career/ministry: My dream is to teach high school literature and writing in a public school. One day, I also hope to teach overseas at an international or missionary school. What you’d like to accomplish in life: Loving others well. Advice to current UNW students: Do something that frightens you just a bit every day. Don’t be held back from big things by needless worries or anxieties.

GG Soar Campaign Contributors

Enable Groundbreaking

(pictured, left to right) Mike Hedrick (PCL Construction); Paul Newhouse (Perkins+Will); Dan Plack ’14 (UNW student body president); Brian Humphries (associate vice president of Facilities Operations & Planning); Nancy Johnson (Foundation board member); Barb Reynolds (Reynolds family representative); Thor Becken (CEO of Cemstone); Phil Fandrei (UNW supporter); Grover Sayre III (board of trustees chair); Matt Hill (vice president for Student Life & Athletics); Alan S. Cureton (UNW president).

While spring rain soaked the earth of Reynolds Field, more than one hundred Northwestern community members gathered in Nazareth Hall on April 28 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new sports complex. Watching the beginning stages of the build after all of the planning and fundraising, Eagle Athletics coaches and staff smiled. “This has been decades in coming and we are just so excited for how God has moved in the hearts and lives of so many who have touched this project,” said Kirby Stoll ’95, senior director of Advancement Services and Soar campaign manager. “What a blessing this will be for generations to come.”

Matt Hill ’89, Ed.D., vice president for Student Life & Athletics, opened the celebration with prayer, referring to Isaiah 40:31, a verse foundational to Northwestern athletics: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” President Alan S. Cureton dedicated the coming facilities and fields to God, emphasizing an ultimate project outcome to glorify God in athletic excellence.

“This is an exciting time in Northwestern’s history,” said Hill. “The versatility in the design of these four excellent venues benefits our studentathletes, the general student body, physical education majors and the surrounding community by providing a well-rounded experience.”

The Roseville community is anticipating completion of the sports complex as well, according to Dave Halstensgard, director of special projects for Athletics, recalling a favorable City Council vote on stadium lighting.

Newly turfed football/soccer, softball and baseball fields and tennis courts will bring practices and games back on campus upon fall completion. At the heart of the complex is a spirit plaza with a nearly 1,500-seat stadium and new locker rooms.

To aid in a strong fundraising finish for the facility, Eagle supporters can purchase a seat ($500 each) or locker ($750 each) as an investment in Northwestern athletics.

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Faculty Highlights web extra: TO LEARN ABOUT MORE FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS, visit unwsp.edu/pilot/extra.

Biblical Archaeology: Charles Aling and Clyde Billington Charles Aling, Ph.D. (History) and Clyde Billington, Ph.D. (History) were elected president and vice president, respectively, of the international Near East Archaeological Society. The NEAS focuses on research in the lands of the Bible “with a distinctively evangelical perspective” and views the Bible as “a valuable ancient document providing useful data complimentary to the archaeological record.” Aling and Billington were also commended for their production of the society’s journal, Artifax, which covers news relating to biblical archaeology from the Middle East.

Musical Ventures: Timothy Sawyer Timothy Sawyer, M.Mus. (Music) completed a week-long residency with the South Dakota Chorale, a 31-voice professional choir based in Sioux Falls, SD, performing in a program and recording a new CD entitled Sacred Songs of Life and Love. He also led the Two Rivers Chorale in recording its new Christmas CD, Yuletide Treasures, in collaboration with Minneapolisbased guitarist/composer Jeffrey Van. During spring break, Sawyer set a record as a choir clinician and adjudicator, working with 30 high school choirs in the span of 10 days.

Advancements in Education: Wendy Richards Wendy Richards, Ph.D. (Education) volunteers with the Jamaican Diaspora Education Taskforce that recently planned the Advancements in Education Summit (AIE) in Jamaica, February 2014. Jamaican diaspora and educational stakeholders in Jamaica met to collaborate and build a six-year plan for galvanizing the diaspora to implement specific educational initiatives that support the Ministry of Education’s fulfillment of Jamaica’s 2030 Vision. Dr. Richards also presented “Jamaican Children’s Literature: A Critical Multicultural Analysis of Text and Illustration in Picture Books for a Primary Level Audience Published From 1997–2012” at the Literacy Research Association annual conference in Dallas, Texas.

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Biblical Analysis: Ardel B. Caneday Ardel B. Caneday, Ph.D., (Biblical & Theological Studies) presented “John in the Middle: Jews, Purification, and Jesus—John 2:1–11 and 3:22–30” during Johannine Literature Session: Various Themes at the International Society of Biblical Literature meetings, University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He also presided over a Johannine Literature Session: Looking at the Prologue of the Fourth Gospel. He is a coeditor of Four Views on the Historical Adam (Zondervan Counterpoints: Bible and Theology). Videos from contributors to the book can be viewed online in the current issue of Credo Magazine (credomag.com).

Joni Eareckson Tada

Founder and CEO of Joni

and Friends International

Disability Center

“The church is having a tough time with grasping the role suffering plays in the development of Christian character. We hate suffering. We want to eradicate it, medicate it, drug it, exorcise it. We want to institutionalize it, divorce it—do everything but live with it. And yet this is God’s choicest tool for refining our faith and pushing us into the arms of our Savior.

So when I look at the church today, I see that often, yes, we are being affected by a culture of comfort and convenience…. We need a biblical worldview on disability.”

Eugene Cho Founder of One Day’s

Wages, founding and lead

pastor of Quest Church,

Seattle

“The reason why I’m reading Nehemiah right now is because we’re living in a culture and context where the art of listening and solitude is a great challenge.

With so much noise around us, with so much information around us, with so many gadgets around us, the capacity and the willingness to just pause and be in solitude and just listen is one of the greatest challenges in our world today.

Leadership becomes…deep[er] in our lives when we grow in our self-awareness.

It is the leadership of presence.”

Mike Huckabee Former governor of Arkansas, host of the Fox

News show Huckabee and

Cumulus Media Networks’

The Mike Huckabee Show

“Jesus is the greatest leadership example. He exhibited all that He was by getting on His knees and washing the feet, touching blind eyes, and showing compassion to the most notorious sinners. He didn’t condemn them. He also didn’t pander to them or excuse behavior, but exhibited grace and forgiveness.

So how do we please God? By sacrificing and serving those around Him rather than demand they sacrifice and serve Him.”

drew elrick JOSH STOKES

“Humility, spirituality, faith. Those are the three great strengths of any nation. Be humble in heart. Spirituality—meaning that you are not just physical; there’s a spiritual dimension to you which is central to you.

And faith—how to bring faith and reason hand in hand so that you are trusting God through the vicissitudes of life and through the thick and thin of all of your struggles and temptations.”

Huckabee

Ravi Zacharias Founder and president

of Ravi Zacharias

International Ministries

Cho

This spring, University of Northwestern welcomed distinguished speakers to campus during the ongoing Lessons for Leaders lecture series.

“We see our students, alumni and extended network of friends as leaders,” noted Jim Johnson, senior director of development relations.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in the ongoing leadership development of the Northwestern community.”

JOSH STOKES

Eareckson Tada

guy Magno

Zacharias

Snapshots From Lessons for Leaders

Links to video or audio clips from these talks are available at unwsp. edu/lessonsforleaders.

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SUBMITTED

By Nancy Zugschwert

January 26, 2014, began ordinarily for sophomore Benjamin “BJ” Jenney Jr. and his dad Ben, but it ended up being one of the most extraordinary days of their lives.

The pair started out on snowmobiles near their vacation home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “We don’t normally ride the trail,” BJ said. “We find woods, creeks…. We’re thrill seekers.” That day, however, the off-trail terrain was deep with snow and the snowmobile BJ was riding got stuck in a creek. With great effort they were able to dig out, but the ride didn’t get any smoother and soon both machines were bogged down.

With two stuck snowmobiles and too few people to dig them out, they started walking. BJ sent a text to a local relative to say they were heading out on foot, but they had no way of knowing if the message got through.

Deep and cold Temperatures were dropping to 25 below zero as they plodded on in hopes of reaching a nearby town. Fueled only by some granola bars and a bottle of Vitaminwater, they found their expectations and demeanor shifting.

“We’ve been stranded in groups in creeks before and joked about it, but always made it home for dinner,” Ben explained. “And in the beginning stages I was thinking along the same lines.” BJ sent a second text on his last thread of phone battery, but got no response.

Ben realized they were on their own and would have to spend the night in the cold. “At that point I realized what was really happening and terror set in,” Ben recalled. I’ve never been in a situation where I was staring death in the face, but I knew I was.” He credits God with helping him remain calm so BJ wouldn’t know what he was thinking. “I never said anything out loud. No tears, no panic.”

Resting only occasionally, they pressed on.

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Daylight and hope The arrival of daylight renewed hope that they might be found. They didn’t know it, but Michigan authorities and dozens of friends and family members had indeed been alerted by the text messages and were searching in a calculated area.

Nearly 22 hours after they headed out for their Sunday ride, Ben and BJ spotted two park rangers on snowshoes. Ben collapsed when they reached the rescuers and doesn’t remember much until he awoke in a local hospital surrounded by loved ones.

Frostbite and faith BJ was amazed in the days that followed to learn how extensively their plight had been known across the country through social media. “My mom was in California at the time and told me, ‘We had half the country praying for you.’”

BJ had a little frostbite on his toes but beyond that neither man had physical consequences from their adventure. “It was more traumatic for our family than it was for us,” BJ reflected. “Being in the situation, you know what’s going on; for the others it was fear of the unknown.”

The ordeal propelled Ben to a new place of faith. “Our family had recently been through some not-so-fun things and from a Christian standpoint I had sort of thrown in the towel,” Ben admitted. “So going through this and having the knowledge that for whatever reason we were spared, it’s renewed my faith in God. “I’ve had strangers come up to me who heard our story and say they can’t believe I’m standing in front of them,” he said. “All the experts expected to find bodies. I guess I just tell people it’s a miracle.”

SUBMITTED

A Long, Cold Night

Meet the Board

Ginger Ewing Current home: Rosemount, Minnesota.

Education: I have a Bachelor of Music in Music Business from the University of Miami, Florida, and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul.

How did you get connected with Northwestern? My husband and I were listeners and supporters of KTIS Radio.

Stewart Van Duzer Current home: I live in Owatonna, Minnesota, the national headquarters for Federated Insurance where I have worked since graduating college in 1983. We moved here from Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007, after being asked to take a position in the home office and move to the “frozen tundra.”

Education: I am originally from Florida but was recruited to play football and baseball at Maryville College in Tennessee—where I picked up my Southern accent. I have a B.A. in Business Administration.

Career: Upon graduation from law school, I joined what is now Ameriprise Financial as an employee advisor. Two years later, I opened a franchise of Ameriprise. I continue to lead the financial planning practice, which now includes a team of seven that serves families and small business owners.

Family: I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Heath, for nearly 16 years. We have six children ranging in age from 5 to 11. Three are biological and three are an adopted sibling group from Ukraine.

What do you appreciate most about serving on the board? I really appreciate the unwavering commitment of the board to a Christ-centered institution and education. I also appreciate the wisdom and diverse experience of the board members. I’m honored and humbled each time we come together to serve this institution.

Guiding verse: “But seek first His kingdom and all His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Favorite pastimes: I enjoy skiing, hiking, anything in the mountains, and—if I’m honest—shopping, too!

Career: I have worked for Federated for almost 31 years, mostly in sales and then sales management. As 1st Vice President/Director of Special Account Marketing, I now lead a national sales team that sells the largest accounts we insure. I travel extensively. It is a lot of fun for me to be “out in the streets” again in a sales management role.

Family: I have been married to my wonderful wife, Gloria, for the last 29 years. We have two children—Carlee, who graduated UNW and is teaching music at Maranatha Christian Academy (Brooklyn Park) and Will, a physical education major at Bethel University. He is a junior and the starting nose tackle on the football team.

What do you appreciate most about serving on the board? At each meeting I am blown away by the awesome, God-loving people. They love the Lord and UNW. I feel better when I leave than I did when I came to the meeting!

Guiding verse: I have found comfort in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, especially chapter 4, verse 13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Favorite pastimes: When we’re not boating or watching Will play football, I like to golf. I am also a runner and have completed five full marathons since I’ve been in Minnesota.

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There’s a verb in the Hebrew language—bara’, meaning “to create”—that is only used when speaking of God. It punctuates the books of the Old Testament, persistently and unmistakably revealing an essential attribute of God. The very first thing readers learn in Genesis is that God is creative.

“In the beginning, God created…”

Then like a ribbon the evidence is unfurled. Light…water...plants…sky… fish…birds…animals…and finally people, in whom God instills His creativity.

“It is part of His character that He gives us,” stated Michael Wise, Ph.D., professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Languages, and that He, in turn, “encourages within us.”

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God revealed God must care about creativity, Wise said, since it’s how He communicates with people. He enveloped Adam and Eve in beauty and surrounds every generation with His stunningly inventive natural world, a creation designed to remind us, “Look. Look at Me!” Paul reminded us too when he wrote, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” (Romans 1:20a) Scripture—God’s second living, breathing creation—also speaks of that creativity. Rather than a utilitarian manual, the Bible is nuanced, sacred, incomparable. It uses poetry, hyperbole, story, parables, and paradox.1 It invites questions and struggle—and ongoing investigation. It transforms people.

The Bible isn’t done revealing its secrets. Christian mystics, prophets, artists and scholars devote themselves to the task of continued research, creation and personal transformation. “The idea that biblical understanding is fixed and set and there’s nothing for new generations to do but daub a little paint on it just isn’t accurate,” Wise said. “There are much more profound things going on than that”—true opportunities for discovery.

Mirroring the Creator While only God creates out of nothing, humans pick up from there, using existing creation to invent and reveal new ideas. The process isn’t always orderly. It can be messy, disappointing. But creators and inventors can be involved in the work of God: exposing injustice, helping humankind through medical or scientific breakthroughs, giving voice to the underrepresented through the arts and advancing scholarship.

“Because creativity matters to God, it should therefore matter to us,” said Wise. To be creative is to participate with God in the ongoing progress of the universe. “The universe as it exists isn’t static. It’s constantly being created.

There’s creation yet to come.”

When we create, we imitate God—and experience Him. 1

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Just as one example, Wise calls the book of Job “one of the great jewels in the literature of the world.”

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A Changing Horizon (

Universities in 2014 are being reinvented—by necessity.

It’s a hard reality. As the cost of attracting and keeping students increases, online and for-profit options are proliferating. The number of individuals choosing traditional four-year institutions has declined. Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyring, the authors of The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out, call these changes to higher education “disruptive innovation.”

Although it can be painful, even dramatic disruption is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Janet Sommers, Ph.D., senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “If we understand the changing needs of our students and stay true to our core—not changing the content but how we deliver it—we can enhance their experience and increase their learning.”

Northwestern must innovate. And it is doing so by combining the best elements of its historical excellence with timely innovations.

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Hybrid learning – Some courses are already combining technological options with in-person class time to create the best of both worlds. Watching a lecture on a computer means students can review it multiple times to gain a solid familiarity with the information. Then, in-class time can be spent on more interactive collaborative learning with peers and professors.

Fluidity of pathways – The number of students transferring from one institution to another has increased, said Sommers. UNW wants to make those transitions easier for students who desire a Northwestern education by helping them navigate change and get on track quickly.

Lean process – Committees have been working to identify best practices and effective and efficient ways to streamline processes and trim budgets.

More efficient timelines – Some motivated students want to achieve their degrees in less time. UNW offers more options than ever, including an accelerated nursing program, Degree in Three, the five-year B.A./M.Div. program, Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and Early College.

Utilization of technology – Technology will be a key enhancement as Northwestern continues to educate “digital natives, raised in a world of texting, Facebooking, and computer gaming” (p. 215–216, TIU).

Professors are asking how they can use technology to enrich students’ experience and help them better achieve their learning goals.

Despite cataclysmic changes in higher education, “the traditional university is still indispensable,” write the authors of The Innovative University. They acknowledge that “mastering the challenges and opportunities presented by a fast-paced, global society requires more than just basic technical skill and cognitive competence... The traditional

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Ripe With Opportunity)

university, with its mix of intellectual breadth and depth, its diverse campus social milieu, and its potentially life-changing professors, is needed now more than ever” (p. xxiii, TIU).

Sommers believes that UNW has invaluable benefits to offer students and predicts that success will be achieved “not by imitating others but by nurturing [our] unique, Christ-centered niche.” The commitment to sustaining and expanding the mission will require delivery systems that meet the needs of the 21st-century student and world.

“At Northwestern, by God’s grace, we will be wise stewards, knowledgeable and courageous. Instead of trying to hold so tightly to what was, we’ll be open to considering what could be.”

“We know who we are as an institution,” she added. “Our mission drives our strategic vision and academic decisions.”

Coming up… more of what’s going on at UNW.

Less Debt—a UNW Innovation “How much will it cost?”

It’s the question on every potential college student’s mind— and one of the family’s deepest worries. Just the word “tuition” raises blood pressure and causes students to reach for their calculators. “When this is all over, what kind of debt will I have?”

University of Northwestern has an encouraging distinction. Its students graduate with nearly $10,000 less debt than the 2013 average for students attending Minnesota universities and colleges—or with about $7,000 less than students attending private institutions nationwide.*

Minnesota institutions – $31,497 average debt U.S. private institutions – $29,400 average debt University of Northwestern – $22,235 average debt UNW leaders and administrators work to keep those costs as low as possible so more students can get a Northwestern education with its unique level of community, caring and Christian worldview.

Graduating with less debt is frosting on the cake. * Data from tcbmag.com

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“The artist is a servant who is willing to be a birth-giver.”

Madeleine L’Engle

Art

A visitor walks into a prestigious museum, coming face-to-canvas with a vibrant—and well, inscrutable—work of art. He assumes the painting represents high quality because it has found a place in this esteemed venue, but, staring at it, he has no idea why. He feels uneasy. He feels left out. He walks away, thinking, “I don’t get it. I don’t like it. And I don’t need it.”

This sense of disconnectedness from the art world is unique to our time, said Luke Aleckson ’03, MFA, assistant professor of Art & Design. “There is a sense that art is doing something that we don’t understand and don’t have literacy in.”

Yet visual art has the power to help us understand one another, our world and God. On the UNW campus, young painters, sculptors, printmakers, animators and filmmakers are creating and exploring the world of art—to gain and impart visual literacy that can connect people to ideas.

Art humanizes experience While news sources can saturate with jarring

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— a Faith-Based Activity

photos and numbing facts, art rehumanizes our shared experiences. It is de facto personal because it comes from the minds and hearts of people. Aleckson called art “a universal language that reaches across the globe, addressing feelings, experiences and empathy that we share.” Because art represents such a broad range of human experience, it is an essential tool in global lives.

The UNW Art Department places heavy focus on bringing underrepresented voices to light.

“We’re global citizens,” Aleckson observed, “and art is one of the most direct ways that we can know other cultures.”

Becoming vulnerable Ann Sorenson, MFA, associate professor of Communication, sees those same things happening in the UNW filmmaking program.

“Students create something out of nothing,

Detail from Yarn by Joni Van Bockel

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from their imagination. They are telling stories that they think need to be told.”

Telling those stories requires more than a tremendous work ethic. It requires authenticity.

Rick Love, MFA, assistant professor of Art & Design, said it might mean going into deeply emotional and vulnerable terrain. “You have to step toward the thing that you’re uneasy about.” Art requires that the artist share herself or himself—in public! “Innovation,” added Aleckson, “almost always requires personal investment and personal risk.”

There is a place at the table for artists of faith and authenticity, but art that comes across as propaganda or proselytizing is seen as insincere. “For us as artists,” said Aleckson, “it’s a model for how we can be authentic and real. Hopefully we can allow other people to see our perspectives—and through that share Christ.” He advises students, “Don’t have a predetermined idea of where [the art] should go. If you predict or resolve, you’re not being a servant to the creative process. You have to pay attention and learn.”

SUBMITTED

Questions—not always answers—are an integral part of the creative process.

Failing is essential Author Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “Unless we are creators we are not fully alive.” She didn’t mean just sculptors, dancers, painters or writers; rather she viewed creativity as “a way of living life, no matter our vocation or how we earn our living.”

Sorenson said many students come to class with the presumption that they’re not good enough, so one of the gifts professors give their students is incentive to begin. “I think we are all creative beings,” she said.

Having permission to fail is also key. Being unsuccessful…making a mess…falling on your face…. It’s a big part of being an artist because failing is learning. You really need to train, strive and push.

The hard stuff To begin the process of building up visual literacy, viewers can take on meaningful risks

and observe with engagement and curiosity, asking questions. “What emotions does it bring up? How do my experiences connect with the art? How can I empathize with this artist’s experience?”

That doesn’t mean that the experience will always be pleasant. Interacting with art can be challenging work and “not always pretty,” admitted Aleckson.

That’s why Northwestern students often pile into a van to go to a gallery together. They experience art collectively and then digest it collectively through conversation.

Finding value in process For both the artist and the viewer, openness, curiosity and a willingness to listen to others’ perspectives are a start. Even the uncomfortable experiences—especially the uncomfortable experiences—can be life changing.

There are parallels to life. “We try to avoid challenge,” said Love. “But when we’re comfortable, we’re not growing as human beings or in our faith.”

An Artful Study in Critical Thinking To think fresh, you have to get out of your comfort zone.

Last spring, 18 students traveled to London and Rome to develop their own projects in a course called “Critical and Interdisciplinary Thinking and Transference in a Global Setting.”

They problem-solved, lurked in museums, deciphered public transit systems, interviewed experts and joined group discussions. Students experienced the heady joy of independence and self-direction.

“Being uncomfortable and unsure of themselves meant that they had to develop new critical thinking skills,” said Assistant Professor of Art & Design Rick Love.

Associate Professor of Communication Ann Sorenson, agreed. “They came alive.”

Future teacher Anna Watkins ’15 (Visual Arts Education) said that the experience helped her “think differently about people, art and myself.”

Mad About Typography Assistant Professor of Art & Design John Printy says he “nerds out” about typography and encourages his students to do the same. In preparation for his infamous typeface test, they must identify sixty fonts by sight. When he inquired about their study methods, he saw an app-ortunity.

Last fall, Printy began developing an app that would help users interactively explore and play with typefaces, believing “play is a powerful approach to understanding and mastery.”

Inspired by his “visually sophisticated and technologically adept” design students, Printy spent months researching, learning a new computer language, creating visuals and getting feedback from students. He developed an interface detailing each typeface from ascender to descender, complete with historical background and comparative context.

“Building an appreciation for the nuance of lettering is a big goal of this class,” said Printy. “The more you learn about something, the more you appreciate quality.”

As part of his master’s thesis, Printy exhibited his work at Larson Gallery on April 23. The Type Guru app will be available in the App Store in time for his fall typography class.

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Luke Aleckson, MFA (Art & Design) led a group of students to New treasures of the art world and had firsthand experience researching art history.

York City where they explored

MY UN-USUAL

SPRING BREAK Life-Changing Learning Overseas— Through the Photographs of UNW Students

Spring break. It’s a well-deserved respite from study and—for the frostbitten students of Northwestern—a chance to hop on planes to blissfully sunny locales. But this spring, a number of motivated learners headed to far-flung locations to continue their studies. Here are a few moments of their experiences, captured in pixels.

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W. Edward Glenny, Ph.D. (Biblical & Theological Studies) and Mark Muska, Ed.D. (Biblical & Theological Studies) co-led a study trip to Greece and Turkey. The team of 22 people learned about the Early Church in Greece and Asia Minor.

web extra: See more photos of spring trips at unwsp.edu/pilot/extra.

Richard Elliott, MBA (Business) and David Erickson, Ph.D. (Business) guided 20 students on a journey to China to learn about business and ministry opportunities. One day, UNW students were joined by Chinese students from the People’s University, and together they explored Beijing and learned about students from a different culture.

Gale Sewell, Ph.D. (Cand.) (Nursing) led one group of nursing students to Uganda while Ginger Wolgemuth, Ph.D. (Nursing) and Bruce Simat, Ph.D. (Biology & Biochemistry) led another group to Ecuador to participate in immersive, transcultural clinical experiences.

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P

oetry appears deceptively inactive.

It sits like a tidy little package on its page, usually just one page, a minor thing with a ragged right margin, as if unpolished, as if the hemming of a final seam has been forgotten. Poetry looks black on white, precisely typeset and self-contained. But each word is not one thing but manifold, manifesting a dozen definitions, connotations and intimations. The action of a poem arrives not only in its creation—the poet’s composition—but also in the reader’s consumption, which is less the closure of a circuit than an opening into new ideas, art, action. As a poet, I am called a “creative writer” and called to teach “creative writing,” but in order to be genuinely creative, that writing must be preceded by creative reading and creative living on the part of both author and audience.

It turns out poetry is not a flat thing, a page thing, but curved, like an eye must be to clearly see our likewise-curved world. Slovenian poet Tomaž Šalamun writes, “He who truly sees nature / unravels the glove.” My goal as a poet is not to slide a sheet of paper between the reader’s hand and the world but rather to spur readers to lift their eyes from the page toward the sky (or, more often, toward ground, some stomped-down splendor), to strip away at least one of the many protective layers we bind around ourselves, our fallen impulse always to fig-leaf, to shelter ourselves from intrusive elements.

The only way I know to be brave enough to do this is through Christ. In a meditation on attention, poet Donald Revell quotes a line from a particular translation of Guillaume Apollonaire: “Christ pupil of the eye.” This word, pupil, derives from the Latin pupilla, which means something like “little doll”; it is a diminutive, a term we apply to something small and dear. Pupilla, too, leads us to pupil, as in student; all of us students, our eyes students, searching the world for what’s true.

A similar phrase in Hebrew, often translated as the idiom “apple of the eye” (e.g., Psalm 17:8), means literally “little man of the eye”—the tiny reflection of the self seen when looking intently at another. When I hear Apollonaire’s phrase, I remember to focus on and with the image of God— Christ superimposed over the miniature, distorted image of myself I project onto the world; Christ welling up in the eyes of the other and, too, in my own.

We say “apple of my eye” about what’s most precious, most beloved. When we slow down enough to see ourselves reflected in the eyes of others, it is difficult not to begin to consider—as we are called to by Christ—both them and ourselves beloved. A similar thing occurs when we look closely at a poem: we begin to see the text, and perhaps the poet who created it, as valuable; we begin to see our own small reflection, and the reflection of God, within it. We become pupils of the text, both students and seers.

A poem requires that we see words differently—not as simple equivalencies, in one-to-one correspondence with reality, but as cues for

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the eye—look at this person, this place, this feeling, this thing. Sometimes a literal looking is requested, and sometimes an inward, imaginative one; either way, as a poet, while I aim to be true to my own perception, I recognize (and celebrate) that no reader will precisely share my vision. Their “home,” their “mother,” their “Minnesota,” is not mine, which is the point—the point where the creative process shifts from author to audience and readers must conjure their own version of whatever story or scenes the poem provides.

The poem is not black and white but full color, not flat but as round and ripe and beautifully irregular as the world. Tug on one word and the whole thing could unravel—but then be knit again, fearfully and wonderfully together. Brush against that serrated right margin and it might draw blood, but then the next line arrives, bright and soft and comforting as a bandage.

Look closely at the poem, but don’t forget to then look up and look around, and, above all, to look for Christ in all of it.

One of the most beautiful poems I know is “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate,” an ancient Irish lyric traditionally attributed to Saint Patrick. The entire hymn is breathtaking, but I especially love this section:

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Though the author left it out of this catalogue, I can easily reimagine that last line: “Christ in eye of friend and stranger.” And, too, Christ in our own eyes, as we attend deeply and consciously and actively to poetry and to people and to every created thing—an attentiveness that, ultimately, helps to lead us toward a more intimate awareness of, connection to and service of our Creator.

Amy McCann ’00 (MFA., Eastern Washington University) is associate professor of English & Literature. Her debut collection of poetry, Yes Thorn, is forthcoming from Tupelo Press (2015). She was a 2012–2013 McKnight Artist Fellow in Poetry and received a 2014 Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant to support the completion of a second collection of poetry. Recent work has appeared in The Kenyon Review, The Gettysburg Review, West Branch, Image and others.

Writer, Reader and Poem

by Amy McCann

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A Few Entrepreneurs Liberal arts have been overshadowed in the news lately by technical degrees that purport to pipe students into a waiting job market. But the reputation of liberal arts can’t be unseated. A degree from a liberal arts university gives learners the question-asking and problem-solving skills needed for unpredictable life. These three entrepreneurs used their educations to create nontraditional careers, building on their own God-given interests.

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O’Neal Hampton ’79:

Hannah Rivard ’12:

Scott Thompson ’00:

Helping people find health

Melding passions to create opportunities

Seeding new businesses

One Northwestern alumnus took a health journey that inspired him to embrace healthy living and help others do the same.

Motivated by his dramatic weight loss during the 2010 season of NBC’s The Biggest Loser and by his love of God and of his family, O’Neal Hampton founded the O’Neal Hampton Wellness Foundation. The charitable organization focuses on educating families about lifestyle issues such as exercise, stress, smoking, drinking, nutrition and the combatting of low self-esteem.

Hampton acknowledges that the journey hasn’t been an easy one. “People are skeptical about the process. [But] I’ve been really blessed with the grace of God to do what I’m doing. He’s my boxing glove. He’s the one that protects my face from the challenging blows.

“We’re helping people not just with the weight loss—it’s very little to do with the weight loss,” Hampton said. “My highest weight was 400 pounds and that was a byproduct of other things going on.” He seeks to help people by speaking to diverse audiences across the country about health, happiness and his Christian faith. “Those are the things that affect everyone in the world.”

Learn more about the O’Neal Hampton Wellness Foundation at hamptonwellness.org.

When faced with the prospect of taking on debt to pay for her college education, Hannah Rivard developed a plan. She would research and apply for scholarships. Through passionate perseverance, she funded her entire education through the scholarships she was awarded.

At Northwestern she wanted a major that would combine horses and business. She entered the Interdisciplinary Studies program and attained a degree in Entrepreneurial Business.

After graduation, she traveled, wrote a book— Thousand Dollar Hour: Funding College Through Scholarships—trained horses, gave riding lessons, blogged and conducted seminars at schools about her experience funding her education. She developed an online retail store, cambriaequine. com, to sell equestrian-themed products and art.

Currently her speaking engagements are timeconsuming, but the flexibility in her schedule allows her to work for causes she loves. In the future, she pictures herself involved in equine performance, film, exhibitions and social justice, particularly the halting of human trafficking.

“I want to continue to be involved in activities that give me life and joy and give love and joy to others.”

With a double major in Finance and Human Resources plus the licenses he needed for his new financial planning career, Scott Thompson was set.

But after getting started on the job, he noticed how the world of biotechnology was beginning to boom. Farm-raised in Iowa and the third generation in farming and seed sales, Thompson saw opportunity swelling. In 2000, he, his father, and a partner began NuTech Seed, a retail seed company, in North Dakota.

It took off and NuTech expanded its operations throughout the Midwest. “It was a lot of work and a fair amount of responsibility for someone fresh out of college,” he said, “but it was a really great learning experience.” The financial principles he learned at Northwestern “really did play out in the real world.”

Biotechnology has created consolidation in the industry, and in 2010 the partners sold the business to Pioneer Hybrid International.

Today, he is involved in two other businesses—a mid-sized farming operation and a seed plant that processes and bags seeds for several brands. He is also active in his church and about halfway through his seminary education. Who knows when his next entrepreneurial urge will strike?

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JOSH STOKES

Scott Thompson

JOSH STOKES

Hannah Rivard (USED BY PERMISSION OF NBC AS PER THE HAMPTON FAMILY)

O’Neal Hampton

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Innovative Education in an Entrepreneurial Age

Rachel Hart ’16 is following her dreams and creating her own Social Work major through UNW’s flexible Interdisciplinary Studies program.

An accelerated dual degree option will enable Chris Asmus ’14 to complete his M.Div. in 2015.

By Jenny Collins ’05 The need to innovate and remain competitive is inspiring many colleges and universities to find ways to trim some proverbial ivy from their towers.

“In this market, you need to be flexible and come up with creative programs that are attractive to students,” said Randy Nelson, Ph.D., director of the B.A./M.Div. dual degree program. “Students are looking to get the most bang for the buck.”

Matt Frost ’14 sees the rise of entrepreneurialism influencing the quest for innovation. “The Millennial generation is 24

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shifting to more entrepreneurial activities,” said Frost. “We see that Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook at 21. The way the culture is shifting, people want more of this type of thinking.”

To support students’ desires to be more entrepreneurial in their education, Northwestern is offering innovative degree paths—and even giving students the freedom to create their own.

Interdisciplinary Studies: 1% and growing Through the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) degree option, self-motivated students have

the opportunity to be more creative in their academic careers, by designing their own majors and sourcing courses from several areas of study.

Kathleen Black, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, said Northwestern is seeing more students and prospectives interested in designing their own majors. While they comprise only about one percent of traditional undergraduates, the 20 current IDS students represent a combined total of more than 40 areas of study.

Crowdsourcing with academic courses To create a viable IDS major, each student is essentially crowdsourcing strategic courses from the various academic departments. A sample of this kind of creative selectivity looks like this: Design + Engineering + Marketing courses = Industrial Design, one student’s major. Or Digital Media Arts + Studio Art courses = Visual Narrative, another student’s major.

Dr. Black sees IDS as a win-win for both the university and the students. “Students do not need to go to other universities in order to pursue their dreams, and they still have the considerable benefit of our Bible classes and a Christian perspective in all of their coursework,” she said.

To help guide options and to ensure degree requirements are met, Dr. Black and a committee of professors from the student’s areas of study serve as consulting advisors.

Customizing their callings Unlike other schools’ personalized degree programs, Northwestern’s IDS niche is in helping students identify and pursue the callings God has for them.

“God is directing these students in some highly unusual paths,” said Dr. Black, “and it is exciting to be able to play a part in the accomplishing of His will for them.”

For example, you won’t find car drifting, car racing and car audio on the university’s list of majors. But that’s the focus of Matt Frost’s Entrepreneurship major. After surviving a car accident and then doing ministry for two months in India, Frost changed his major from engineering to a focus on creating a business and ministry centered around his experiences and passion for cars.

“I’m able to use all my life experiences to move forward in the areas of passion that God has given me,” said Frost, who sees himself as an innovator. “A lot of people have told me, ‘You

entrepreneured your entrepreneurship major.’”

As the youngest in her family, Temery Pasket ’15 says she’s always taken her own independent path. She’s designing her Visual Design Communication degree from graphic design and communication courses, with the goal of becoming an art director. Paying attention to industry trends, she’s tailoring her IDS degree to include more digital and less print classes, as well as seeking out leadership experience.

“This fits every area of skill that I have and also fits the personality and the experiences God gave me,” said Pasket.

“A jambalaya of disciplines” Dan Dosch ’15 chose IDS to keep his options open. “God made me a jambalaya of disciplines,” he said. “I’m not preparing for a [specific] career. What I’m paying for is five key mentor relationships with professors, who see my God-given potential.”

Combining leadership, Bible, intercultural studies and communication, Dosch sees his studies as better preparation for grad school and a variety of career paths in government, law, business or multicultural ministry.

To prepare for her master’s in social work so she can become a post-adoption counselor, Rachel Hart ’16 sources her courses from psychology, sociology, criminal justice and Spanish to create her own Social Work degree.

She is the second student to create this degree through IDS.

Dosch explained that IDS not only gives him the freedom to innovate, it forces him to innovate, as he makes interconnections from several areas of study. “To stay sane, I have to make a coherent whole out of all these parts,” he said.

The Dual Degree track: become a pastor faster At Northwestern, innovation also comes in the form of earning two degrees in record time.

The accelerated B.A./M.Div. program allows students to complete a B.A. in pastoral ministry and a Master of Divinity degree in only five years instead of the typical seven.

Only eight schools in the U.S. currently offer this innovative five-year format and UNW is the only one with this particular dual degree combo, which, Dr. Nelson noted, is already serving as a model for other schools looking to follow suit.

So far, 29 students have signed up, drawn by the benefits of taking on less debt, internships with local churches and an earlier graduation.

“The average seminary grad is 34 years old.

We’re looking to be 23 when we graduate. We’re really ahead of the curve,” said Chris Asmus ’14, M.Div. ’15, who transferred to Northwestern to become a pastor after choosing to follow Christ just before college.

“This is the future of where church training is going,” remarked Asmus. “You can’t take on thousands of dollars of loans and try to plant a church. Integrated programs like these will put seminaries out of business, if not make them really restructure.”

By innovating its academic offerings, Northwestern is opening doors to a new generation of creative learners and leaders.

Options like dual degrees and IDS hold the promise of equipping more students to pioneer careers that meet the demands of their times.

Northwestern is home to future innovators at every stage of life and career.

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A Core Change

The core curriculum is the foundation and supportive scaffolding for a well-built liberal arts degree.

In 2013, the undergraduate core curriculum underwent a small but significant change.

Instead of requiring courses about the arts— “Introduction to Music” or “Art Appreciation,” for instance—Northwestern opened up the possibility for students to experience the arts through applied courses. For example, students can now meet core curriculum requirements by participating in a music ensemble, drawing/ painting class or acting class.

The discussion was initiated by the Department of Music but found strong support among other

departments. “There was an actual prohibition in the catalog,” said Jeremy Kolwinska, D.M.A, department chair and professor of Music/ Trombone. “‘Applied courses can’t be used in core.’” The change was “an effort to acknowledge that making art is just as valuable as learning about art.”

Kolwinska believes that the arts can have a transformative effect on students. “Those who have been involved in music-making are more likely to be involved in the arts later on,” he said. Although the value is not quantifiable, “there’s an intrinsic value” in art because it “adds beauty to our existence and patterns of thinking can be enhanced.”

A Timely Online Degree

By Jenny Collins ’05

New online program combines Health Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis Even as estimates, the stats are staggering.

Today, approximately 1 in 68 children is identified with autism spectrum disorder and 1 in 6 has a developmental disability.1 As the number of children and adults with autism and other developmental and behavioral needs increases, so does the need for people who are equipped to work with them.

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This fall, Northwestern will launch a new fully online degree—the Bachelor of Science in Health Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

This Northwestern degree is innovative for two reasons, according to Professor of Psychology Don Johnson, Ph.D. First, “it combines two areas of specialization that are increasingly in demand,” said Johnson, who noted health psychology has increased in popularity over the last 10 years. Second, it is unique as a fully online degree that also integrates a Christian perspective.

Focusing on the theoretical background of how psychological, behavioral, cultural and social factors influence health and illness, this specialized degree will prepare students

for the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) exam.

While ABA graduates often work with people on the autism spectrum or assist those with disabilities, Johnson noted they also apply their skills in the criminal justice system, education settings and organizational psychology.

This online degree also has great potential for those seeking careers. Jobs for behavior analysts/therapists sit at the intersection of health care and social assistance, the sector that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects to have the highest job growth over the next several years.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

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This Way to Creativity

I’d Turn Back If I Were You

Take an artist to coffee.

Lead an examined life.

Become an observer.

Write down dreams for inspiration.

Have patience Treat all five with the ugly first senses to attempts.

something new.

Hang with people who are nothing like you.

Go places.

m seu Mu Overseas A new part of town Ethnic r estauran t

Take a class that stretches you.

Learn from the masters.

Shun jargon and use new words.

Land of Nod

Stifle the inner critic.

Get determined.

Despond The Slough of Nice effort. n? you lear What’d

Fuse unlike disciplines.

Weight-lifting

Ballet

Accou nting

ics tist Sta Dog training Disco Theatre

Alter your daily schedule.

Redistribute free time.

Make creative experiences a priority.

Physics Co ok ing

Be fearless.

Collaborate with others.

Take time for silence.

Poetry

Take notes.

Fail.

Repeatedly.

.

Do not pass GO Whoops!

Try ag ain.

Read outside of the box.

Rediscover childhood fun.

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alumni Through the Years Fast Forward: Josh ’08 and Heidi (Graser ’09) Thulin Major: Broadcasting and Electronic Media Communication (Josh) English – Writing (Heidi) Career: Producer (Josh); Staff Writer (Heidi) Hometowns: Circle Pines, MN (Josh); Maple Grove, MN (Heidi) Current Home: Nairobi, Kenya

Unexpected Careers; a Different Life Journey When the effects of a recession caused newlyweds Josh and Heidi Thulin to reevaluate their life ambitions, a suggestion by a Northwestern professor to explore Africa Inland Mission (AIM) changed the course of their careers.

After viewing a short film produced by the AIM On-Field Media team, the couple was hooked. “The ministry [was] a perfect fit for us, where we [could] both use our talents to serve God,” Heidi said.

To a distant land for The Distant Boat The Thulins arrived in Kenya as part of the On-Field Media team in 2012 and “jumped into the deep end,” according to Heidi, on production for the feature film The Distant Boat. “We knew we would play crucial roles in production of the film for the majority of our first two-year term,” Josh said. The Distant Boat, which premiered on November 12, 2013, at the Century Cinemax Junction Theater in Nairobi, Kenya, aims to encourage African Christians to take up the call to missions. The story follows a young Kenyan man’s journey toward the mission field.

The preparation the Thulins received at Northwestern for the careers they expected has also served them well on their unexpected path. “My classwork gave me experience in all aspects of media,” Josh noted, “and also prepared me for a role in a small production team that requires me to be well educated in different production disciplines.”

“One of the most influential classes I took was Grant Writing,” Heidi said. “I took the class to gain a marketable skill; it turns out the techniques I learned in that class have helped us immensely in our support raising.”

The Thulins will return to Minnesota at the end of this year for their first home assignment, after which they plan to serve in Nairobi for another two-year term with AIM. Read more about the film at thedistantboat.com.

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1954 Ross ’54 and Miriam ’54 Winters celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on April 23, 2014.

They have five children, 14 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren and live in Charlevoix, MI. 1956 Ray Cheshire ’56 lives in St. Croix, WI and is turning 80 this year.

1957 Reg Dunlap ’57 is a speaker, pastor, writer, evangelist and teacher. He founded and directs the Evangelism for Christ Association which aids the local church in the areas of evangelism, renewal and revival. You can contact Reg on Facebook, LinkedIn or at his websites: sermonseeker. com and preachingtheword.net.

He lives in Maine with his wife, Eleanor.

1966 Ron Pitkin ’66, publisher of “numerous New York Times list titles and award-winning books,” sold his company, Cumberland House Publishing, and is now enjoying retirement.

1976 Paul Harkness ’76 served as station manager of Northwestern Radio stations KDNW/KDNI in Duluth, MN until 2009. He recently retired as center director of Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge, Duluth campus, and has joined Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global) as a volunteer Midwest region representative.

1978 Mark and Rachel (Kull ’78) Del Aguila returned to Dallas in 2012 after serving over 20 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Spain. They now work with SIL International, a sister organization to Wycliffe. Rachel is the human resources director for the Americas area.

1983 Robert ’83 and Becky (Neal ’84) Roby are “tent-making”— mediating family cases in several counties and teaching 6th grade in Princeton Middle School, respectively. Together, they develop house churches in east central Minnesota. Robert also serves as a marriage restoration coach.

1998 Anthony ’98 and Christine Alfonso welcomed Gianna Margaret on October 14, 2013.

Sharon Bahmuller, Maya Moore and Helen Weller

Undergraduates Discover the Path to Their Purpose

Gianna Margaret Alfonso 1985 Sharon (Weller ’85) Bahmuller and her mother Helen (Rich ’51) Weller were selected as “Season Ticketholders of the Game” at a Minnesota Lynx game last year.

They are pictured here with Lynx forward Maya Moore.

1986 Rhoda (Balzer ’86) Navage has used her elementary education degree to teach in Liberia, West Africa; Anoka, MN and—for the last 18 years—Orlando.

1987 Carol Nelson (’87), executive vice president of Oak Hills Christian College, has been named a director of the Association of Business Administrators of Christian Colleges board. The Association is made up of 167 member institutions in the United States and Canada and seeks to

improve the standard of business management in schools of Christian higher education.

After graduating from UNW with a double bachelor of science in Business Administration and Biblical Studies, she went on to earn a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from California National University.

Justin ’98 and Erin (Mahler ’99) Hosking welcomed Joelle Lynn on June 12, 2013. She joins Kaileigh, Brock, Weston and Zachary. The Hoskings have moved to Amery, WI where Justin serves as pastor of Apple River Community Church.

He is graduating with his Master of Divinity from Bethel Seminary in May 2014.

1992 Michael ’92 and Kimberly Erickson adopted Emma Grace on November 18, 2013. She joins Taylor and Haley.

2000 Andrew and Heather (Davie ’00) Kipp welcomed Josiah Robert on February 5, 2012. He joins Angela and Micaiah.

1997 Richard ’97 and Aimee Redding welcomed Noelle Elizabeth on December 27, 2013. She joins Cara.

Rated a top Midwestern Christian liberal arts university, Northwestern imparts Bible knowledge, depth of instruction in 70+ areas of study and the confidence to pursue God-given gifts. No one can fade into the woodwork with a student population under 2,000 and a 14-1 student to faculty ratio.

Northwestern asks students, “Want to impact your world?” and then gives them the skills they need to achieve their dreams.

For more information about opportunities for undergraduates at UNW, visit unwsp.edu/yourlife or call 800-827-6827.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN SPRING 2014 PILOT

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alumni A Different Kind of Master’s Program

The Northwestern master’s program is for unique individuals—those who want to excel in their chosen areas of expertise but with a biblical, Christ-centered perspective.

Classes are dynamic, interactive and life changing. UNW helps grow the hearts of servant-leaders while preparing people for career advancement and ministry.

Details about UNW’s master’s program are available at unwsp. edu/grad or 888-362-8715.

Scott ’00 and Tish Thompson welcomed Grant Michael on April 22, 2014, at 7:13 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz. and was 20” long. Dad said, “I am hoping he is a future UNW grad!”

2002 Carol (Gruhlke ’02) Delegan attended Northwestern for three years (1998–2001) and later graduated from University of Minnesota Duluth in early childhood studies and psychology.

She is now finishing her master’s at Augsburg College in education.

She served in the military for eight years with one deployment after Northwestern.

Grant Michael Thompson

2003 Tim and Sabrina (Robideau ’03) Singer-Towns welcomed Deacon Elliott on December 17, 2012. He joins Everett.

2001 Nathan and Alison (Fontana ’01) Hakseth welcomed Luke Thomas on February 16, 2011.

2004 Daniel and Katie (Anderson ’04) Snow welcomed Oliver in January 2013.

Jason ’01 and Justine (Lanktree ’99) Pucker welcomed Remy Daniel on September 28, 2013.

He was born after the couple had suffered six miscarriages in three years. They write, “He is an absolute miracle and gift from God!”

Rudy and Heather (Browne ’04) Knapp welcomed Joseph Tiberius on June 11, 2013.

PILOT SPRING 2014 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN

2009 Steven Janowicz ’09 is a designer with Out of the Blue Enterprises in New York City, a leader in children’s educational media with shows like Super Why! and the Emmy-nominated literacy series on PBS KIDS, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

2010 Abbey Weinreis ’10 and Michael Abresch were married on January 18, 2014.

Peter and Jessica (Tieszen ’04) Melling welcomed Vera Jane on May 12, 2012. She joins Oliver.

2005 Joel and Jennifer (Schultz ’05) Koopman welcomed Cora Lillian in September 2013.

2006 Travis and Jenny (Jeffrey ’06) Fugler welcomed Rhett James in May 2013. He joins Bella and Summer.

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2008 Lindsay (Mork ’08) Ostrom and her husband Bjork have a food blog (pinchofyum.com). Lindsay is also the author of an e-book titled Taste Food Photography. A portion of the proceeds from the blog go to support an orphanage in the Philippines.

Abbey and Michael Abresch

web extra: See more photos of Dr. Black with some of his patients: unwsp.edu/pilot/extra.

2011 Joel and Erin (Shogren ’11) Prins welcomed Naomi Jane on May 14, 2013.

2012 Evan Entler ’12 has just started a job as the marketing and advertising coordinator with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ben Gross ’12 successfully made it through the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL International) and became a member with Wycliffe Bible Translators. He is currently preparing to leave for Southeast Asia.

Charlotte Van Rossum ’12 received her CPA license in September 2013.

In Memory We extend condolences to the families of the following Northwestern alumni, employees and friends who have passed away.

Alumni Byron Buck ’51 on December 22, 2013.

Robert Warren ’51 on April 3, 2013.

Clayton Stolz ’53 on July 30, 2013.

Jeannette (Arrasmith ’54) Alden on July 31, 2013.

Earl Eveland ’56 on January 19, 2014.

Joan (Briggs ’58) Bartell on March 7, 2014.

UNW friends, faculty and staff Wesley Burnham, former trustee, on January 14, 2014.

Alumni—What’s Happening?

A lot has changed since you were at UNW—right? Let us know about it! Did you start a job? Move? Join a ministry? Get married? Have a baby? The alumni office wants your news.

Stay in touch with your professors and fellow alumni by sending the details and a photo so we can share your update in Pilot magazine. Submit information to alumni@unwsp.edu.

Terry Hulbert, who taught at Northwestern from 1951–1957, on February 22, 2014.

Robert Theodore Sandin, former dean, on April 5, 2014.

Fast Forward: Pete Black ’02 Major: Biology Hometown: Arden Hills, Minn.

Current Home: Tampa, Fla. Family: Wife: Becca; Children: Adam (4) and David (1½)

Working With a Stunning Array of Animals If you tune in to kids’ television programming on a Saturday morning, you may see lions and tigers and bears and—oh my—Dr. Pete Black ’02 helping to take care of them. Black, a senior veterinarian at Busch Gardens Tampa, is a featured vet on The Wildlife Docs TV series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the park’s Animal Care Center. There is no shortage of variety in Black’s job, both in the animals he works with and the procedures he performs. “It can definitely be challenging to work on so many different species—we have around 300 here at Busch Gardens—but the variety is also a large part of what makes the job more fun and interesting,” Black said. “You can be working on an elephant and then have to rush off for a tiger or a dart frog all in the same morning!”

In addition to his work at the park, Black has been involved with several field projects in Africa through the Sahara Conservation Fund and Christian Veterinary Mission.

Prepared for career and for life While at Northwestern, Black played football and focused on his studies, knowing from the start his aim was veterinary medicine. He graduated in 2006 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from University of Minnesota.

The son of two Northwestern professors (Thom and Kathleen Black), Pete believes his undergraduate experience prepared him in many ways. “The biblical education helped me take ownership of my faith and showed me how to truly study Scripture,” Pete reflected. Academically, he received a “great groundwork” to get into veterinary school and succeed once he got there. He also valued his time as an athlete. “Playing football…was pivotal in teaching me perseverance in the face of adversity and how to best work as a team,” he said, “which have been invaluable lessons both in life and in my career.”

Black and his wife, Becca, whom he met in vet school, enjoy an active life that includes weight lifting and triathlons. But he noted, “Other hobbies have been superseded by raising the boys.”

See more at seaworldkids.com/en/wildlifedocs.

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web extra: For the stories behind the names, visit unwsp.edu/pilot/extra.

Changing Names to Honor Legacies

Adult Degree Completion Changes Lives

Statistics show that higher education degrees are important for people seeking jobs or hoping to increase their pay. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, workers with a B.A. earned 1.8 times the average amount earned by individuals with a high school diploma.

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President Cureton recently asked the Board of Trustees’ Advancement Committee to consider names for some of the unnamed buildings on campus. He also sought nominations and feedback from faculty members and the alumni council. After conversation and reflection, the Board approved the following names to honor individuals who have made important contributions to the university.

South Residence will become Ramseyer Hall in recognition of Paul Ramseyer.

Snelling Terrace and Antioch Residence Apartments will be named Pittman Hall (North and South) to honor Sam and Grace Pittman.

Northwestern Office Building (Edina Realty) will be called Wilson Center in recognition of George Wilson ’36.

Country Inn & Suites will become Akenson Hall after Dr. Curtis B. Akenson ’33.

These names will go into effect July 1, 2014.

University of Northwestern offers flexible options for people hoping to complete a degree and advance their careers.

Additional information about adult degree completion at Northwestern is available at unwsp.edu/focus or 888-362-8715.

PILOT SPRING 2014 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN

Don’t miss out on UNW news or events!

Update your alumni profile at unwsp. edu/alumni (choose “Stay Connected” then “Update Your Profile”). If you include your email you’ll receive our monthly Alumni E-news in addition to the Pilot.

Connect with us: University of Northwestern – St. Paul @ NorthwesternMN Northwestern Professional Network Group University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Theatre on Purpose

TreeHouse, a faith-based, Minnesota nonprofit that helps at-risk youth, was buried in a paper reporting system. With the need to track data on over 1,600 teens served annually at eight sites, the organization needed a digital solution.

Employee and alumna Kate (Hoganson ’10) Frerich asked James L. Smith, professor of Business, “Can you help?”

Smith brought the project to his Mobile Application Development class. His teaching assistant Tyler Singkofer ’13 took the lead on creating an app, along with Management Information Systems students Luke Snell ’14, Chris Dadisman ’13, Micah Mogler ’15 and designer Brandon Bakken ’15.

“One of the biggest motivations was learning how to program as a team,” said Snell. “I was interested in the opportunity to get out and make something that would be of definite value.”

Embarking on hundreds of hours of work, the development team consulted with TreeHouse and eventually involved Smith’s Database Management class to redesign the organization’s struggling database as well.

“It was more work and more learning than we ever could have anticipated,” said Smith.

In December 2013, Tyler and team presented TreeHouse with the new app and database, valued at over $50,000, receiving hearty applause.

Grandison acknowledged that the labor behind these creative productions is immense, but there’s a worthwhile purpose. “I want people to be moved by what they see.” These theatrical experiences have an ultimate goal of creating change for the better.

Keely Joy Photography

An Inventive, Student-Led Solution

Theatre on Purpose is a small ensemble of Northwestern students who write and perform original pieces about important social issues.

Director Brian Grandison, teaching theatre artist, guides the process and helps students bring the productions to life. Then the troupe takes these portable, thought-provoking dramas out into the community. The 2013 production focused on human trafficking; the topic in 2014 is guns and violence.

Post-show dialogue can be an important part of the presentations as groups engage directly with the material by asking questions and sharing responses.

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CR

“Mobile devices are becoming the dominant interface in I.T.”

N

EA TIO V TIV O IT N Y IN

Welcome

to the Age of

Apps Between 2009 and 2013, the percentage of people using smartphones increased from 5% to 22%.

According to Business Insider, there are an estimated 1.4 billion smartphones in the world.

At this moment, one in five people are learning, communicating and working through their electronic devices.

The proliferation of applications for those devices has been exponential.

“Websites have been the focus for the past 20 years,” said James Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of Management Information Systems.

“But now the shift is toward applications that run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices are becoming the dominant interface in I.T.” Because of this shift, this past fall

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Northwestern began offering a course in Mobile Application Development in which students learned how to write apps for the iPhone and the iPad. Although no one has yet designed an app that goes into cyberspace and retrieves harshly worded emails, maybe it’s a project just waiting for the right, motivated developer.

Apps of the future People often think of games when they think of apps, but there is an ever-broadening need for developers who can create apps that contribute to social good. Individuals (social entrepreneurs, educators, artists, scholars, engineers and volunteers) and organizations (nonprofits, churches) can create and use interfaces that put tools for compassion and justice into the hands of would-be users.

Application design may offer the opportunity

to contribute to solutions for some of the important issues of our time. AIDS, racism, hunger, clean water, oppression of women, child abuse, human trafficking, incarceration, care of the earth…. There is a need for Christian creatives and thinkers to contribute to this expanding field. Those who design those digital experiences are becoming hugely influential in shaping culture and everyday life across the world.

Who knows what you can achieve with God’s help?

Moving Pictures A dramatically darkened auditorium and a podium for acceptance speeches… Elegant women in gowns... Debonair men in suits… The eighth annual Five16 Film Festival had all the elements of a Hollywood awards program.

Students, faculty and film fans flocked to Maranatha Hall on Monday, April 14 for a celebration of student-written and produced films. A Festival Selection Committee chose the films for screening.

Festival judges—faculty, alumni and film professionals from around the country—then selected this year’s winners: Comedy – Pass the Salt by Matthew Abeler Documentary – The Making of Self–Untitled by Ashley Herubin and Jordan Wipf Music Video – This Life by William Bakken, Alexis Johnson, Carsten Johnson, Sophie Meath, Jared Myers and Kent Svenson Animation – Runner’s High by Jazmine Overcashier Drama – Young Gun by Ashley Herubin and Jordan Wipf Audience Choice – Ghetto Wagon by Matthew Abeler (selected through text message voting) The Five16 Film Festival was named for the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

To view the winning films, visit five16filmfestival.com/2014-winners.html

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The moments before graduation are about preparation and reflection.

Congratulations, 2014 graduates.

“University of Northwestern – St. Paul exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community and world.”

Learn. Lead. Invest. Impact.

Twin Cities MN UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN — ST. PAUL