Jen Lowman Day, Author at �鶹�� Now

StepUP Gala celebrates hope

Jen Lowman Day — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 22:24:09 +0000

The StepUP^®Program at �鶹�� College has had a successful year. As the largest residential collegiate recovery program in the United States, StepUP is regarded as the gold standard for programs of its kind. Now in its 20th year, StepUP empowers students to champion lives of recovery, achieve academic success, and thrive in a residential community of accountability and support.

StepUP celebrated its annual gala October 29, and the event focused on the theme of “hope.” The gala is an opportunity to reduce the stigma often associated with substance use disorders by raising awareness—and honoring the accomplishments and contributions—of StepUP’s 100 students and 750 alumni.

At the gala, emcee Don Shelby, an Emmy-award-winning former news anchor and person in recovery, welcomed supportive Auggies, families, friends, and advocates for recovery. Peter Hubbard ’10 spoke about his work with StepUP alumni to create chances for StepUP students to learn about life after graduation, network, and explore concerns with those who have followed a similar path.

The Barbara and Skip Gage family received the Toby Piper LaBelle award in recognition of their longstanding commitment to education at �鶹��. The Gage’s dedicated support of the CLASS program, Lindell Library, Gage Family Art Gallery, and Gage Center for Student Success furthers �鶹��’s ability to live out its mission of serving the diverse needs, gifts, and experiences of its students. In addition, the contributions of The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation were recognized with the inaugural Keystone Award for institutional support.

To continue the deep success of the StepUP Program, the College has launched an endowment campaign for the program. The campaign is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $10 million by 2017. The endowment will allow the College to increase enrollment in the program, to maintain StepUP’s unparalleled community experience, and retain StepUP’s exceptional counselors and staff. .��

Photo by Courtney Perry

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Homecoming 2016

Jen Lowman Day — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 18:35:04 +0000

�鶹�� College’s 2016 Homecoming celebration was held Sept. 22-24—a festive weekend when alumni, students, and families took part in new events and beloved traditions. More than 500 alumni from 64 different graduation years attended celebrations, including reunions for the classes of 1966, 1976, 1991, and 2006.

Ten Auggies were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame after being welcomed to the ceremony by current student-athletes. During a Homecoming lunch with alumni award recipients, students were invited to share in discussion with recipients of the First Decade, Spirit of �鶹��, and Distinguished Alumni awards. In an evening ceremony, six alumni and two honorary Auggies received awards and were recognized for their generous service to the world.

The Taste of �鶹�� featured 38 booths—most hosted by student groups—and offered games, entertainment, and food, including the �鶹�� Chemistry Society’s liquid nitrogen ice cream. �鶹�� won the football game against Carleton College, and alumni, families, and students stayed after the game to enjoy s’mores at an Auggie Block Party featuring the band Broken Spoke.

This year, 30 Homecoming events celebrated the best of �鶹��, from an all-band reunion to Auggie Talks led by alumni, staff, and faculty experts. The Centennial Singers and an alumni band led by Professor Emeritus and Spirit of �鶹�� Award recipient Bob Stacke ’71 invigorated the chapel at a worship service where Associate College Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres welcomed all Auggies with a “Home Calling” message.

Homecoming snapshot gallery

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New to the Alumni Board

Jen Lowman Day — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 20:24:41 +0000

Five Auggies elected to serve three-year terms on the �鶹�� College Alumni Board will network with and mentor current Auggies, build community with alumni, and provide a vital link between the College and graduates.

Derek Francis ’08

School counselor, Minneapolis Public Schools

“Through the awesome community and volunteer opportunities at �鶹��, I realized I was passionate about working with youth. �鶹��’s value of service to the community transformed my life.”

Lori Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL

President, MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce

“I am eager to give back to the school that has given me so many opportunities, such as political internships with [former U.S. Rep.] Martin Sabo ’59 and MN Sen. Bill Luther, which began my career.”

Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA

Business development, Gravie

“A continuing passion of mine is to grow our networking efforts, both for employers and individuals as they connect with Auggie alumni.”

Janeece Oatman ’05

Development director, American Diabetes Association

“I have a passion for committee-building, and I am interested in networking opportunities, reconnecting with campus, and fellow Auggies.”

Brad Randall ’13

Mechanical maintenance planner, Xcel Energy

“As a graduate of �鶹��’s Adult Undergraduate program, I am interested in mentoring �鶹�� alumni in all fields.”

Top image, back row [L to R]: Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA; Brad Randall ’13; Mary Prevost ’12 MBA; Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA; Jay Howard ’03, Nick Rathmann ’03; Hanna Dietrich ’05; Rick Bonlender ’78; Patricia Jesperson ’95; Melissa (Daudt) Hoepner ’92; Howie Smith ’80, ’19 MAL; Marie (Eddy) Odenbrett ’01; Greg Schnagl ’91.

Front row [L to R]: Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge ’02; Meg (Schmidt) Sawyer ’00; Adriana Matzke ’13; Janeece Oatman ’05; Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08; Jill Watson ’10 MBA.

Not pictured: Derek Francis ’08; Lori Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL; Nick Swanson ’09

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Give to the Max makes impact

Jen Lowman Day — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 20:22:45 +0000

[L to R]: Lewis Istok ’18 and Abigale Enrici ’18 create a two-material print using a 3-D printer purchased with Give to the Max Day funds.

Auggies last fall made �鶹�� College No. 1 in the annual Give to the Max Day challenge. This year, Give to the Max Day is November 17, and the College is calling on alumni to push �鶹�� into the top spot for the fourth year in a row.

In 2015, in just 24 hours, more than 1,000 Auggies—many of whom were first-time donors—generously stepped up to give more than $240,000 to �鶹��. As a result, �鶹�� ranked first among all participating Minnesota colleges and universities, and earned a $10,000 bonus.

Alumni support on Give to the Max Day has a lasting impact and supports new opportunities for students. Funds raised last year supported the expansion of on-campus research; the purchase of a 3-D printer for the mathematics and statistics department; production costs for Howling Bird Press, the student-run book publishing project in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program; and trips by athletic teams for competition, education, and community service.

Jordan Brandt ’17 throws a pitch on the baseball team’s 2016 spring break trip to Arizona. The team raised more than $17,000 on Give to the Max Day 2015.

This November, alumni also can give to scholarships that honor the legacy of music, research, and civil service at �鶹��. Gifts are being sought to honor the work of Leland Sateren ’35, U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo ’59, the , and the , which connects students with new and existing research and scholarship on campus, across the United States, and around the world.

Anyone can donate any amount on Give to the Max Day. Schedule your gifts online at beginning November 1.

Top image: With its Give to the Max Day gifts, the Biology Department funded new research opportunities for two students: Oksana Burt ’17 and Davy DeKrey ’17 [pictured].

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Travel in Thailand and Cambodia

Jen Lowman Day — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 20:20:55 +0000

Q: How many times have you traveled to Thailand? What keeps bringing you back?

A:My husband and I lived in Thailand as Peace Corps volunteers for two years and have returned eight times since. We return because we feel Thailand is our “second home.” We love Thailand’s beauty—from the huge city of Bangkok to the mountains of northern Thailand in Chiang Mai to the small beach town where we lived. We also have many dear friends, some former students and colleagues, with whom we love to reconnect.

Q: Can you share with us a memory from a trip you led with �鶹�� students?

��:��We have shared our love of Thailand with �鶹�� students during five trips and have so many good memories. Former Auggies still share their memories and pictures of the trips with us. Some of these students became English language learner teachers because of their experience teaching English in our former school. I remember one student, for example, who was hesitant about going so far away from home and to such an unfamiliar place. She had been my student in several classes and seemed to trust me when I encouraged her, so she took the big step. We are still in contact after many years and she has written about her trip to Thailand as being “life-changing.” She stepped out of her comfort zone and experienced things she could have never imagined, gaining confidence and self-awareness.

��:��Who should take this trip?

A:Anyone who values expanding a worldview, learning about a new culture, and experiencing beauty.

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Alumni assist students on their path to physician assistant career

Jen Lowman Day — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 20:07:48 +0000

In the classroom and in the field, �鶹�� College alumni help today’s physician assistant students gain a glimpse into the professional world they’re preparing to enter. Through clinical work and course instruction, alumni share their experience in a high-demand field.

�鶹��’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program was the first of its kind in Minnesota and admitted its inaugural class in 1995. The full-time graduate program educates generalist physician assistants oriented toward service to underserved populations in rural and urban settings.

The physician assistant (PA) concept has evolved over time but continues to increase in relevance. In alignment with health care industry demand, the PA’s role continues to expand.

The �鶹�� PA program’s long history in Minnesota is advantageous, according to Jenny Kluznik ’13 MPA, assistant professor of physician assistant studies. PA students spend approximately half of their graduate program in a didactic—or classroom—phase. The latter half of the program is spent in the community where students complete clinical rotations that change every five weeks. �鶹��’s PA alumni serve as educators and lecturers for a course series in clinical medicine and also serve as hosts for the hands-on field work.

Meredith Wold ’07 MPA is a guest lecturer for the program and an adjunct faculty member. She works as a hospitalist PA with an internal medicine team at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

As an undergraduate, Wold was focused almost exclusively on medical school, but during her final year in college she was struck by the teamwork she witnessed between a doctor and a PA in surgery.

Now, after nearly a decade in her profession, Wold values the team-based work of taking care of hospitalized patients.

She weaves clinical episodes from her career into her lectures, which serve to remind students of the whole patient—not just the upcoming exam.

Melissa Oeding ’10 MPA, another guest lecturer, agrees.

“As a recent graduate, I can relate to the student experience, understand how students learn, and provide real-world insight and advice regarding what to expect as a practicing PA,” said Oeding, who works at Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center.

She’s stimulated by the chance to sit on the other side of the lectern.

“It renews an excitement for my work and career and reminds me just why I started out in the program,” she said. “I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been trained and trained well at �鶹��.”

Guest lecturer Olga Trouskova ’13 MPA sought out �鶹��’s PA program in part because of its emphasis on serving the underserved.

“I went into medicine to provide answers and to heal,” Trouskova said. “Now I understand that great medicine cannot happen without building relationships and trust with my patients.”

She also is a hospitalist PA at Regions and, during her weeks off, serves as a family practice PA at Westside Community Health Services/La Clinica, a community clinic.

Trouskova makes a point of including real patient stories in her presentations to remind students that PAs treat patients, not diseases.

For students, there’s no match for hearing these types of lessons from alumni, according to Wold.

“It shows a level of alumni commitment toward the program and the next generation of �鶹�� PAs,” she said. “Early on after graduation I felt a duty, a professional responsibility really, to give that back.”

And teaching is its own kind of gift, according to Trouskova.

“By teaching others, I have learned as well,” she said.

[Top Image L to R]: �鶹�� College alumnus Tom Towle ’14 MPA leads then-students Scott Harder ’15 MPA and Christina Pekoske ’15 MPA through the steps of starting an IV.

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Share your ideas for �鶹��’s 150th anniversary celebration

Jen Lowman Day — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 18:27:01 +0000

�鶹�� alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff are invited to help celebrate the College’s 150th anniversary in 2019. What aspect of your �鶹�� history would you like to celebrate during the sesquicentennial year? Were you connected to a team, a club, or a department that made a difference? Would you like to see a reunion for your favorite activity—whether it was the Echo newspaper staff, a sport, Lutheran Youth Encounter, the �鶹�� Choir, or theater? How best would you like to honor �鶹��’s past, present, and future?

Visit to submit your ideas and find monthly updates on planning already underway for the sesquicentennial celebration.

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Alumna combines creativity and chemistry through career at 3M

Jen Lowman Day — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 18:17:37 +0000

After becoming involved with the 3M STEP program as a high school student, Audrey Sherman ’97 [pictured] became an inventor at age 20. Now a scientist with 3M, Sherman is credited with nearly 80 patents, some created with other �鶹�� alumni working at the Minnesota-based company.

is for a versatile material with the potential to improve cosmetics, insulation wrapping, and electronics. Two of her favorite patents involve using pressure-sensitive adhesives to transport light and making a solvent-free duct tape. She also helped discover a new solution for restickable diaper tape. Sherman feels that her �鶹�� minor in art has been an important factor in pursuing her inventions, enabling her to blend creativity with her skills in chemistry. Today she mentors St. Paul high school students interested in science and gives talks to junior-high and middle-school students about careers in science and technology.

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Capstone dinner celebrates successful building campaign

Jen Lowman Day — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 18:08:57 +0000

This winter, as part of the annual Advent Vespers festivities, �鶹�� College held a dinner to celebrate the successful completion of the largest capital campaign in the institution’s history and to recognize the generosity of all who made the possible. More than 200 donors attended, including members of the Board of Regents and many alumni supporters.

President Paul Pribbenow offered his sincere thanks to Norman and Evangeline Hagfors and all donors to the new building. Chair of the Board of Regents Dr. Paul Mueller ’84 shared his gratitude and recognized the incredible leadership and commitment of Mike Good ’71 [pictured above], who served as national chair for the campaign that exceeded its $50 million goal.

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Uniquely �鶹�� Travel in Thailand and Cambodia

Jen Lowman Day — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 18:02:42 +0000

In January, English Professor and her husband, Jack, will lead an educational trip through Thailand and Cambodia. After arriving in Bangkok, travelers will tour the Grand Palace, visit the temple at Wat Po (the Reclining Buddha), shop for tropical produce, and sample local cuisine cooked on boats at a floating market. From there they will continue to Chiang Mai to ride elephants, perfect their culinary skills with a cooking class, and volunteer at an orphanage. The trip will conclude in Siem Reap, Cambodia, at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world.

This thought-provoking tour has been customized specifically for �鶹�� alumni, parents, and friends, and there’s still time to learn more and participate. Contact , director of Auggie Engagement, at kochk@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1178 if you are interested in learning more about �鶹��’s travel opportunities.

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