hief of Staff at U.S. epartment of Agriculture Dan Christenson ’02
Singer at San Francisco Opera
—Laura Krumm ’09
Fulbright Research Fellow in Germany
Bioterrorism Expert at Center for Infectious —Rachel Barclay ’11 Disease Research and Policy DNA Analyst —Nick Kelley ’06
Lobbyist at Earthjustice
—Sean Helle ’01
Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University
Executive at Fullscreen Inc.
at Bode Technology
—Michelle Burns ’07 Attorney at National Labor Relations Board —Tyler Wiese ’08
Achieve.
—Drew Baumann ’10
—Georgianna Whiteley ’13
Control Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab —Todd Brown ’06
Grad Student at Harvard Divinity School
CEO of Marriott International
—Anna Looft ’12
—Arne Sorenson ’80
Choir Director at American School of the Hague
—Melissa (Maas) Richardson ’03 Postdoctoral Researcher at Fermi National Accelerator Lab
Consultant at Accenture
Applications Choir Director atEngineer American Schoolat Seagate Technology —Alex Nugent ’06 of the Hague
—Dick Gordon,’73
—Karl Boleen ’08
—Kyle Knoepfel ’04
Critical Care Fellow at Mayo Clinic
Health Director at USAID/West Africa
Electrical Engineer at Honeywell —Andrew Webber ’09
—Karla Berg Fossand ’98
—Doug Summerfield ’00
Forensic Scientist at Phoenix Police Department —Stephanie (Novak) Bond ’05
Invest
with confidence
The cost of college is a significant financial investment not only for students, but often for their families as well. As a parent helping to pay, you deserve to know you’re investing in the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prove essential to the future success of your son or daughter. On that point, you can rest assured. A Luther education is worth it.
Success Ingredients for
Luther offers specific programs and activities that position our students for success throughout their lives. Paideia program
First-year students engage with Luther’s signature Paideia program, which develops their reading, writing, discussion, and debate skills through an interdisciplinary curriculum, a lecture series, and other events across campus. In an upper-level course, they consider ethical challenges in the context of their majors. Faculty mentors
Professors who are well-connected experts mentor students themselves, getting to know them in meaningful ways, with a focus on helping them fulfill their ambitions—even long after they graduate. Immersive learning
Most Luther students explore what they’ve learned in the classroom through experiential activities such as job internships (67%) and studying abroad (75%) in programs that range from a January Term class to a full year. Students can also choose to enhance their knowledge and skills through service learning projects. Collaborative research
By the end of their fourth year, many students have collaborated with faculty members or each other on original research projects—often on graduate-level topics—to present at symposia both on and off the Luther campus.
A survey of recent alumni found that of the 95.7% who responded, 98% were employed, attending graduate or professional school, volunteering, or not seeking employment. A ll of this leads to success for lu t h e r g r ad u at e s .
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Approximately one-third of students conduct collaborative research with faculty.
Analytical
Luther graduates are … Todd Brown, Class of ’06 Guidance and Control Engineer NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California
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I left Luther with the confidence and ability to tackle hard problems. The NASA missions I work on are almost incomprehensibly complex, and I need to synthesize solutions based on my own reasoned judgment.
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Todd Brown has his dream job. He works on the team of engineers that operates the Cassini spacecraft in orbit around the planet Saturn. “It’s a huge privilege to see telemetry that shows turns I designed are happening for real on board a $4 billion, school bussized spacecraft that is roughly a billion miles away from Earth,” he says.
for graduate students at larger universities.” Todd believes it qualified him to compete for a spot among the country’s most prestigious aerospace engineering programs. After he graduated from Luther in 2006 with physics and math majors, he earned a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics with an emphasis in astrodynamics from Purdue University, and from there he landed his position at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Todd says working for NASA wasn’t on his radar when he first arrived at Luther, but then “I was presented with an extraordinary opportunity to be a hands-on participant in Luther’s very own ‘space exploration’— astronomy research that would have been reserved
“Luther College played an enormously important role in setting me up to achieve my career goal,” Todd says, “by training me to find answers for myself, rather than simply trusting what others tell me. It’s a worldview that I didn’t have before Luther.”
100%
All Luther students complete a senior project based on individual research in their major field.
Versatile
Luther graduates are … ANNA LOOFT, Class of ’12 Graduate Student Harvard Divinity School Cambridge, Massachusetts
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My professors were confident that with a Luther education I could compete for admission to top graduate programs. And that was totally true.
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When Anna Looft came to Luther, she didn’t know what she would major in, but she appreciated the ability to explore lots of options. She didn’t settle on just one, but instead completed three majors within her four years at Luther: English, classics, and religion. “I’d always enjoyed English courses, and I’d taken a lot of Latin in high school and wanted to continue that,” she recalls. “But the religion major blindsided me. When I took Religions in America because it was a core course requirement, I got fired up in a way I never had before about the really beautiful intersection of the academic side with the personal spiritual faith side.”
Anna took several independent study courses one-on-one with various professors, who she says “went above and beyond in getting to know me personally and preparing me to go on to graduate school.” After graduating in 2012, she was accepted to Harvard University’s master’s program in theological study. Anna credits Luther with honing what’s proven to be valuable assets at Harvard: writing skills that were cultivated in Luther’s Paideia program and courses that required writing from a variety of angles—“which is absolutely essential when you reach the master’s level,” she says.
Sharei Green, Class of ’11 Management Information Systems Analyst Freedman Seating Company Chicago, Illinois
Majoring in business management, Sharei was able to explore several of her interests at Luther thanks in part to a faculty advisor who encouraged her to stay open to new things. She recalls, “I’d go to him every couple of months saying, ‘I think I’d like to minor in this or that now.’ And he’d suggest that I just keep trying things instead of pinning myself down to a particular minor.” She considers that a good strategy and traces her current job proficiency to skills she learned in several management information systems classes.
Sharei Green calls her Luther experience “priceless” and says she wouldn’t trade it for the world because it pushed her to try new things—including taking a chance on the job she now holds. Sharei helps optimize production at a company that manufactures seats for buses and trains by managing its inventory system. “I’m a very logical and rational person, but at the same time I have a very creative side,” she says. “This job suits me because it caters to both sides.”
“The environment at Luther is fit for growth,” Sharei says. “There’s so much to do and so much to try—not only in academic areas, but also in sports, volunteering, or leadership positions in student organizations—that it opens I never expected this career field would be you up to new experiences.” where I’d end up. But I really enjoy it, and I’m glad
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that while I was at Luther I took the time to try it out and experiment with all types of things I’d never done before.
” Open-Minded
Luther graduates are …
Outcomes of a Luther education Sampling of Employers of Recent Graduates Best Buy Epic Systems Fastenal Hormel Foods IBM Integrated DNA Technologies
Nick Kelley, Class of ’06 Research Associate Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nick Kelley says he’s one of those lucky people who wakes up excited to go to work. He helps protect the nation by reviewing, analyzing, and synthesizing information for public health officials about agents of concern for bioterrorism. Nick’s career path began to form while he was a biology major at Luther when his professors connected him with Michael Osterholm, a Luther grad who is an internationally recognized expert in infectious disease epidemiology. He encouraged Nick to consider pursuing advanced study in public health, and after Nick graduated from Luther in 2006, he did
John Deere
Teach for America
Minnesota Reading Corps
Twin Cities Schools
Mayo Clinic
Science Center of Iowa Target
Tri-Tech Software Systems
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Wells Fargo
indeed go on to earn both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in environmental health from the University of Minnesota. Nick now works alongside Osterholm at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). He says he loves his job because “it combines biology with everything from political science to sociology to ethics—all these different things you learn from a liberal arts education, I do on almost a daily basis.” And he credits Luther College, where he combined his science courses with classes in political science, social work, and international studies, with helping him “see more connectedness in how the world works or society functions. It puts you in a position to think differently, change things, Luther helped me and lead.” think about questioning
Inquisitive
Luther graduates are …
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assumptions and digging deep into a problem— and that’s what I’ve become really good at doing in my job.
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(including the Class of 2013’s Georgianna Whiteley) than the other seven Iowa Conference colleges combined. L u t h er has grad uat ed more Rhode s S c h o lar s
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Luther helped me become a curious and empowered learner. So it’s very exciting to me that I’ve found a career that requires me to be a historian, a linguist, a musician, an athlete, a businesswoman, and more. Laura Krumm, Class of ’09 Adler Fellow San Francisco Opera San Francisco, California
” Luther graduates are …
Laura Krumm never suspected she would become a professional opera singer. “I came to Luther because I wanted to sing in a great choir, but also because I wanted to study biology,” she recalls. “Then my voice professor encouraged me to get involved in the opera classes and even spend a summer in Italy in an opera program.” By the end of her junior year, Laura wasn’t taking biology classes anymore. She graduated with a major in history in 2009, earned a master’s degree in music at the University of North Texas, then participated in a summer program in San Francisco called the Merola Opera Program that led to the job she has now.
Curious
Laura’s fellowship is a two- or three-year position that allows young opera singers to perform on the main stage at the San Francisco Opera, give concerts around the Bay Area, and go into elementary schools as part of the Opera in the Schools program. She says she has confidence filling these different roles partly because she was encouraged to try so many things at Luther. “It taught me that the most important part of being a musician isn’t your own technical brilliance or accomplishment, but how you use those skills to share with the community around you.”
Over 80%
of recent graduates reported that their employment or continued education is related to their career goals.
Top Career Paths for Recent Graduates Teaching (K-12) 13% Marketing/Sales/Retail 9.3% Business/Finance/Banking 8% Nursing 7.3% Accounting 6% Medicine/Health-Related 6% Social Services 4%
Information Technology 2% Sports/Recreation 2% Hotel/Restaurant/Catering 2% Support Staff 2% Research/Development 1.5% Agriculture/Ranching 1% Other/Various 35.9%
Graduate and Professional School Destinations Bryn Mawr College University of California, Los Angeles Cornell University Medical School Emory University University of Iowa Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University Kent State University Lutheran School of Theology, Illinois Marquette University University of Minnesota University of Northern Iowa Northwestern Health Science University University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania Medical School Seton Hall University University of Victoria, British Columbia University of Wisconsin
Prepared
Luther graduates are … Justin Marschall, Class of ’12 Psychology Graduate Student Iowa State University Ames, Iowa
Justin Marschall recalls thinking during his college search that “if I’m going to invest in some institution for four years, I want them to invest in me just as much.” And he feels that’s exactly what he got from his Luther professors. After graduating in 2012, Justin is now enrolled in one of the nation’s top Ph.D. programs in social psychology with the intent of becoming a psychology professor himself. Justin entered Luther with an interest in psychology and joined a research lab where he gained hands-on experience in applied behavioral statistics, made presentations at national conferences, and co-
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Working with the world-class faculty and grad students, I’ve never once felt I didn’t belong or wasn’t ready and able to contribute. My preparation at Luther gave me a solid framework.
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authored two papers published in peer-reviewed journals. “I not only did the research, but made judgment calls in designing studies and picking different psychological measures. It wasn’t just a packaged study that was handed to me with a ‘Here, do this.’ It was ‘Hey, how can we implement this idea, how can we test this question we have?’ And the opportunity to make those critical decisions is something you can’t get at a larger undergraduate institution. That definitely made my graduate school application more attractive,” says Justin.
Bold
Luther graduates are … Drew Baumann, Class of ’10 Head of Technical Solutions Fullscreen Inc. Santa Monica, California
Drew Baumann knew he could never be “an ordertaking code monkey trapped behind a desk,” so even though he majored in computer science, he wasn’t sold on a tech career. Although he was fortunate enough to secure an internship at a Fortune 500 company in Minneapolis during his junior year, the buttoned-up nature of cubicles, dress codes, and strict working hours felt restrictive to him. Then during his senior year he took a January interim class trip to Silicon Valley to learn about entrepreneurship in the tech scene, and everything changed.
“The atmosphere at the start-ups we visited was way more casual,” he recalls. “Not only did they have these great perks and benefits, but the people would put in extra hours not because their boss told them to, but because they were just that passionate about having a direct impact on the business. And I liked that.”
So naturally, Drew sought jobs at start-ups upon his graduation in 2010, taking one in California and jumping to a couple of other start-ups before launching his own web/mobile development company with a colleague. Eventually a client who was a former Google executive recruited him to become the second employee at Fullscreen, a venture serving the YouTube space that has since grown to Luther gave me the freedom to explore different more than 100 employees— “including some former Luther interest areas, try unique things, and indulge my classmates I hired,” Drew is creative side. So I had fun expanding my skill set proud to note. and becoming a more well-rounded individual.
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91 countries are
home to Luther alumni
Community-Minded
Luther graduates are … Rachel Barclay, Class of ’11 Fulbright Research Fellow Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (Central Institute for Art History) Munich, Germany
Rachel Barclay says her overseas work in the prestigious Fulbright Program “is really the perfect storm of everything I studied at Luther.” Her yearlong research project at an art museum in Germany involves World War II-era provenance. She explains, “I’m studying the German response to Nazi art lootings and the different repatriation efforts that are still happening today.”
history with a minor in museum studies, minoring in German as well so she could study abroad. A couple of internships at the Smithsonian Institution while she was still a student led to a job in Washington, D.C., after graduation, working with a pan-institutional project with strong ties to Munich. She says, “I jumped at the idea of getting to live in Germany again, so I submitted a Fulbright application. And the rest, as they say, is history!” Reflecting on the more intangible ways Luther prepared her for an uncommon adventure, Rachel notes, “Above all, I learned that no matter where you find yourself, it’s important to be fully present, to throw yourself and all that you have into the task at hand.”
“My current position is a spectacular combination of all of my academic interests,” With the strong sense of community that exists on says Rachel, “but my path to this campus and among alumni, Luther taught me the power fellowship—and to wherever I’ll of community—but also helped me to become someone go next, I’m sure—was far from who actively contributes to those communities. direct.” At Luther she majored in
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Approximately two-thirds of students participate in internships, experiential research, or job-shadowing prior to graduating.
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Employers view Luther graduates as hard workers and critical thinkers who engage in conscientious problem-solving and have already had broad and relevant experiences.
— Keley Smith-Keller, director of Luther’s Career Center
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Armed with the skills
Employers seek Luther professors are intentional about encouraging students to stretch themselves both intellectually and personally. As a result, our students graduate with the exact talents and attributes that make them competitive candidates for employment or graduate school admission.
✓ Written and oral communication skills ✓ Critical thinking and analytical reasoning ✓ Ability to apply knowledge in real-world settings ✓ Complex problem-solving skills ✓ Ethical decision-making ✓ Teamwork skills in diverse groups ✓ Creativity and innovation ✓ Knowledge of science and technology ✓ Information literacy ✓ Awareness of global issues
Preparation There’s no telling what your son or daughter will decide to pursue beyond college. But whether it’s starting a business, advancing scientific discovery, or educating the next generation, you can be sure that Luther will provide the knowledge, skills, and experience essential for lifelong success. Choose Luther.
for the future
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What employers say ...
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Best Buy highly regards both the educational experience and the sense of community that Luther graduates bring. They have the interpersonal skills to develop working relationships across multiple departments. Math, economics, biology, psychology, and management graduates from Luther have all seen success at Best Buy.
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— Chris Hubbs Director of Demand Forecasting Best Buy
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We keep going back to recruit at Luther year after year based on the track record of success Luther graduates have with us. They get the big picture and exhibit core values that are a good fit for Deere.
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— Chris Hoden Program Manager John Deere Construction & Forestry
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Securian has hired many Luther graduates into our Leadership Development Program because their liberal arts background, in combination with a variety of leadership experiences, has prepared them well and made them top-notch candidates for future business leaders. — Steve Froeschl Employment Manager Securian Financial Group
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What makes Luther graduates successful at Deloitte has a lot to do with their liberal arts education. They’ve learned how to learn, and their multidisciplinary background gives them the passion to continue to learn and grow. — Adam Nelson Senior Manager Deloitte
700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1042 | 800.458.8437, 563.387.1287 admissions@luther.edu | admissions.luther.edu
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