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lu theralumnimagazine volume 45 number 3 spring 2012 arne sorenson 80 new marriott ceo takes on a global challenge

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editor ellen modersohn luther magazine volume 45 number 3 spring 2012 published by luther college for alumni parents and friends managing editor sara friedl-putnam designer michael bartels contributing editors sue franzen drilling 78 jerry johnson kirk johnson 82 brock lane 13 katherine langston 15 karen martin-schramm katherine mohr 14 marissa schuh 14 ann sponberg peterson judy riha kristi wietecha 12 luther alumni magazine welcomes articles and signed letters to the editor submissions may be edited for style clarity or length inquiries and submissions may be sent to the editor luther alumni magazine luther college 700 college drive decorah iowa 52101-1045 phone 563 387-1350 class notes submissions and changes of address may be sent to the alumni office at the address above alumni news may be e-mailed to the alumni office at alumni luther.edu questions and concerns about the magazine may be mailed to magazine@luther.edu.

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contents features prepared for the world whether organizing a job fair helping a student land an internship or starting a program such as launching luther leaders the college helps prepare students for life after luther in meaningful ways 20 luther alumnus is new marriott ceo arne sorenson 80 puts his curiosity about the world to work for the largest publicly traded u.s hotel chain and also for communities throughout the world 24 study-away photos luther students who participated in academic programs around the globe this past year share photos that reflect their experiences 29 president s council recognition these lists include individuals and organizations that have provided financial support of $1,000 or more to luther during the calendar year ending dec 31 2011 35 departments campus news faculty/staff news 5 faculty/staff notes 9 development news 10 donor profile 11 grants 13 college ministries news 13 sustainability 14 student news 16 athletics 17 photo by julie strom 93 2 alumni news class notes 49 alumni profile 61 marriages 64 births/adoptions 65 obituaries 67 47 alumni office 800 225-8664 800 2 alumni admissions office 800 458-8437 800 4 luther world wide web www.luther.edu copyright luther college 2012 endpage calendar 76 inside back cover arne sorenson 80 became chief executive officer of marriott international in march photo courtesy of marriott international

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campus news torgerson to end 14-year presidential tenure in 2013 richard torgerson will end his tenure as president of luther in the summer of 2013 torgerson and his wife judy joined the luther community in july 1999 and have been at the forefront of more than a decade of progress during which the institution has become academically and financially stronger maintained enrollment of outstanding students reshaped its campus to a beautiful and practical landscape and assembled an exceptional faculty and staff luther college has been blessed with the right leaders at each stage of its 151-year history and the torgersons are certainly the most recent example of this says paula hermeier meyer 76 chair of the luther college board of regents both rick and judy have devoted their lives to the college and board members faculty staff and students have been both inspired and motivated by their passion according to torgerson the timing is right to transition to the next phase of the couple s vocational journey it brings us to the end of an eight-year term the conclusion of the college s sesquicentennial celebration the fulfillment of the sesquicentennial fund goals and the culmination of the current five-year strategic plan he says we don t know where our journey might lead us but we have great faith that once again we will be called to serve where our passions and gifts can fulfill a need accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to restabilize the earth s climate the recent erection of a wind turbine that generates a third of luther s electrical power is the most visible symbol of that commitment but the college has planned developed and enacted hundreds of sustainability initiatives in its drive to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 percent torgerson s leadership in higher education especially among the nation s top liberal arts institutions has lifted the college s stature and contributed to an invitation in 2009 to join the associated colleges of the midwest an organization of the region s most prestigious liberal arts institutions his commitment to higher education beyond the luther campus includes · being a consultant and evaluator for the north central association s higher learning commission the corporation that accredits degree-granting institutions in the north central region of the united states · membership in the ncaa division iii presidents council · chairing the presidents council of the iowa intercollegiate athletic conference · service as chair of the lutheran educational conference of north america and as a member of its executive committee · joining the academic program working group for the acupcc · being chair and a board member of the iowa association of independent colleges and universities judy and richard torgerson say the time is right to start their next journey under torgerson s leadership luther has gained recognition as one of the nation s top 100 liberal arts colleges prepared to meet the challenges facing higher education in the decades ahead rick torgerson has delivered impressive results during his 14-year presidential tenure leaving luther college a significantly stronger institution as a result of his service meyer says his accomplishments include the construction of sampson hoffland laboratories and the center for the arts and the completion of the legends fitness for life center in addition several buildings have undergone major renovations and/or expansions including valders hall of science dahl centennial union jenson-noble hall of music loyalty hall and all student residence halls the central campus green areas and roadways were reconfigured and bentdahl commons constructed enhancing luther s standing as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation torgerson shaped and directed two transformational strategic plans by the conclusion of his tenure he will also have led luther s development team to the successful completion of three major campaigns for scholarships facilities and other educational needs leadership for a new century 63.5 million raised the higher calling campaign 93.3 million raised and the sesquicentennial fund 50 million raised together these funding initiatives have added more than $55 million to the college s endowment a hallmark of torgerson s tenure has been luther s national leadership role in environmental sustainability for college campuses he was a charter signatory of the american college and university presidents climate commitment acupcc in 2007 and has championed luther s engagement with the acupcc goal to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and magazinelutheralumni 2

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campus news · being a board member of minnesota public radio and of the bioscience alliance of iowa torgerson says that as his companion and inspiration his wife judy has been invaluable in developing and stewarding friendships and relationships while also serving as an administrative assistant for luther s center for global learning judy has assisted hundreds of students in their preparation for j-term experiences around the world he says but her affection and advocacy for students extends far beyond the workplace including her enthusiastic loyal attendance at hundreds of concerts lectures athletic events and music recitals without her as my partner i could not possibly have helped luther achieve its goals during our time here respected and beloved by the college community judy torgerson is known for her gracious and warm hospitality as host or participant at hundreds of luther events judy has contributed immeasurably to our campus team-building and community partnerships essential to the success of the college torgerson says serving at luther says torgerson has been an honor and the fulfillment of his calling as an education leader over our working lifetime serving five different colleges 14 years is the longest judy and i have stayed in any one place he says to be able to live in decorah and serve luther has made these years very special and rewarding we will leave with memories that we will always carry with us and we will never find the words or actions to express adequately our thanks for the support and encouragement we have received from regents students faculty staff alumni and friends of luther the luther community has made this journey one of joy satisfaction and fulfillment he says i especially want to express my appreciation to the leadership team at luther that has contributed so much to the success and achievements we have realized over these years leaders can only be successful when they surround themselves with strong and capable colleagues as the board addresses this period of presidential change the college meyer says is in aluther position of strength luther is well positioned as we tackle this leadership transition she says together with his team president torgerson has built a solid foundation for luther to meet the challenges of the years ahead this is perhaps rick s ultimate achievement and final gift to the luther community historian economist nyt writer speak clayborne carson historian clayborne carson professor of history and director of the king papers project at stanford university presented the luther college martin luther king jr day lecture remembering martin luther king jr in the era of barack obama jan 16 in valders hall of science during the lecture carson emphasized his belief that social change comes from the bottom up if you want to see change don t look for a leader he said look in the mirror it s really your decision what direction the country is going to go carson served as senior adviser for eyes on the prize a 14part award-winning public television series on the civil rights movement eric olson 85 economist eric olson 85 economic affairs officer for the department of economic and social affairs in the united nations secretariat presented the opening convocation lecture for the spring semester the united nations quest to end extreme poverty feb 2 in the center for faith and life the lecture provided an overview of the eight millennium development goals adopted by world leaders in 2000 in an effort to reduce extreme poverty by 2015 nicholas kristof columnist nicholas kristof pulitzer prize-winning columnist for the new york times delivered half the sky a call to action the 2012 luther college farwell distinguished lecture in the center for faith and life on feb 2 kristof s lecture focused on women s rights and how helping women in developing nations can change the world he and his wife sheryl wudunn are the authors of the best-seller half the sky turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide kristof was the subject of the documentary reporter which premiered at sundance film festival in 2009 funding for his lecture was provided by the elwin and helen farwell lecture endowment with partnership from the luther center for ethics and public life the women and gender studies department and the lucile price endowment mikaela belland 12 mikaela belland 12 mikaela belland 12 speakers exhibit panel and more make up forum on black history michelle alexander associate professor of law at ohio state university above gave the plenary lecture for the ninth annual midwest black history conference modern blackness and the new jim crows feb 15 in the center for faith and life based on alexander s book the new jim crow mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness the lecture was one of many events held during the twoday conference which also included a presentation by sheila radford-hill executive director of the luther diversity center panel discussions and a gallery exhibit and reception maria da silva 15 alumnimagazine 3

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campus news erratum the winter 2012 issue of the luther alumni magazine incorrectly reported that construction had begun on the luther neighbors habitat for humanity house the luther neighbors house will undergo construction in fall 2012 on the lot adjacent to the habitat for humanity house that was pictured in the magazine fund raising for the luther neighbors house a project of the college s sesquicentennial continues for more information on the luther neighbors project or to donate to it contact rachel vagts luther archivist at vagtsrac@luther.edu new nordic choir cd released nordic choir released its latest cd here i am lord in january 2012 the 68-voice a cappella choir is conducted by allen hightower luther professor of music here i am lord luther college nordic choir allen hightower conductor selections include hosanna to the son of david by orlando gibbons o sacrum convivium by thomas tallis caritas et amor by z randall stroope richte mich gott by felix mendelssohn and the popular anthem here i am lord by ovid young for more information or to order the cd call the luther book shop at 888 521-5039 or visit www.luther.edu/bookshop the cd features 18 songs from the choir s 2011 winter tour of the upper midwest balalaika ensemble concerts raise funds for good causes their costumes were colorful their instruments intriguing and their music just plain fun in october 2011 the luther balalaika ensemble kicked off its 20th year with two lively concerts one in the luther center for faith and life the other at lutheran church of the good shepherd in minneapolis the concerts not only showcased the group s folk music expertise but maria da silva 15 also raised almost $3,000 for two causes the moscow protestant chaplaincy food sharing ministry and a scholarship established at luther in memory of the late bruce wrightsman a longtime member of the college s faculty it was a fantastic weekend of reconnecting making music and supporting very worthy causes says laurie iudinnelson luther associate professor of russian studies and ensemble founder established in 1992 and composed of luther faculty staff and students the group plays a variety of russian russian romani jewish and eastern european music using traditional instruments such as the balalaika a three-stringed folk instrument with a triangular base and the domra an ovalshaped stringed instrument with three or four strings the group has raised more than $13,000 for charitable causes since its founding singer activist promote healing conversation folk singer-songwriter carrie newcomer left and author-activist parker palmer brought their considerable talents to campus for healing the heart of democracy a gathering of spirits for the common good an afternoon of song and spoken word held jan 22 in the center for faith and life the event was designed to encourage political conversation that bridges community divides and restores civic community it was part of a two-day campus visit by the duo that also included a daylong retreat democracy from the inside out a circle of trust held jan 21 at luther s baker commons founder and senior partner of the center for courage and renewal palmer focuses on issues in education community leadership spirituality and social change he has authored nine books including the recent best-seller healing the heart of democracy the courage to create a politics worthy of the human spirit a 2003 grammy award recipient newcomer recently released the album everything is everywhere profits from its sales benefit the interfaith hunger initiative several alumni joined the luther balalaika ensemble for two concerts celebrating the group s 20th anniversary last october pictured in the center for faith and life oct 29 are front left to right andrea beckendorf 93 luther associate professor of library and information studies/research greg siems 12 chelsi hammon 12 erik sand 14 evan ruchotzke 14 back ami shoup hall 96 carson adams 14 amy morey 06 laurie iudin-nelson luther associate professor of russian studies eric lindgren 12 doug winkey 12 allison faust gates 06 jennifer smeby 99 and aaron murphy 06 magazinelutheralumni 4

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campus news pugh 14 and abby pepin 13 lindy-hop mike jungbluth 14 and hailey magoline 14 west coast swing mike jungbluth and natalie sims 14 with their partners from the university of minnesota-rochester cha-cha lance schwering 14 audrey tran lam and their partners waltz mike jungbluth and rachel zimmerman 13 and audrey tran lam and her partner west coast swing tran lam says i am so proud of our competitive team being around others who love dancing so much really motivates me to find other ways to enhance their dancing experience he sees the move to his new position as a trade-off less time thinking about the universe with students and more time working with faculty colleagues in thinking about what makes this a special place and continuing to build on those things wilkerson was deep in thought about the universe while on sabbatical in 2011-12 working the data he and students have collected from the rooftop observatory at valders hall of science we take images of one patch of sky the size of your fingernail with your hand held at arm s length every clear night from late february to early october he says we measure the brightness of about 1,600 stars in the field hundreds or thousands of times each night the measurements help luther researchers find stars not previously known to vary in their brightness this data may result in a better international understanding of eclipsing binary contact stars which are stars that have moved so close that they touch and orbit each other wilkerson also worked this past year with data collected as part of the college s participation in a study to assess when and where in luther s curriculum students develop reasoning and critical thinking abilities a member of the luther physics faculty since 1997 wilkerson has served as department head and as chair of the faculty organization committee he was awarded the janet andersen lecture award by the midstates consortium for math and science in 2008 in recognition of his engaged teaching and involvement with undergraduate researchers he has a bachelor s degree in physics from indiana university and a doctorate in physics from the university of california berkeley luther college ballroom/swing team members kevin lam 15 and anni okoneski 15 compete in the star of the north dancesport competition rumba in the city dancers flash their knock-out moves on a cold day in minneapolis luther dancers brought some heat to a ballroom competition placing near the top in several events the luther college ballroom/swing team competed in the star of the north dancesport ballroom competition feb 25-26 sixty team members competed and many won prizes for their foxtrot cha-cha rumba and swing dances in addition to earning ribbons certificates and scholarships team members were also acknowledged for their enthusiasm luther is well known for incredible sportsmanship and team spirit our ballroom team really reflects well on our school we re complimented all the time on it says audrey tran lam 13 the club s president other teams at the competition included the university of minnesota the university of wisconsin-madison and carleton college april dahl coaches the ballroom/swing team she owns dahl dance center in rochester minn tran lam says dahl is so supportive of our growing team we wouldn t be the team we are without her ballroom/swing is divided into competitive and social sections the social section has existed since 2008 and the competitive section was started in 2011 our competitive team has doubled in size from last year tran lam says team members see competitive dance as a sport you have to work hard and become proficient and it takes a lot of discipline mental and physical just like any other athletic sport tran lam says money that the luther team won will go toward lessons and registration fees the competitive squad began preparing for the star of the north in september so they had about six months to practice their moves before competing for the first time placing in the top three for their heat were kevin lam 15 and katherine tangen 15 foxtrot dakota lancour 15 and marley crossland 15 and anders lund 15 and natalia ophaug 15 swing colton audrey tran lam 13 faculty/staff news wilkerson named associate dean and director of faculty development luther s new associate dean and director of faculty development sometimes feels like he s running a good con jeffrey wilkerson luther associate professor of physics takes over from lori van gerpen stanley 80 luther professor of anthropology at the end of her term on aug 1 he wrote recently that being able to talk with students about the universe ponder the nature of science and think about what makes a college great are so much fun and so rewarding that it can feel like a scam to do his job lutheralumnimagazine 5

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campus news a longtime employee of ibm corp mattson most recently served the company as business development and partnerships manager in rochester minn focusing on strategic alliances and leading the smarter planet training program for ibm in conjunction with rochester community technical college and the rochester community nsf to support the acquisition of laboratory instruments for paleoclimatological research landstrom named vice president dean for student life corey landstrom will assume the position of luther vice president and dean for student life july 9 he succeeds ann highum who will retire in may after 21 years of service to the college landstrom is assistant dean of students at colgate university in hamilton n.y a position he has held since 2005 he previously spent two years as director of colgate s center for leadership and student involvement landstrom has also served as director of student activities at reed college 1999­2003 assistant director of student activities at hamilton college 1995­99 and residence life coordinator and assistant director of student activities at grinnell college 1993­95 he holds a bachelor s degree in urban and regional studies from the university of minnesota­duluth and a master s degree in counseling and student personnel from minnesota state university­mankato modersohn joins publications office ellen modersohn joined the luther staff as director of publications and design in late february she succeeds greg vanney 80 who worked at luther for more than 25 years as director of publications and design modersohn oversees the production of the luther alumni magazine and a range of other college print publications she most recently served as features editor at the des moines register a position she assumed in 2008 after freelancing as a production editor and copy editor for meredith corp from 2002 to 2008 modersohn has more than 20 years of professional editing and publishing experience having also previously held the positions of assistant features editor and assistant news editor at the des moines register as well as copy editor assistant news editor and news editor at the wisconsin state journal modersohn holds a bachelor s degree in american studies from grinnell college and has taken graduate courses in american studies at the university of iowa and publication design at the university of wisconsin peterson s research focuses on reconstructing the earth s past climate behavior to further understand current climate system dynamics an important tool in this research is alkenone paleothermometry a methodology for estimating past sea surface temperatures through compounds preserved in ocean sediments the one-year grant will fund the purchase of an accelerated solvent extractor and a gas chromatograph the instruments necessary to perform alkenone analysis in peterson s research laboratory at luther with the funding from this grant along with additional funding i ve received from luther i ll be able to get my research laboratory up and running she says i look forward to involving luther students in paleoclimatological research with the new instrumentation peterson will explore the symmetry or asymmetry of northern and southern hemisphere climate changes from the late miocene geological epoch to the present a period of approximately five million years her research will also examine the development of the cryosphere and the connections between atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate evolution additional research will contribute to a better understanding of the alkenone paleothermometer itself through investigation of the preservation of alkenone compounds in sedimentary sections lithified uplifted and mattson 81 returns to lead library and information services paul mattson 81 is luther s new executive director of library and information services as of march 1 he succeeds chris barth currently librarian and associate dean at the u.s military academy at west point in 2009­10 mattson was a visiting instructor in economics and business at luther he has served as an adjunct faculty member at augsburg college in minneapolis and is a founding faculty member in biomedical informatics and computational biology at the university of minnesota­rochester since 2006 mattson has served as an advisory board member of the university of minnesota s technological leadership institute from 2007­10 he was also a member of the board of governors of the society of sloan fellows at the massachusetts institute of technology mit mattson holds a bachelor s degree in mathematics and computer science from luther a master s degree in management of technology from mit and a master s degree in computer and information science from the university of minnesota he and his wife miri peterson mattson 81 have three children maren 08 berit and erik 12 peterson awarded nsf research grant laura peterson luther assistant professor of environmental studies and chemistry has received a $120,197 grant from the national science foundation lutheralumnimagazine 6

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campus news exposed on land peterson holds a bachelor s degree from carleton college and master s and doctoral degrees from brown university regents approve tenure for faculty members the luther board of regents approved tenure for eight faculty members at its february meeting the faculty members also promoted to associate professor are alfredo alonso estenoz modern languages and literatures heather armstrong music erin flater 01 physics nancy gates madsen modern languages and literatures doug knick education britt hellgren rhodes 96 social work paul savariappan mathematics and stephanie travers psychology the regents also recognized the following for promotions colin betts 93 anthropology charlotte kunkel sociology kent lee 87 computer science novian whitsitt africana studies and english and jeffrey wilkerson physics were promoted to full professor freeman translates ancient work how to win an election philip freeman luther professor of classics has translated an ancient work by quintus tullius cicero the book how to win an election an ancient guide for modern politicians was published by princeton university press in february 2012 professor of spanish ball state university associate director borges center the university of pittsburgh associate editor variaciones borges journal borges center · areas of research/interest jorge luis borges latin american cinema · honors summer dissertation fellowship university of iowa h george and jutta f anderson faculty development fund luther college · activities author el arte más antiguo poetry multiple journal articles including works in revista iberoamericana agora la habana elegante and variaciones borges various translations and book reviews multiple academic presentations including at the international congress of the latin american studies association the cuba today symposium and at the department of romance languages and literatures harvard university tional double reed society college music society waterloo-cedar falls symphony la crosse symphony principal oboist southern tier symphony oboist in numerous orchestras including the erie and binghamton philharmonic orchestras rochester chamber orchestra equinox symphony performer olean chamber music society alfred university hochstein school of music and dance eastman school of music faculty soloist csehy summer school of music cicero wrote the book a guide for campaigning during the consul campaign of his brother marcus in 64 b.c it offers no-nonsense advice on conducting a successful campaign stressing the importance of promising everything to everybody reminding voters about the sexual scandals of opponents putting on a good show for the masses and constantly being surrounded by rabid supporters in february freeman discussed the work on the popular npr show all things considered the book has received national attention including endorsements from karl rove former deputy chief of staff and senior adviser to president george w bush and gary hart former u.s senator alfredo alonso estenoz modern languages and literatures · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held bachelor s in journalism university of havana cuba master s and doctorate in spanish university of iowa · career path staff writer and copy editor casa de las américas journal havana cuba research and teaching assistant department of spanish and portuguese university of iowa visiting instructor university of california­san diego assistant heather armstrong music · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held bachelor s in music houghton college master s in music and doctor of musical arts eastman school of music · career path instructor eastman community music school roberts wesleyan college hochstein school of music and dance assistant professor houghton college faculty lutheran summer music · areas of research/interest oboe music theory double reeds methods · honors grant hanson institute of american music · activities member interna erin flater 01 physics · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held bachelor s in physics and spanish luther college master s and doctorate in engineering mechanics university of wisconsin­madison · career path contract student sandia national laboratories albuquerque n.m graduate research assistant university of wisconsin­madison · areas of research/interest origins of friction · honors national science foundation grant national science foundation graduate research fellow herman e ellingson prize in physics luther college · activities articles in jom tribology letters journal of adhesion science and technology wear langmuir numerous presentations including at the american physical society and the physical electronics conference lutheralumnimagazine 7

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campus news · degrees held bachelor s in social work luther college master s in social work augsburg college · career path child advocate sexual assault victim advocate and adolescent pregnancy prevention coordinator helping services for northeast iowa family preservation/in-home family therapist gerard of iowa child protective services prevention specialist trempealeau county social services visiting teaching associate in social work luther college · areas of research/interest adolescent pregnancy prevention and sexual health domestic violence sexual assault · honors john a hartford foundation grant through the council on social work education s gero-ed center · activities winneshiek county habitat for humanity family support network decorah iowa mason city youth task force north iowa domestic abuse coalition mason city iowa chennai india senior lecturer loyola college chennai india · areas of research/interest multivariate exponential distribution tandem and bulk service queuing · activities member american statistical association numerous articles including in the journal of applied statistical science and the pakistan journal of statistics multiple presentations including at the international conference on mathematical sciences the international conference on statistics and information asian mathematical conference and the international conference on statistical inference nancy gates madsen modern languages and literatures · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held bachelor s in history with advanced study in spanish area studies master s and doctorate in spanish university of wisconsin­madison · career path bilingual teacher comayagua honduras spanish teacher st paul minn spanish teaching assistant university of wisconsin­madison lecturer in spanish and freshman studies lawrence university · areas of research/interest colonial and modern latin american literature and golden age literature of spain · honors dissertator fellow university of wisconsin­madison project 2001 grant recipient middlebury college center for educational technology nave fellow university of wisconsin­madison · activities member modern language association asociación internacional de letras femeninas hispánicas latin american studies association translations violet island and other poems venice and varenna essays in the book the art of truthtelling about authoritarian rule and in the journal letras femeninas numerous presentations including at latin american studies association and congress mid-america conference on hispanic literatures and the andrew w mellon conference on witnessing in latin america doug knick education · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held bachelor s in religion gustavus adolphus college master s of divinity luther northwestern theological seminary bachelor s in social studies mankato state university doctorate in curriculum and instruction critical pedagogy university of st thomas · career path teacher gfw high school winthrop minn district curriculum coordinator gfw high school winthrop minn instructor minnesota state university mankato minn dean of students gfw high school winthrop minn · areas of research/interest curriculum instruction pedagogy · activities director delta institute equine summer program for at-risk adolescents numerous presentations including at the minnesota school social workers association s fall conference and at the pedagogy of the oppressed conference in new york city restorative justice governing board sibley county minn britt hellgren rhodes 96 social work · luther faculty member since 2002 visiting professor 2002-2003 promoted to assistant professor fall 2006 paul savariappan mathematics · luther faculty member since 2007 · degrees held bachelor s in statistics st joseph s college university of madras india master s in statistics loyola college university of madras india master s and doctorate in philosophy statistics university of madras india master s in bio-mathematics marquette university · career path visiting assistant professor northwestern college orange city iowa associate professor loyola college stephanie travers psychology · luther faculty member since 2006 · degrees held associate bristol community college bachelor s university of massachusetts master s and doctorate stony brook university · career path postdoctoral research fellow university of notre dame psychology department · areas of research/interest implicit memory executive control processes conscious experience of memory memory for emotional information social cognition · honors american psychological association dissertation research award · activities member american psychological association association for psychological science midwestern psychological association ad hoc reviewer journal of general psychology lutheralumnimagazine 8

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campus news numerous articles and presentations including at the psychonomic society and the cognitive neuroscience society richard cole professor emeritus of history and marv slind history had articles published in volume 36 of norwegian-american studies released in october by the norwegian-american historical association cole authored paul knaplund norwegianamerican historian while slind authored elias molee and alteutonic a norwegian american s `universal language dan davis classics has been selected as a member of the archaeological institute of america s committee on marine archaeology the leading international advocacy and governing group in the academic field of underwater archaeology amy engelsdorfer music presented the paper trees of sound and color ruth crawford and the five songs on poems by carl sandburg at the women and the nineteenthcentury lied conference held at the national university of ireland at maynooth dec 10 david faldet 79 english presented transformed by the journey the story of luther college at the symposium on legacy and leadership held at concordia university texas on oct 21 sponsored by the lutheran educational conference of north america lecna nancy gates madsen spanish had the article bearing false witness the politics of identity in elsa osorio s `my name is light published in pushing the boundaries of latin american testimony meta-morphoses and migrations edited by louise detwiler and janis breckenridge palgrave macmillan press 2012 of the association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education greg jesson philosophy delivered the lecture the barbarians are inside the gate relativism undermining character and leadership feb 15 at the pentagon in washington d.c a chapter by mark johns communication studies voting `present religious organizational groups on facebook is included in the book digital religion social media and culture peter lang publishing 2012 faculty/staff notes storm bailey philosophy presented personal and social responsibility 21st century sectarian education for the association of american colleges and universities meeting educating for personal and social responsibility a twenty-first-century imperative held oct 13­15 in long beach calif andi beckendorf 93 lis presented starting out on the right note active learning engagement for an introduction to music research at the music library association annual meeting held in dallas feb 15­18 her presentation outlined the teaching model and information literacy principles used in working with luther s sophomore music students beckendorf also served as a member of the lutheran summer music faculty last summer she taught double bass lessons and performed in two works of bach and in the chamber ensemble for a staged version of igor stravinsky s l histoire du soldat a book by robert christman history doctrinal controversy and lay religiosity in late reformation germany the case of mansfeld was recently published by brill publishers the monograph an archival study analyzes the degree to which common people came to understand lutheran doctrines by the second half of the 16th century and how these doctrines informed their lives carol gilbertson english had her book of poems from a distance dancing published by finishing line press in november 2011 a finalist in the finishing line press open chapbook competition from a distance dancing comprises poems that focus on carefully observed daily experiences that resonate in the body soul and mind kristy gould psychology along with colleagues at university of nebraska published the research article do clark s nutcrackers demonstrate whatwhere-when memory on a cache-recovery task in the journal animal cognition todd green religion had the op-ed piece where is the courage in college football published on the huffington post nov 17 in the piece he contrasts the recent failure of courage in college football in light of the penn state scandal with the model of courage displayed by luther s chris norton 14 following a spinal cord injury he sustained in the oct 16 2010 luther football game vs central college a novel by jerry johnson public information hunting birds the lives and legends of the pine county rod gun dog and social club has been published on amazon.com the novel is a character-driven story about the lives and misadventures of five 40-something men in pine city minn a dying small town that has become the lake-cabin playground of the urban rich char kunkel sociology served as project leader for the online manual best practices in community anti-bias education by the diversity council of rochester minn the project the culmination of kunkel s 2010­11 sabbatical received a $5,000 grant from the st paul foundation cellist eric kutz music appears on the taste of the holidays volume 2 cd released by minnesota public radio the jon jensen 89 environmental studies philosophy was named to the board of directors lutheralumnimagazine 9

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campus news collection features kutz performing rene clausen s there is no rose for cello and choir with the rochester choral arts ensemble jim martin-schramm religion is one of three coauthors of the fourth edition of christian environmental ethics a case method approach orbis books 2012 ginger meyette social work presented the paper grief in the lives of lesbians age 60 and older as part of the symposium lesbian gay bisexual and transgender aging research and practice at the society for social work and research conference held in washington d.c jan 13 jonathan miles-watson religion and sukanya miles-watson english coauthored the article conflicts and connections in the landscape of the manimahesh pilgrimage published in a special edition of tourism an interdisciplinary journal vol 59 no 3 holly moore philosophy presented the paper the transcendental nature of anaximander s `apeiron at the american philosophical association s eastern division meeting held in december in washington d.c jason moyer communication studies received the religious communication dissertation award from the religious communication association for his dissertation not just civil religion theology in the cases of woodrow wilson john kennedy and barack obama at the national communication association convention held in november in new orleans mark muggli english presented the paper after the your source for norse apparel sheila radford-hill diversity center gave the paper if you can t be free be indignant the womanist legacy of malcolm x at the emerging black studies discipline ii malcolm x s legacy conference held in december at michigan state university luther college book shop phone 563 387-1036 or 888 521-5039 www.lutherbookshop.com evan neubauer 13 decorah iowa naomi sandgren 14 fargo n.d a short story by sÖren steding german Überrollt published in anthology mords spuren was a finalist for this year s odenwaldkrimi award ed tebbenhoff history presented the paper godparents and social networks in schenectady new york 1680­ 1800 at the 126th annual conference of the american historical association held jan 5­8 in chicago andrew whitfield music received a scholarship from the german lutheran church ekd for a three-month fellowship in germany in summer 2012 cosponsored by the ekd and the elca-wittenberg center the award will allow him to conduct research on the cantata arias of j.s bach and to further the study of the german language first death there is no other except in the case of falstaff at the blackfriars early modern drama conference in midoctober the conference brings together stage practitioners and literary scholars and highlights productions at the american shakespeare center staunton va the conference site herbert family with the current earl in attendance michael o brien music presented the paper this is what democracy sounds like mediation and live performance in the soundscapes of the 2011 wisconsin pro-labor protests at the national conference for the society for ethnomusicology held in november in philadelphia todd pedlar physics had the paper first observation of the p-wave spin-singlet bottomonium states h_b1p and h_b2p published in the jan 20 issue of physical review letters the paper based on his work with the belle experiment at kek the national accelerator laboratory in japan reports the discovery of two never-beforeobserved particles and offers new insight into the strong nuclear force one of the four fundamental forces in nature kate narveson english presented a paper in wales at the third international conference on the english poet george herbert oct 13­17 her paper on the contest over spiritual authority between clergy and lay heads of households was selected for presentation at powis castle hereditary home of the development news luther exceeds miller challenge thanks to the generosity of luther alumni parents and friends the college has exceeded the $1 million miller challenge lutheralumnimagazine 10

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campus news donor profile couple s giving helps fulfill luther s higher calling in many ways at luther college we have a and co-chaired the 2011 twin higher calling to connect faith cities get down give back with learning freedom with event benefitting the twin citresponsibility and life s work ies young alumni scholarship with service this statement fund is a guiding vision for luther jen also keeps her luther it s also a great conversation connections top-of-mind if starter with alumni parents and i hear of a thomson reuters friends co-worker considering luther in a recent talk with jen college for their child s coljenkins 95 and chris hubbs lege choice i reach out to that 89 of eagan minn this luperson she says if i can keep ther couple shared some terrific luther in the college search coninsights for me the word conversation or if thomson reuters nect is what s important says can serve as an internship site jen technology consultant for for a luther student i try to thomson reuters it s not just make it happen that we should do what s expectchris and jen are terrific amjen jenkins 95 and chris hubbs 89 share the benefits of lives filled ed of us but we re challenged to bassadors for the annual fund with rewarding work service and engaging connections seek the interconnectedness of too says maria bringer smith people projects faith and life 95 luther director of annual this is sound reflection from someone giving they truly understand how their a corporate leader i have succeeded who communicates and collaborates with annual fund gifts make a difference for all chris and jen are quick to say luther hundreds of people in multiple time zones students and even more importantly they taught them to think broadly and beyond and varied cultures in any given week jen tell this story to others the tasks at hand a physics major jen says smiles and adds i am truly a connector at the hubbses say they had good role her projects and lab experiments spurred her heart for me two plus two often equals models for giving while at luther jen s creative thinking and flexibility with those five grandmother ruth grumstrup helped skills she is able to grasp complex subject the concepts of service and life s work cover the costs of jen s junior year matter and life experiences and blend them resonate with chris the idea of servant though grandma ruth is now gone her into a successful career in technology leadership is embedded in the corporate legacy and the memory of that special fichris says jen majored in physics i like life of best buy where chris is director nancial help are strong for jen to say i majored in economics management of demand planning he leads a team of chris was inspired by a different kind and tennis 45 colleagues who forecast sales demand of giving he remembers vividly the day for many years chris and jen directed for best buy s 1,200 u.s stores i love he looked out his ylvi window to see their luther giving primarily to men s tennis working with my team chris says they weston noble 43 picking up trash on then they attended the twin cities higher all bring passion and energy to solving campus as a first-year student i was calling campaign event in october 2005 complex business problems in this rapidly impressed weston had such an incredible they realized during the course of that evechanging industry a lot of leaders have commitment to luther ning that consistent and increased giving a tough time balancing freedom with the hubbses have a daughter casey to the annual fund was critical to luther responsibility we have the freedom to 10 and a son caden 7 they also serve and its students now their enhanced giving pursue economic prosperity true but we as godparents to the children of marnie plan benefits the annual fund men s tennis cannot do this without a responsibility to kleven 89 and jeff bigler 89 and barb norse athletic association and the twin others hoyt 95 and john dahl 94 cities young alumni scholarship fund chris manages his team in accord with they say their robust group of luther as their giving to luther increases and the best buy belief that employees are put friends continues to grow when combindiversifies so does their giving to other worfirst while also recognizing that most of ing such connections service and rewardthy causes such as children s hospital in st us spend more waking moments with coing life s work two plus two really does paul minn and breast cancer research workers than with family for me if 45 equal five the couple s connectedness has also people are going home from best buy ev ann sponberg peterson grown in addition to attending all 21 men s ery day having had a positive work experitennis alumni meets since graduation ence feeling good feeling happy then as chris serves on the annual fund council lutheralumnimagazine 11

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campus news goal for the luther college aquatic center in november 2011 david 64 and patricia miller of fort myers fla framed their $500,000 commitment to the aquatic center as a challenge to other donors matching one dollar for every two dollars contributed by september 2012 with more than $4.72 million now committed toward the proposed $5.5 million facility the luther college board of regents will be asked to authorize the groundbreaking for the project at its may 11-12 meetings if authorization is granted construction on the new aquatic center will begin in summer 2012 with $780,000 yet to raise gifts and pledges of all sizes are needed to achieve the overall goal if you would like to share your support for the pool project go to www.givenow.luther edu or contact the development office at 563 387-1862 more information about the aquatic center can be found at www giving.luther.edu elise kline christopherson 08 get down give back benefit adds to scholarship fund jax café in northeast minneapolis was the venue for luther s third annual get down give back scholarship benefit on nov 18 2011 alumni of all decades parents and friends dressed to the nines for this night of mingling live music by classic jazz auctions games and dancing proceeds from ticket sales silent and live auctions a ronald g james 58 and his group classic jazz provided live music other alumni members included rod ellickson 58 and jonathan preus 61 wine-and-beer-grab game and an on-site luther book shop added more than $10,000 to the existing endowment bringing the twin cities young alumni scholarship tcya fund to more than $50,000 the idea for the event originated in 2008 after sue gilbertson boxrud 03 and jim kowitz 03 were energized by the sesquicentennial fund s focus on scholarships while they acknowledged they were young alumni with limited funds they believed that by planning a fun event and encouraging the support of others they could raise the $25,000 necessary to establish a scholarship the scholarship is now a reality the first recipient of the tcya scholarship is senior kristina dudley 12 of st paul park minn she shared in a video message it s great to know that there are alumni out there who care enough to share their time to make get down give back happen and guests sesquicentennial fund tops $46 million luther president richard torgerson spread the word about the sesquicentennial fund now in the fifth and final year of the college s $50 million funding initiative at january events with alumni and friends in san diego and los angeles as of march 31 2012 the sesquicentennial fund stands at $46,703,888 93.4 percent of its $50 million goal sesquicentennial fund as of 3/31/12 endowment current support capital/facilities total outright planned gifts grand total $15,315,842 $11,857,248 $5,928,398 $33,101,488 $13,602,400 $46,703,888 goal $20,500,000 $10,000,000 $7,000,000 $37,500,000 $12,500,000 $50,000,000 alumni and friends in the san diego area gathered at the home of regent tim oitzman 87 far right on jan 14 to hear news of the sesquicentennial fund left to right george orness 67 carole rust orness 69 lori beckman conway 83 president torgerson brenna conway and oitzman jon wee 88 right and his wife leah vriesman 88 hosted president torgerson left and 28 alumni and friends from the los angeles area at the comedy and magic club following a campaign gathering on jan 15 lutheralumnimagazine 12

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campus news chaired this year s planning team plans are in the works for next fall s event to learn how you or your business can get involved contact bethany bierman krepela 95 leadership giving officer at biermabe luther.edu or visit www.luther edu/getdowngiveback event sponsors luther blue sponsor 2,500 air motion systems platinum sponsor 1,000 sears imported autos gold sponsors 500 bleed blue­luther college men s tennis alumni bethany bierman krepela 95 leadership giving officer college ministries holmberg 12 takes part in first youth for eco-justice program kristi holmberg 12 of north mankato minn participated in the inaugural youth for eco-justice program held nov 26­dec 10 in durban south africa holmberg a religion major was one of a select group of 28 young christian leaders from 22 countries invited to take part in the program which examined the links between unsustainable and inequitable patterns of pro kate petterson 11 and kirsten eppelsheimer hoffer 09 peruse items available during the evening to contribute to the scholarship this annual benefit organized by volunteers is the main vehicle raising funds for the scholarship chris hubbs 89 and liesl koehnen 09 co duction and consumption i expected to learn about justice issues related to climate change but i didn t expect to participate in so much grassroots-level activism says holmberg whose expenses were covered by a fund for theological education fellowship the experience cultivated a sense of voice and agency that i hope to put to use in our country sponsored by the world council of churches and the lutheran world federation the program aimed to equip young christians as multipliers for eco-justice with participants expected to initiate and imple elise kline christopherson 08 grants grants top $30,000 recent grants received by luther include the following ·$10,000 from gundersen lutheran health system in support of the luther college aquatic center ·$10,000 from davis projects for peace to support post-conflict angolan orphans and future educators through playing a student-led project by isilda hulilapi 13 ·$5,000 from the winneshiek county community foundation in support of the luther college aquatic center ·$4,000 from deere company for accounting student scholarships ·$1,500 from the arlin falck foundation in support of the 2012 women faith and finance seminar ·$500 from the winneshiek county community foundation in support of the 2012 women faith and finance seminar maria da silva 15 interfaith dinner series launched luther students left to right linh nguyen 15 yunfei xie 15 van anh nguyen 15 claudia calderon machicado 15 fanding wang 15 berta antonieta tilman pereira 15 and antonia lliteras espinosa 12 were among those who rang in the year of the dragon at the lunar new year interfaith dinner held on campus jan 22 2012 the event which featured an array of east asian fare as well as remarks by xiao hu luther assistant professor of music was the fourth in an ongoing series of interfaith dinners sponsored by college ministries and the luther diversity center amy zalk larson 96 campus pastor says the goal of the dinners is to increase understanding of diverse faith traditions and provide opportunities for students of diverse faith traditions to celebrate significant holidays planned by sandhya purohit caton luther interfaith coordinator this year s dinner series also included celebrations of the hindu holiday diwali the african-american holiday kwanzaa and the jewish holiday passover as well as a reception for the muslim holiday eid al fitr print sales benefit scholarship a limited number of color woodcut prints black and white woodcut prints matted and unmatted etchings drawings and posters by orville running professor emeritus of art who died in february are available for sale contact michelle or nicole at 563 387-1862 in the development office all sale proceeds will be added to the o m running alumni art scholarship lutheralumnimagazine 13

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