Alumni Program Blog - Page 4 of 62 - Alumni, Parents, and Friends

Auggie Spotlight: Devoney Looser ’89

Posted on February 19, 2024July 2, 2024

Meet Devoney Looser 鈥�89, BA (English) minors in French and communication, summa cum laude, with Honors. Devoney is an internationally recognized expert on the history of women鈥檚 writings, feminist literary criticism, and Jane Austen鈥攈as worked in higher education for thirty years. She is Regents Professor of English and Global Sport Scholar at Arizona State University, where she鈥檚 taught since 2013 and a recipient of this year’s 麻豆区 Distinguished Alumni Award.

What keeps you busy these days? I鈥檓 working on a new book,听Wild for Austen, for St. Martin鈥檚 Press, for publication in fall 2025, to coincide with the celebration of the 250^th anniversary of Austen鈥檚 birth. For play, I鈥檓 skating with a wonderful roller derby team, Roughneck Roller Derby, in Tulsa, OK. (I work in Arizona, but I spend weekends with my husband and our younger son in Tulsa.)

How did 麻豆区 shape your path? 麻豆区 completely transformed my path. I was a first-generation college student, who needed (and received!) not only financial support but a lot of guidance. I started college as a shy and quiet student; I ended up with so many opportunities to grow, through student leadership roles in the newspaper, yearbook, and literary magazine, as well as the orientation program and the library, where I worked. 麻豆区鈥檚 faculty and staff shaped鈥攁nd still shape鈥攎y path, through their generous sharing of wisdom, support, and opportunities.

Who is an Auggie (alumni, faculty/staff, friend, etc.) that has impacted you and why? The fact that there are so many 麻豆区 faculty and staff I could name who had a positive impact on me is inspiring, right? The one I鈥檇 like to mention here is English Professor Cathie Nicholl. Cathie is the person who first suggested I should go to graduate school. What she said during an advising session was, 鈥淒on鈥檛 drop your French class. You鈥檒l need that for graduate school.鈥� I always joke that, at this moment, I thought to myself, 鈥淲ait a minute! I鈥檓 going to graduate school?鈥� But there鈥檚 some truth to that! It鈥檚 a moment that felt like a light bulb going off in my head, and her support and encouragement is what set me on the path to the PhD and to a career as an academic and a writer.

What is a fun or favorite memory of your time at 麻豆区? I have very happy memories of our rushing to meet late-night editing and production deadlines for the听Echo听newspaper. That鈥檚 where I first started to drink coffee but, more importantly, made lifelong friends. I also remember fondly a winter night hanging out with听贰肠丑辞听staff, including co-editor Steve Aggergaard, that ended with our making snow angels in Murphy Square.

Thank you Devoney!

Give back to 麻豆区 by joining the Alumni Board

Posted on February 1, 2024February 6, 2024

麻豆区 is looking to add additional members to it’s Alumni Board starting this summer. Are you passionate about keeping alumni connected to 麻豆区? Do you want to think creatively about ways to connect alumni with current students? Do you like helping to bring Auggies together at various events? If you’re interested, please reach out to Nate Berkas at听berkasn@augsburg.edu听to learn more.

The 麻豆区 Alumni Board is an opportunity for alumni from all programs and class years to build relationships with each other and the University today. Members connect with institution leaders, faculty, and students to better understand and support the mission. For more information, visit the Alumni Board page.

Auggie Spotlight: Navid Amini 鈥�19, MBA

Posted on January 29, 2024February 6, 2024

Meet Navid Amini 鈥�19, MBA. Navid is serving his third year on the Alumni Board and is the 麻豆区 Alumni Board President 2023-24.

What keeps you busy these days? Spending time with my children (12, 10, and 5). I current serve as the Director of Client Strategy for Laguna Health which is a Healthtech AI company transforming care management. I enjoy playing the piano when I find time and traveling to my second home in Florida.

Who motivates you? I have seven brothers who serve as my personal “board of directors” and they inspire me immensely and push me hard to continue thriving.

How did 麻豆区 shape your path? Attaining my MBA from 麻豆区 taught me a lot about myself as a person and instilled the spirit of paying it forward. I am honored to continue remaining connected with the institution through the Alumni Board.

What is a fun or favorite memory of your time at 麻豆区? Slamming coffees late at night with my team as we figured out how to draft the best market analysis report out there!

Thank you Navid!

Auggie Spotlight is a new project that will feature 麻豆区 Alumni in all walks of life, and further connections in our 麻豆区 Alumni community. If you would like to be in the spotlight, or if you’d like to nominate another alumni,

Dr. Ruth Johnson 鈥�74 and Professor Phil A. Quanbeck II Organize a Trip to Turkey

Posted on October 30, 2023December 6, 2023

Dr. Ruth Johnson 鈥�74, and Dr. Phil Quanbeck II, religion professor emeritus, are hosting a tour to Turkey through Tutku Educational Travel on May 2- 15, 2024. The trip will begin and end in Istanbul. Participants will travel in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul as well as cities mentioned in the Book of Revelation. This is a tour of Christian homelands of the first centuries of the Christian movement. And The tour will trace those traditions into modern Turkey.

Farewell dinner during Jerusalem trip. Last year, Ruth and Phil had several alumni join them on their organized trip to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. 鈥�It was a very meaningful trip. We visited the biblical sites of the OT and the NT and the story of Jesus and the disciples. We also met people involved in contemporary reconciliation and justice issues from Israeli and Palestinian perspectives. We met with Dr. Mitri Raheb of Dar Al Kalima University in Bethlehem. 麻豆区 has a long standing connection with Dr. Raheb and Dar Al Kalima. We also visited Petra, famous for its ancient importance and modern setting for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.听 These journeys are also made wonderful by sharing the experience with interested and engaged travelers,鈥� Phil shared. Ruth and Phil have also co-led trips to Greece and Turkey in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008, and just returned in October from a trip to Istanbul.

Ruth and Phil welcome any 麻豆区 alumni and friends to sign up for this exciting adventure!

!听

Join the Vespers Choir

Posted on October 12, 2023October 12, 2023

Are you someone who:

Loves singing Christmas music in a choir?
Doesn’t have time to sign up for a whole season of involvement
Wants to join the company of musicians at 麻豆区’s annual Advent Vespers services at Central Lutheran Church?

If so, then Vespers Choir is for you!

Commitment:

3 consecutive Tuesday evening rehearsals starting on October 31.
2 dress rehearsals at Central Lutheran Church: November 28 and 30.
3 Services: December 1 at 7:00 p.m. and December 2 at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Open to anyone in the 麻豆区 community (plus your friends and family).

For details contact Dr. Kristina Boerger at boerger@augsburg.edu

Join us for Homecoming

Posted on September 12, 2023October 16, 2024

We can鈥檛 wait to have students, alumni, family, and friends on campus for all of our听Homecoming events听产别迟飞别别苍听October 8-14, 2023!

Whether you have been coming back to 麻豆区 every year since you graduated, or it has been a while, we can’t wait to reminisce, celebrate, and gather together as Auggies. Our Homecoming weekend includes the Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 12, the Distinguished Alumni Award Celebration on Friday, October 13, the 50th Reunion Breakfast, Homecoming Chapel, Taste of 麻豆区, tours of 麻豆区’s campus, and the Homecoming Football Game on Saturday, October 14

There is nothing like returning to campus, and we hope that you will join us.

Join us for the events and tours listed above by RSVPing here: RSVP TODAY!

You may know Dave Stevens 鈥�90

Posted on March 29, 2023

You may know Dave Stevens 鈥�90 from his time playing minor league baseball for the Saint Paul Saints or when he tried out for the Dallas Cowboys, or maybe you know Stevens from his seven National Sports Emmys, which he won while reporting with ESPN for over 20 years.

And there鈥檚 still an abundance of Stevens鈥檚 accolades that could be mentioned but few people know it started with his time as a football player at 麻豆区. He was and still is the only congenital amputee to ever play NCAA football. Stevens was offered a scholarship to 麻豆区 after his story aired on ABC鈥檚 That鈥檚 Incredible! in 1981.

鈥淚 had a job opportunity at KSTP and a scholarship that Julian Foss provided for me to attend 麻豆区, and I wanted to work in television,鈥� Stevens said. 鈥淐overing sports at 19-years-old and in a market like Minnesota when the Metrodome had just been built was a big deal.鈥�

But not long into his first year at 麻豆区, Stevens got homesick. That, and the passing of a parent contributed to him moving back to his hometown in Arizona where he got a job and soon realized that his life wasn鈥檛 going in the direction he wanted.听

Luckily for Stevens he was given a second chance and a one-way ticket back to Minnesota when he asked his former benefactor if he could retain his scholarship and return to 麻豆区, and in 1987, he was back to finish what he had started.

Stevens recalled long days in the classroom, on the field, and at work, getting off late evenings to meet up with friends for some affordable food and entertainment at the Cabooze before heading home to catch some sleep and doing it all again the next day.

鈥淚t was so awesome that this little Division III school gave me such a huge opportunity to play football and live my dream,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd to top it all off I had so many amazing professors, mentors, and resources that really helped me develop as a person and not just as a person with a disability.鈥�

After his time at 麻豆区, Stevens would go on to transition more into his career in television. He has covered NCAA Final Fours, World Series, and Super Bowls. Currently Stevens is an adjunct professor at the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, a motivational speaker, and works with a number of charitable foundations. One word that Stevens said is not in his vocabulary is 鈥渃an鈥檛鈥�.

He hopes to one day be inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame for his time at 麻豆区 and his contributions to the sport. Stevens said he appreciates the opportunity that 麻豆区 gave him and continues to give to all of its students.

鈥溌槎骨� is this amazing melting pot, and it helps you in the real world to realize there are other people out there who have different ideas, beliefs, and capabilities,鈥� Stevens said. 鈥淚t’s a school that I don’t think gets enough love for the reputation that it continues to maintain.鈥�

Dr. Ruth Johnson 鈥�74 and Philip A. Quanbeck II lead a pilgrimage tour to Israel and Palestine

Posted on January 20, 2023August 23, 2023

Dr. Ruth Johnson 鈥�74, and Philip A. Quanbeck II, religion professor emeritus, will lead a pilgrimage tour to Israel and Palestine on May 20 – 31 with an optional extension to Jordan on May 31-June 3, 2023.听

Dr. Ruth and Dr. Phil led four tours to Greece and Turkey with 麻豆区 students in 2003, 2005, and 2007, and with adults in 2008. They also led an 麻豆区 alumni tour to Israel in 2012, and most recently, in 2017, they led their own tour to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, which included a number of Auggies.

鈥淲e had a good group ready to go in May 2020 but COVID hit and we had to cancel,鈥� they said. Adding, that conditions are now very favorable again for travel to the Holy Land.

Currently, they are working with a travel agency in Bethlehem called Shepherds Tours, which is closely associated with Dar Al-Kalima University and the Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. Mitri Raheb and Dar Al Kalima have ties to 麻豆区. Several 麻豆区 faculty including Jacqui DeVries have been to Dar Al Kalima in recent years, and Mitri Raheb has visited 麻豆区 on several occasions.

Johnson and Quanbeck鈥檚 tours visit well-known biblical sites associated with both Old Testament and New Testament stories and figures. They will visit the Galilee region and Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Masada, and Jerusalem. And Bethlehem on the West Bank. They also engage current realities in Israel and the West Bank (Palestine). The extension to Jordan will include Petra, the area of building carved in red rock.听

鈥淲e also meet with the Parents’ Circle Family Forum which is an Israeli and Palestinian group of parents who share their losses of children in the struggle,鈥� they said. 鈥淲e visit an Israeli settlement on the West Bank and a refugee camp operated by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, camps which are a remnant of the 1948 war.鈥�

Johnson and Quanbeck encourage 麻豆区 alumni and friends to join them on the next pilgrimage and experience the tour firsthand.听

Celebrating the Life of Dr. Peter Hendrickson 鈥�76

Posted on October 19, 2022October 19, 2022

Longtime Director of Choral Activities and Professor Emeritus, Dr. Peter Hendrickson, died this past June at the age of 67. A celebration of his life will be held at Hoversten Chapel on the campus of 麻豆区 on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2:00. All are welcome to attend!

An important part of the memorial service will be a special choir made up of 麻豆区 alumni and former Masterworks Chorale singers who had the privilege of singing under Dr. Hendrickson. A short rehearsal, led by Mark Sedio and Nancy Grundahl, will take place at 12:30, just prior to the memorial service in Hoversten Chapel.

Tina Brauer in the 麻豆区 Music Department can be contacted with questions as needed (brauer@augsburg.edu). Music to be sung will be emailed to you in advance.

If you would like to be part of the memorial service choir, please RSVP-听

The Passing of Evangeline 鈥淰angie鈥� Hagfors

Posted on October 12, 2022

Evangeline听鈥淰angie鈥澨�Hagfors听passed away peacefully on October 4, 2022 at her home.听

Vangie鈥檚 deep connection to 麻豆区 began when her father, Elnar Gundale 鈥�33, emigrated from Norway and attended 麻豆区 Seminary. Vangie attended classes on 麻豆区鈥檚 campus from 1957-1959 as part of the Nurse’s Training Program through the Lutheran Deaconess Hospital. And three of Vangie鈥檚 siblings – John Gundale 鈥�67, Stephen Gundale 鈥�70, and Ruth Gundale 鈥�73 – also attended 麻豆区.

Vangie married Norm, a University of Minnesota graduate, and together they had two children, Mark and Rachel. Norm joined 麻豆区鈥檚 Board of Regents in 1989 and both Norm and Vangie have faithfully served on 麻豆区鈥檚 President鈥檚 Council since its inception in 2018. They embodied Christ鈥檚 teaching to love your neighbor, a core tenant of 麻豆区鈥檚 mission.

Dr. Paul Mueller 鈥�84 shared,听鈥淲e are saddened by the passing of Mrs. Vangie听Hagfors听and extend our condolences to our friend, Norm, and the entire听Hagfors听family. Vangie understood the tremendous value of an 麻豆区 education rooted in our Lutheran faith. Over the years, the听Hagfors听have been leading benefactors of 麻豆区. Their lead gift in 2015 resulted in the construction of the campus鈥� signature building, the听Hagfors听Center for Science, Business and Religion, in which our students鈥攁nd future leaders鈥攍earn about and explore the intersections of these three disciplines.鈥�

The听Hagfors听Center for Science, Business, and Religion is a multi-discipline complex that opened in January of 2018 and serves more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year.

Norm and Vangie Hagfors visiting the construction site of the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion with President Paul Pribbenow and architect Bill Blanski.

Vangie is pictured above ready to cut the ribbon and officially open the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

Vangie鈥檚 gentle and generous spirit will be missed dearly by the 麻豆区 community.听She truly clothed herself in 鈥渃ompassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience鈥� as we read about in Colossians 3:12.

Evangeline 鈥淰angie鈥� and Norm Hagfors pictured together in the Gundale Chapel in the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion on 麻豆区鈥檚 campus.

President Paul Pribbenow shared that听“It is a most sad day for all of us who have come to know and love Vangie. Her historic ties to 麻豆区 through her father, the Rev. Elnar Gundale 鈥�33, are fittingly celebrated in the beautiful Gundale Chapel in the听Hagfors听Center for Science, Business, and Religion, and her deep faith was an inspiration to all of us. One of the greatest joys of my time at 麻豆区 has been to witness the remarkable vision and generosity of Norm and Vangie, whose legacy is forever secure in the remarkable听Hagfors听Center – a transformative academic building that still takes my breath away with both its architectural beauty and its impact on our students and faculty each day. Along with her family and friends, we grieve Vangie’s death and celebrate a life so faithfully led.鈥�

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 24, at Saint Andrew鈥檚 Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi. Visitation will be held from 3 PM to 6 PM on Sunday, October 23, at Bradshaw, 4600 Greenhaven Drive, White Bear Lake, and one hour prior to the service at church. Read Vangie鈥檚听.