SPRING 2015
16 Celebrating retiring faculty 22 Study away photos 27 World-class conservation
LUTHER COLLEGE PHOTO BUREAU PHOTOS
Editor Ellen Modersohn Luther Magazine Volume 48, Number 3, Spring 2015
Managing Editor Kate Frentzel
Published by Luther College
Designer Michael Bartels Contributors Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82 Dave Blanchard
Sue (Franzen) Drilling ’78 Eric Ellingsen ’99 Alexandra Fitschen ’15 Kalla Galyon ’16 Kristine Jepsen Kirk Johnson ’82 Paige Lobdell ’16 Aaron Lurth ’08 Karen Martin-Schramm Judy Riha Ann Sponberg Peterson
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; magazine@luther.edu; 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 emailed to the Alumni Office at alumni@ luther.edu. Questions and concerns about the magazine may be emailed to magazine@luther.edu.
Contents Features Long-serving faculty members retire; six others granted tenure
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Pictures of the larger world
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Silencing of amphibian voices spurs Heidi Ross ’99 to action
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Twelve faculty members from nine academic departments and Preus Library look back on their long and influential careers at Luther. Also meet newly tenured faculty members who bring expertise in emerging areas of study.
See what the world looks like through the camera lenses of students studying away, from Ireland to Hong Kong.
Award-winning conservation work by Heidi Ross and the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama is helping to save critically endangered frog species.
Departments President’s Letter
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Campus
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Development News............................................ 12 Athletics.............................................................. 14
Alumni
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Class Notes.........................................................31 Marriages............................................................47 Births/Adoptions................................................48 In Memoriam.......................................................49
President’s Council
PHOTO BY DAVE BLANCHARD
Calendar
Alumni Office (800) 225-8664; (800) 2 ALUMNI Admissions Office (800) 458-8437; (800) 4 LUTHER Web www.luther.edu www.luther.edu/magazine Copyright Luther College 2015
52 inside back
The magazine has a new online format.
The alumni magazine is now online in a mobile and shareable format. Share stories through email, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Luther.edu/magazine Cover: Chris Lovagnini ’16 got this shot atop the main mast on the two-masted schooner Roseway. He spent J-term 2015 with the Tales of the Sea class, which sailed in the Virgin Islands for a week and a half. The class read stories of characters whose lives were transformed by the challenges of the sea. To learn sailing skills, students divided into three watch groups, which worked with the deckhands for tasks such as boat checks and tying knots.“We were able to climb the rigging on one of our last days on the ship,” Lovagnini says. “That gave us a whole new perspective of the space where we’d been living for more than a week.” Left: This past season, Clare Slagel ’16 qualified for the NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships and captured her second national title in as many years. She’s shown here at Luther’s meet with Loras College, during which she won the women’s 200-meter backstroke. Read more about her accomplishments and other sports recaps on pages 14 and 15.
President’s Letter
Alumni gather with President Carlson at a Twin Cities Young Alumni Meet the President event.
As students, faculty, and staff transition, they leave a legacy that helps Luther thrive
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I have been heartened and moved by the strong commitment Luther alumni have to foster the college’s legacy and to assure that Luther thrives long into the future.”
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As I look forward to celebrating with the class of 2015 on their Commencement Day soon, I look back with gratitude on my first year at Luther. I am grateful for the warm welcome the Luther College community has extended to my husband, Thomas Schattauer, and me. And I am grateful for the Luther College community’s trust, wisdom, and support as together we serve as stewards of the college’s legacy and its future. At the close of this academic year, we will celebrate the careers and commitments of 19 longtime faculty and staff members who are retiring this year. Together, the 12 faculty members who are retiring have served the college for 357 years. They have taught, advised, and mentored generations of Luther students. They have created new courses, new programs, and new departments. They have traveled the world with Luther students during J-terms and full semesters. They have conducted research, written articles and books, and brought distinguished guests to lecture and teach on campus. This issue of the alumni magazine includes profiles of these 12 faculty members, and I encourage you to read them, beginning on page 16. These faculty members’ commitments to teaching, to learning, and, most importantly, to Luther students are exemplary and inspiring. The staff members who are retiring share these faculty members’ deep commitment to Luther students. Over many years’ service, they have welcomed students to campus, supervised them in on-campus work positions, coached and cheered them in athletic pursuits, counseled them, and assured that the college’s finances, facilities, programs, and services meet the highest standards of excellence. As we say “thank you and Godspeed” to faculty and staff members retiring after many years at the college, we look forward to the
new contributions and energies of the faculty and staff members who inherit the legacy that Luther’s emeriti have fostered so well. This spring, six faculty members were awarded tenure. I encourage you to read the profiles of these faculty too, on page 21. These newly tenured members of six departments across the college bring expertise in emerging areas in their fields, experience in a variety of settings, and commitment to teaching and learning at Luther. As I have journeyed across the country this year to meet with alumni, parents, and friends of the college, many of you have asked me to bring greetings back to faculty and staff who made a difference for you during your years at Luther. At each stop on my introductory tour, we have offered the alumni gathered together in that place opportunities to write notes for us to carry back to faculty and staff mentors who taught, advised, coached, and guided you both during your college years and as you ventured out after your commencement day to live your vocations and begin your careers. Throughout this first year meeting with alumni both here on campus and across the country, I have been impressed by the gratitude Luther alumni have for the dedicated, inspiring work of Luther faculty and staff. And I have been heartened and moved by the strong commitment Luther alumni have to foster the college’s legacy and to assure that Luther thrives long into the future. As Luther’s 10th president, I am honored to share with you in this commitment both to Luther’s legacy and to its future. Soli Deo Gloria!
Paula J. Carlson, President, Luther College
Campus News
BREANNE PIERCE ’16
Roverud ’66 receives Spirit of Luther award during spring semester opening convocation
Marilyn (Haugen) Roverud ’66 acknowledges a standing ovation in Luther’s Center for Faith and Life as she receives the Spirit of Luther Award.
Marilyn (Haugen) Roverud ’66 received the Spirit of Luther Award at the Opening Covocation for spring semester, Feb. 5. In presenting the award, President Paula J. Carlson said, “Through her passion and abiding love for her alma mater, Marilyn Roverud beautifully exemplifies the ‘Spirit of Luther.’” Roverud has been involved with many facets of the college since her graduation. In May 2014, she completed 12 years of service on the Board of Regents, serving as board secretary for eight of those years. She and her husband, Jeff, have opened their home for many college functions and have been generous donors. She has been an enthusiastic volunteer for
special events on campus, has been active in student recruitment, and has served as a community-building ambassador between the college and Decorah. Carlson highlighted Roverud’s affinity for learning at Luther: “Marilyn has a deep respect for Luther’s faculty and their scholarship, and the way faculty and staff help students discover their callings. Two of her favorite days of the year are the Student Research Symposium and the Faculty Research Symposium. She models a passion for lifelong learning that we hope we foster in all Luther graduates.”
Luther’s Spring Convocation speaker, Carol Geary Schneider, Ph.D., has been called the most respected and effective change agent in American higher education today. Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), gave the lecture “The Contemporary Value of a Liberal Education” Feb. 5 in the Center for Faith and Life. Before she spoke, the college bestowed on her an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. With a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University, Geary Schneider has taught at the University of Chicago, DePaul University, Chicago State University, and Boston University. She has received 12 honorary degrees and was the 2011 recipient of the American College Personnel Association’s Contribution to Higher Education Award. In 2013, she was awarded the New American Colleges and Universities Ernest L. Boyer Award and was honored as one of Diverse Magazine’s 25 Leading Women in Higher Education. Through new integration between the core outlines of liberal education and student learning, the AAC&U is working with hundreds of
BREANNE PIERCE ’16
Leading advocate speaks on value of liberal arts education
Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree before giving the Opening Convocation address on Feb. 5. colleges and universities and numerous state systems to expand the benefits of liberal education across the curriculum. Under Schneider’s influence, AAC&U launched “Liberal Education and America’s Promise” (LEAP), a public advocacy and campus action initiative designed to engage students and the public in conversation about college education for the 21st century. LEAP builds on the AAC&U’s “Greater Expectations: The Commitment to Quality as a Nation Goes to College,” an initiative designed
to explain the goals of a 21st-century liberal arts education and identify groundbreaking models that improve learning for all undergraduate students. Under her leadership, AAC&U has become widely recognized as both a voice and a force for strengthening the quality of student learning in college, especially for the historically underserved students in U.S. higher education.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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AARON LURTH ’08
Campus News
Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland, meets on campus with students who had spent January Term in Northern Ireland.
Former president of Ireland spends week in Decorah Project, an exchange program between 1987 and 1995. The Luther Distinguished Lecturer Series, funded by the Farwell Endowment, presented McAleese on March 10 in the Center for Faith and Life, where she highlighted the peace process in Ireland and her two-term presidency from 1997 to 2011 in “Faith, Peace, and Leadership: A Conversation with Mary McAleese.”
A visit from Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland, drew excitement from throughout the Luther campus and Decorah community in early March. While in Decorah, McAleese spoke as a distinguished lecturer and in chapel, participated in a brunch with Luther students, attended several classes, and was the guest of honor at a reunion for Decoraharea families who participated in the Ulster
Paul Gardner, professor of political science, and Britt (Hellgren) Rhodes ’96, associate professor of social work, hosted the lecture. They also teach a January Term course in Northern Ireland on peace and reconciliation. The students who participated in this year’s Paideia 450 J-term trip, Forging Paths to Peace: Personal, Political, and Social Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, met with McAleese and her husband, Martin McAleese, for brunch to discuss their trip. “It was such a privilege to have the opportunity to meet a woman possessing such strength and distinction and who has truly made an impact on Ireland’s path toward peace,” says Carly Rusek ’16. Sarah Schutz ’15 explains McAleese’s support of students traveling into areas of disturbance like Northern Ireland: “[She] expressed the idea that there is no better way to learn about issues, such as those in Northern Ireland, than to become a part of the culture to which the issues belong.” Schutz described McAleese as “a witty, highly gifted speaker who opened the eyes of many students and community members in regard to her challenges and accomplishments before, during, and after her Irish presidency.” — Kalla Galyon ’16
BREANNE PIERCE ’16
Luther hosted the 12th annual Black History Symposium, “Africans and African Americans: It’s Complicated,” Feb. 11–12. Events over the two days explored the often contentious relationships among various groups of Africandescended people in the United States.
NPR journalist Michel Martin speaks in the Center for Faith and Life.
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The symposium began with a screening of the documentary Bound. The film’s director, Kenyan-born Peres Owino, later spoke about the work, which examined cultural tension between Africans and African Americans as well as their shared histories. Michel Martin of National Public Radio gave the plenary address, “Taking the Studio to the Story.” With more than 25 years of experience in journalism, Martin has reported on some of the major political and social issues of the past few decades. In her talk at Luther, she discussed her pursuit of the stories behind or beyond those that get the national headlines. Pamela Cook, chaplain intern at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, led the symposium chapel honoring the pan-Africanist historian Walter Rodney. Giving the Luther community more opportunity to tell their own stories, a panel composed of Luther faculty Novian Whitsitt and Martin Klammer and alumni Narren Brown ’03 and Ron ’02 and
TOBY ZIEMER ’15
“It’s Complicated”—Symposium explores relationships between Africans and African Americans
Artist and photographer Dayo Laoye talks with students about his exhibition, “Feminine Power and Spirituality.” Emerald-Jane Hunter ’03 led a session exploring how the complicated relationship between African Americans and Africans in America has affected Luther’s campus. In an exhibit that coincided with the symposium, Nigeria-born artist and photographer Dayo Laoye gave a gallery talk on his exhibit, “Feminine Power and Spirituality,” focusing on the continuity of African traditions in the Northern Hemisphere.
MARIA DA’SILVA ’15
Campus News
On a chilly Feb. 15, campus and Decorah community members gathered for a walk for justice.
Spurred by the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and other African Americans in recent months, Luther and the Decorah community began a series of discussions, lectures, and student activities during spring semester to explore the questions of excessive force and militarism in policing as well as whether the U.S. criminal justice system is flawed. The series of events is titled Don’t Shoot: The Perils and Promises of Privilege. The series builds on the momentum of Keep It Going conversations, sponsored by
campus organizations with the goal of fostering civil discussions about issues of race and priviege. The first Keep It Going talk followed the fall 2014 Center Stage Series performance of the play In the Heat of the Night. The series is sponsored by the Decorah Human Rights Commission, Don’t Shoot Planning Committee, Luther Campus Programming, Luther Center for Ethics and Public Life, Luther College Ministries, Luther Diversity Center, Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Center, and United Church of Christ.
TOBY ZIEMER ’15
Discussion and events series looks at issues of race, privilege, and policing
A Gospel Sunday service followed the march for peace on Feb. 15. Above: Gospel and Cathedral choirs sing together during the service.
Learn more about the Don’t Shoot series at www.luther.edu/dont-shoot.
Alumni invited to join new LinkedIn group to network with students as they plan careers A new LinkedIn group provides a space where current Luther students can intentionally network with alumni to learn more about various career fields and paths. Current students, alumni, parents, and friends are encouraged to join and use this online forum—Luther College Career Network—to ask career- and industry-related questions and share personal experience and insight. Alumni are asked to: • provide useful information about industry trends, employers, and relocation • assist students in developing their own network of professionals who can help identify internship and job opportunities • help students create a strategy for securing an internship or full-time job
By joining this special group, alumni and friends of the college agree to allow student members of the group to contact them for advice. Seeing how Luther College alumni arrived at their own careers is often a key aid to Luther students who are exploring a career field, seeking an internship, or looking for employment in their field of study. It’s information they cannot always find elsewhere. Alumni can also be helpful by sharing networking tips and knowledge about their fields. By participating in Luther’s Career Network group and keeping their online profiles updated, alumni maintain and even improve the reputation of Luther College. Through LinkedIn, the digital world sees the quality of Luther alumni and thus the quality of the college itself. LinkedIn’s Luther College Career Net-
work can be a valuable resource to alumni as well as students. Alumni, too, can use the Career Network group to find other graduates and friends of the college who live in their region, work in companies or fields of interest, may be looking to transition, and/or who could help with transitions. To join, create a profile on LinkedIn, if you don’t already have one, search for Luther College Career Network, and click “join.” You can also find the group listed as a subgroup of the larger Luther College Alumni, Parents, and Friends LinkedIn group. Anyone who is a member of the alumni, parents, and friends group or its subgroups will be automatically admitted when they click on “join.” The group administrator will admit others.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Campus News
Computer science faculty innovate to stay ahead of curve
The field of computer science changes so quickly, says professor David Ranum ’83, that faculty at Luther have been creating their own textbooks to keep up with innovations in the field. Over the past eight years, or so, they’ve written nearly a dozen. “But we started to think that we needed to do more, we needed to think about how these books interact with the way students learn,” Ranum says. During a sabbatical in 2011, Brad Miller ’86, associate professor of computer science, began developing Runestone Interactive, an open source publishing system for interactive computer science courseware, from labs to lessons to complete texts. Using Runestone, Ranum and Miller have produced three online texts for Luther courses that use the Python programming language. Students can try out programs as they’re reading about them, modify them to see how they work, watch short videos, take notes, and even confer with other students all in the online site. It lets faculty be quite nimble, Ranum says. “We can modify the way students see how programs execute. We can modify the order in which they do their topics because we can change the web-page flow.” Miller and Ranum are not the only ones working on these textbooks. Because Runestone Interactive is open source, others can add to the texts and even create their own. A second major component of Miller and Ranum’s research is to host textbooks for other institutions to use. At last count, more than 700 institutions—colleges, universities, and even high schools—were using the Runestone site. The site, which is free, is mobile-ready and Brad Miller ’86 functions on tablets as well as full-size computers. About 10,000 users come to the site each day. “This is perfect for high schools because the book is free and because the teacher does not need a technology coordinator to install any additional software. It also solves the problem of students carrying
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KATHERINE THOMPSON
Interactive online texts help professors understand how students learn
John Doorenbos ’16, who did research with Brad Miller in summer 2014, says being able to work on computer science homework anywhere he can take a laptop or other mobile device is one of the benefits of using textbooks in the Runestone Interactive online environment. heavy books back and forth,” Miller says. Miller is the designated owner of the project. “When somebody has modifications that they want to contribute to the larger community, they come through me. … If I accept them, they’re automatically merged into the book. A colleague at the University of Michigan has built a grade-book system for the book, and people at Georgia Tech are working on their own books to add to the collection. It’s really taken off in unexpected directions that way,” he says. One benefit of the site is that Ranum and Miller can measure how those thousands of users interact with the texts. The website captures data showing each step students take, and professors can analyze that data to determine how to alter the books to make them better teaching tools. And instead of tracking only 50 or so Luther students in a semester, Ranum and Miller are able to look at hundreds of thousands of students’ data. “In the last three years we have recorded over 30 million interactions with the textbooks, making this one of the largest data sets around for understanding how students learn” says Miller. Luther junior John Doorenbos worked with Miller on the project in summer 2014,
helping him analyze data from more than 200,000 learners around the world. The name of their summer project was Learning How CS Students Learn CS. “Every time you click, every time David Ranum ’83 you enter in some code or answer a multiple-choice question, the program logs the information,” Doorenbos says. Professors can track how students learn over the course of a semester, but they can also look at a certain point in the book and see how students are doing on that particular problem, such as how many times they have to try before getting the correct answer. Miller says: “Sometimes the student is doing fine and then all of a sudden they make this bizarre left turn. What’s really neat is that you can step through that with them and ask, what was it that you were thinking about here?” A professor may decide to spend more time in class on a step that students had trouble with, or change the way the problem is presented in the online text. Doorenbos noticed changes in one text since he had used it himself in class: “Two
Campus News
“Two years ago when students would run a bit of code and get an error message, that message would be pretty nondescript, not super helpful. But the research that was done the summer before me led to refining those error messages so they were more helpful. … We found that between those two years, on average, students were taking seven fewer runs to get to the correct end result.” —John Doorenbos ’16
years ago when students would run a bit of code and get an error message, that message would be pretty nondescript, not super helpful. But the research that was done the summer before me led to refining those error messages so they were more helpful. … We found that between those two years, on average, students were taking seven fewer runs to get to the correct end result.” “Anything that we can do to give our students a better chance of success, that’s what we want to do,” Ranum says. “If we discover that one little sequence helps, that’s the goal.”
Classes engage in active learning using flipped teaching and tools for programming languages This spring, Kent Lee ’87 taught classes using two of his own textbooks. Lee wrote Python Programming Fundamentals (Springer Publishing) to use in his introductory class, and the newly published Foundations of Programming Languages (Springer Publishing) for a more advanced course. The books are the basis for two different types of interactive teaching. In his introductory course, Lee has students watch his lectures outside of class on YouTube and take a quiz following each lecture. In what’s known as a flipped classroom, students do their “homework” during class. “When you’re first learning a program it’s nice having somebody there to say, yeah, you’re doing it right,” Lee says. “We’ve worked hard to teach interactively in computer science at Luther. We want students to be trying things and to have access to faculty to get as much instant feedback as possible.” The more advanced class uses a virtual machine (an emulator of a computer), called
CoCo, which Lee developed. Students are able to use a tool to convert a program written in language called Python to the virtual machine language so they can see how Python is implemented. Kent Lee ’87 Once they better understand how their Python programs work, Lee has students build a tool called a compiler for a subset of another programming language called Standard ML. Finally, students use the logic programming language Prolog to implement a type checker for that same subset of Standard ML. the type checker looks for flaws in the program before the program runs. The student version of code for this framework, all written by Lee, is at http://github.com/ kentdlee. Lee’s goal in writing Foundations of Programming Languages and the framework it uses was to find a way for students to learn to implement a program language—and not a trivial language—in one semester. Along the way, students learn three important paradigms of computer programming. The text is already in use by other schools, including Xavier, Western Kentucky, and Drake universities, and Lee presented this approach to teaching programming language at a Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) conference in March. With Steve Hubbard ’68, Luther professor of mathematics, Lee wrote the text Data Structures and Algorithms with Python, which is also out this spring. The book includes material taught in the introductory and advanced data structures and algorithms courses.
Your source for Norse apparel and more
Luther College Book Shop (888) 521-5039 luther.edu/bookshop Lucas Chase ’15, Menomonie, Wis. Lauren Nelson ’15, Decorah, Iowa
—Ellen Modersohn
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Campus News
Retiring staff cite cooperation, good people as Luther strengths The end of the 2015 academic year brings the retirement of several longtime Luther staff members. Along with those profiled below, the college will miss the contributions of Marty Berg, supervisor of campus visits; Elmer Hansen, custodial; Sharon Rossing ’75, assistant director of admissions; Marty Steele ’75, counselor; and Pam Torresdal ’74, director of counseling service. Torresdal sums up the experience of many of Luther’s retirees when she says, “I have loved working directly with students to help them grow toward greater wholeness and wellbeing and have felt honored and privileged to be entrusted with their stories, each so unique.”
Diane Tacke, vice president for finance and administration With colleges nearly doubling their debt in the past decade and Moody’s predicting increasing financial challenges in 2015, Luther sits, remarkably, with a surplus in its coffers. That’s owing to the efforts of a large team of
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people who work hard to bring and keep students here, but it’s also because of the insight and sound financial policy of Diane Tacke, Luther’s vice president of finance and administration. After 18 years of keeping an eye on Luther’s ledger, Tacke is retiring this May. “We’ve had some successful years where we’ve been able to put dollars aside,” Tacke says. “And while over the next 10 years, family financial need is going to be greater, eventually that will turn itself around. We have the stability to get through that period. I’m not sure that all colleges are going to survive the next 10 years, but I am sure that Luther can. We have a very strong product. We have academic excellence. And we have an amazing group of staff and faculty.” While student financial need has changed dramatically over the past decade, one of the biggest changes that Tacke identifies during her time at Luther is the college’s increasing ideological and financial commitment to sustainability. In 2003, Tacke suggested that the college undergo an energy audit. She throws up her hands in disbelief: “Who would have known that it would be one of our greatest contributors to a reduction in our carbon footprint? It wasn’t meant to be—we weren’t looking at the impact of carbon at that time; the audit just made sense to me from a financial standpoint. It was a savings of about $2.5 million.” That savings and a sesquicentennial strategic plan that committed to reducing Luther’s carbon footprint led to a finance-admin team that now looks through a dual lens: Will this save the college money? And does it serve Luther’s mission? Tacke says, “I want to know not only what we can save, but what’s the impact on our carbon footprint? Now they go hand-in-hand, and that’s been a wonderful learning experience for me.” Rob Larson, Luther vice president for communications and marketing, marvels at Tacke’s long-term planning. “Building projects were managed with decision making that has created long-lasting facilities, and her management of finances leaves Luther with a considerable financial reserve and a strong balance sheet. Her work will bring value to Luther for decades to come.” Tacke says that she’ll sorely miss interacting with college students, whom she calls “the best consultants I’ve ever hired. And when you’re my age, having them around is like a fountain of youth for your mind.” But in that sense,
she’s still in luck since she and her husband plan to move to Utah to spend more time with their three-year-old grandson, Jackson. “And everybody will have to come visit me,” she says, “because I’ll be so homesick for them.” —Kate Frentzel
Joe Thompson, director of athletics and associate professor in health and physical education Not many of us are judged on our job performance as obviously as those who work in sports, where scorekeeping is a way of life. But if numbers are what matter, then Joe Thompson, who retires this May after 20 years as Luther’s director of athletics and associate professor in health and physical education, has done well. Under Thompson’s leadership, Luther has one of the most successful programs in the Iowa Conference, winning an unmatched 229 IIAC titles, with 312 All-American honors, 38 NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, and 56
Campus News
Academic All-American honors, the highest number in the Iowa Conference. Asked what his secret is, Thompson’s answer is simple: staff. “Without a doubt, we have a fantastic staff,” he says. “They want to win, but they want to win the right way. And they’re interested in the well-being of the student-athletes above and beyond the arena.” Part of that well-being is success in the classroom. While tension between athletic and academic personnel can run high at the college level, Thompson has been proud of the spirit of cooperation at Luther. “One of the strengths of this place is that there is good communication, and we’ve done a pretty good job of figuring out how to make things work for the students,” he says. “In my 20 years, there’s been a great sense of cooperation on this campus. I think our coaches have done a marvelous job of attending to the academic needs of the students, and I think the faculty appreciate that. There’s been an outstanding spirit of communication on this campus and a sense of community—you figure it out together.” Thompson’s own experience in the classroom—he teaches one course per year—may help him see both sides. It also gives him direct interaction with students, which he’s missed since transitioning from coaching to take the athletics director job at Luther two decades ago. “As a coach, you see studentathletes at the highest moments, when they have success, and at the lowest moments, when they don’t have success. It’s a very emotional business, and that’s the power of athletics, that there’s such an emotional involvement. Coaches have a great opportunity because of the emotional involvement they have in students’ lives to make a difference. When you move out of that role, it’s a little different, now you’re one step removed, and your team is your coaches and not student-athletes. But that’s where the classroom still keeps my foot planted in that direct interaction.” Thompson, a lifelong planner, wants to keep his future open. He likens his postretirement life to the freewheeling cross-country bicycle trip he took last summer: “You can never anticipate what’s going to happen, but you hope that along the way it’s interesting and you meet wonderful people and that you impact them in a positive way. That’s the way this work has been. People make the place, and this place is full of good people.”
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Campus News
Sheila Radford-Hill, Diversity Center leader, leaves for Dominican University Sheila Radford-Hill left Luther in early May to accept the position of chief diversity officer at Dominican University in July. Dominican University is a coeducational, comprehensive, Catholic institution of higher education and research in River ForSheila Radford-Hill est, Illinois.
For 11 years, Radford-Hill was a leading voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus as executive director of Luther’s Diversity Center. Engaging students through academic advising, teaching, and program administration, Radford-Hill encouraged students from all backgrounds to pursue their love of learning. She has spent about half of her career in the nonprofit world and half in higher education. With a background in American studies,
a graduate certificate in community development, and a Ph.D. focused on teaching in the humanities, Radford-Hill says she has always been attracted to the mission of the liberal arts. “I believe that education should teach students to think critically and prepare them for a fulfilling and meaningful life in a free society. I love to nurture students so that they are empowered to share their talents with the world,” she says.
LUTHER COLLEGE PHOTO BUREAU
Larson ’74 answers call from College Ministries
Luther’s annual Ethnic Arts Festival, March 7, took on a country fair theme this year, with displays from around the world in the Williams Lounge of Dahl Centennial Union. Children could tour the world and get their “passport’”stamped while visiting with students about their home countries. Guests also sampled a menu of international foods prepared by international students and dining services. Shown here, left to right, Joschua Setiawan ’18 (Indonesia), Marfiano Manuel ’16 (East Timor), and Pedro Da Costa Cadalak ’16 (East Timor) perform in the final event of the day, a show composed of international dances, songs, skits, and fashions from across the globe in the Center for Faith and Life.
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Judd Larson ’74 first came to Luther when Preus Library had just opened. Chapel was held on the second floor of Koren. Ensembles such as Nordic Choir and Concert Band rehearsed in the heating plant. And when students in Ylvisaker, where Larson roomed, needed to make a phone call, they had to use the one phone in the corridor on their floor. Larson was back on campus this past January Term and spring semester as an interim campus pastor after Pastor David Vasquez left to become president Judd Larson ’74 of the Pacific School of Religion in January. Larson and his wife, April Ulring Larson ’72, had spent the intervening years as pastors, answering the call of Lutheran churches in rural Iowa; Rochester, Minn.; La Crosse, Wis.; and Duluth, Minn. April served three terms as bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Larsons, who married at Luther, attended Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, together. They had three children, who all graduated from Luther—Katie Larson Ode ’01, Amy Larson Calhoun ’01, and the late Ben Larson ’06, who was killed in the Haiti earthquake in 2010. The family’s ties to Luther College (and Decorah—April grew up here) are strong. April served on the college’s Board of Regents for 15 years, and the Larsons retired to Decorah in spring 2014. “April failed retirement first,” Larson says, smiling. She answered the call to become pastor of Decorah’s Good Shepherd Church last fall. And Larson soon received his own call. “[College Ministries] Pastor Mike Blair called me up, and there were any number of reasons I could think of for him to be calling me. But he asked me about being an interim campus
pastor, and that was not one of the things on my list that he could be calling about,” Larson says. However, Larson says, “When your alma mater calls, you can’t say no. It was not a hard decision for me to make. I really love these young adults, they’re amazing people. I’ve always been energized and engaged by this age group.” During his interim service, Larson says, “Mainly what I do is work with student leaders, which is really fun.” The student leaders include those organizing the Focus Sunday evening student-led worship and Wednesday evening prayer. “I do Bible study, provide students someone to talk with—it can be very stressful being a student—and also provide service to faculty and staff. Being a campus pastor at Luther, our ministry is really with the whole Luther community,” he says. The college Larson serves now has changed from the place he attended as a student. Besides the addition of buildings, he says, “One of the big differences between this particular position and being in parish ministry for more than 35 years is the role of technology.” In addition to attending chapel in the Center for Faith and Life now, and students all having their own phones, the ubiquity of computers and use of Google calendars present new experiences for Larson at Luther. Students all have their own phones, nearly everyone conducts business on some type of computer, and all seem to have their own Google calendar. “That’s been the first big adjustment,” Larson says, “how I enter into all those calendars!” Larson will complete his interim appointment at the end of the semester. College Ministries has engaged in a Year of Listening process to discern the future shape of the ministry. Plans for the future are still in progress. —Ellen Modersohn
Campus News
CRAIG MOSHER PHOTO
Class plants tree for college in Wittenberg Luthergarten
Jamie Stallman ’14 waters an apple tree sponsored by Luther College, planted in the Luthergarten in Wittenberg, Germany.
During January Term, 20 Luther students traveled through Europe studying environmental sustainability as part of the course Green Germany and Norway: Advanced Models of Sustainability. When they visited a garden in Wittenberg, Germany, they left a piece of Luther College to grow. The college sponsored the planting of an apple tree as part of a Lutheran World Federation project called Luthergarten. The tree was planted by Jamie Stallman ’14, a co-leader of the trip, on Jan. 16.
Heffernen ’14 receives Fulbright award The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has selected Ashley Heffernen, Luther College class of 2014, to receive a Fulbright award for the 2015–16 academic year. The highly competiAshley Heffernen ’14 tive Fulbright foreign scholarship award provides funds for a year’s educational experience abroad, including travel, health insurance, and a monthly stipend to cover living expenses. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship program, an element of the Fulbright
U.S. Student Program, fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries by providing a native English speaker in their schools. Heffernen, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduated from Luther in December 2014 with a major in Spanish and a minor in music. She will serve the Fulbright program as an English teaching assistant in Mexico. “I applied to Mexico’s ETA program because I believe in the importance of individual voices; I believe that the best way for individuals to learn to use their voices is through education,” Heffernen says.
The garden is at the site where Martin Luther posted his 95 theses in 1517, sparking the Protestant Reformation. Churches and organizations around the world are sponsoring 500 trees in the Luthergarten. Luther College’s apple tree, Finkenwerder Herbstprinz, is identified as number 195. A sister tree sponsored by Ruth Kath, professor of German, will be planted on the Luther campus in 2017, when the 500th anniversary of the Reformation will be commemorated.
Luther named one of top Fulbright producers Luther College has been named among the top schools in the United States for number of students granted a Fulbright award. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2014–15 Fulbright U.S. students, and the list was highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
Stephanie Diebel ’15, was named the first Richard C. and Joann M. Hemp Scholar, recipient of the Hemp Family Prize for Orchestral Performance. The prize, a $5,000 scholarship award, is Stephanie Diebel funded through an endowment established by Dick ’64 and Joann (Harr) Hemp ’65. Awarded to a senior student in the Symphony Orchestra, the recipient is selected by audition and recognized for exceptional performance, talent, musicianship, and leadership. To honor the prize, Diebel performed a French horn recital April 18.
ANN SPONBERG PETERSON
New Hemp Family Prize for Orchestral Performance
Brianna Shelly ’16 is the 2015–16 recipient of the Alan R. and Sally J. Brudos Family Prize for Opera Performance at Luther College. The prize includes a $5,000 award. Pictured here, left to right, are Eric Brudos ’85; Sally Brudos; Jenny LeDoux ’15, recipient of the 2014–15 Brudos prize; Shelly; and Alan Brudos ’55. The photo was taken at LeDoux’s Brudos Recital on April 11. Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Campus News
LUTHER COLLEGE PHOTO BUREAU
DEVELOPMENT
Holly Harris ’15 and Fatimetu Emhamed ’17
Emhamed ’17, Harris ’15 get Projects for Peace grant Fatimetu Emhamed ’17 and Holly Harris ’15 were named Davis United World Scholars and awarded $10,000 to travel to Algeria this summer to implement their Davis Projects for Peace vision. The Projects for Peace program, for undergraduates at American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program, invites students to design grassroots projects that can be implemented to build peace around the world. Emhamed and Harris will travel to the southwestern desert region of Algeria where Western Saharan people live near Tindouf City as refugees. They will build bathroom facilities and an art room for Valencia Primary School, attended by refugee children.
Kovacovich ’16 and Holm ’17 selected Peace Scholars
Katie Kovacovich ’16
Emily Holm ’17
Luther’s Honors Advisory Committee named the 2015 Luther Peace Scholars. Katie Kovacovich ’16, majoring in social work, and Emily Holm ’17, majoring in religion, will spend seven weeks this summer with other Peace Scholars from Augsburg, Augustana (Sioux Falls), Concordia (Moorhead), Pacific Lutheran, and St. Olaf studying peace and conflict resolution in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway.
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Luther Alumni Magazine
Members of the class of 1964 announce their donation, as it stood at the time, during the Homecoming 2014 football game. By the end of April, the amount was up to $2,237,349.
Class of ’64 sets record for 50-year-reunion giving A gift to Luther from the class of 1964 has set a new record for class giving campaigns. The 50-year-reunion gift was presented to the college during Homecoming 2014, but donations will be accepted until May 31. At the time of this writing the amount stood at $2,237,349, largely cash and pledges committed during the two-year counting period by 56 percent of the class. Three classes in the past have donated more than $1 million, but this is the first to top $2 million, according to Maria (Bringer) Smith ’95, director of annual giving. “The Class of 1964 Committee started their campaign with a goal of $1 million, and it quickly became clear that they would meet that goal, but we were blown away when $2 million became a real possibility,” Smith says. “The generosity of the class, combined with the committee’s hard work, made this recordbreaking gift possible.” Keith Christensen ’80, vice president for development, says: “We are blessed with some amazing alumni volunteers who help us with the reunion giving programs. Our team is rewarded with the loyalty of these great volunteers and loves to work with them. To have the success for the class of ’64 exceeding $2 million for their reunion total was icing on the cake, and this financial level just sets a whole new standard for the 50th reunions to come!” Luther Nervig ’64, a member of the reunion planning committee, credits the close connections his class has with the college.
“I’m not so sure our class is any different from any other class, but Luther graduates just have a great loyalty and affection for the college. I think there’s just an awful lot of pride in how the college has grown, has managed its campus.” Reunion committee member Emily (Homstad) Bodensteiner ’64 agrees with Nervig’s assessment. She told Chips, Luther’s student newspaper, “It’s a connection to people and to the place. I think that there’s a real affection for what Luther stands for, and we all had a good experience here. And we come back.” Family ties are also important when it comes to giving. Another reunion committee member, Ron Dodd ’64, told Chips, “A number of alumni, including my wife and I, had children that were students at Luther. We respected the opportunity to attend Luther and encouraged our sons and daughters to attend Luther.” Nervig adds, “When you think about it, 50 years is a long time to have left the campus, but you have half of our surviving class coming back and over 55 percent wanting to give back, I think it’s a great tribute to our class.” The class of ’64 gift will go toward funds that support scholarships, academics, athletics, music, and student activities as well as the annual fund. Individual donors may also request that their contribution be directed to a particular fund, department, or activity.
Campus News DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Thomson shares enthusiasm for building relationships, lifelong generosity as friend of college
There are those people who make deep and abiding friendships wherever they go. One such consummate friend-maker is Bob Thomson of Charles City, Iowa, and Marco Island, Florida. Thomson collects friendships like precious gems, and he holds them dear. He engages people in easy conversation and has a God-given knack for remembering names. His answer to whom he knows from Luther College will take some time, since his list begins with the Reverend George J. Ulvilden, class of 1916, and includes past presidents, ensemble conductors, legacy coaches, and development staff, and continues to grow. In addition to building relationships, Thomson has a passion for creating connections and making the sale. “You can’t be afraid to ask,” he likes to say. “Some asks are harder than others, but if you believe in your product, and you believe someone can benefit from what you have, well then, business can be very good.” At the tender age of 89, Thomson is maximizing his second business career, and he’s making lots and lots of sales. For the past 20 years, he has excelled in the Subway Restaurant franchise business. With 23 stores under management in northeastern Iowa, Thomson’s growth in business reflects Subway’s corporate profile. When he purchased his first franchise in 1990, Subway had 3,000 franchises. Now the company is the largest restaurant chain in the world with 43,000 establishments in more than 100 countries. According to Thomson, two of the restaurants he’s most proud of are his Subway stores in Decorah. “I love Decorah,” he shares with a smile, “and I really love Luther College!” With just a little prompting Thomson begins a soliloquy about how much he enjoys helping students with organization fundraisers, how much he appreciates the way Decorah and Luther connect and support each other, and just how really beautiful it is here in northeast Iowa. “I’m glad I can connect with the folks of Decorah, I just love the town!” So why then did he not attend Luther? “It’s a long story,” he says. And it is. It’s a
CHARLES THOMSON PHOTO
But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life—and thanks to a benevolent arrangement of things, the greater part of life is sunshine. —Thomas Jefferson
story of growing up in Winona, with connections to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in La Crosse. It’s a story of the start of World War II and the navy and being stationed in the West. And it’s a tale of a young man’s dream of always wanting to attend the University of Minnesota. Graduating in 1950 with a degree from the U of M School of Business, Thomson immersed himself in watching big-time Golden Gopher athletics. To earn money during college, he accepted the challenge of managing concert programming and lectures for the whole university. Through this responsibility, Thomson learned how to book gigs and negotiate contracts with hundreds of internationally renowned concert artists and guest speakers. He reflects: “I think I learned how to make a sale from my dad. He was a paint salesman, and he was away from home quite a bit. He was firm with us kids, but fair.” Thomson learned high-speed accounting from his mom, who he calls a “math whiz.” From his parents he also learned about hospitality, caring for others, and how to give. As a 5:30 a.m. riser and daily Bible reader, Thomson is quick to say “to whom much is given, much is expected.” In his joyful voice, and with a twinkle in his eye, he adds, “and the more you give, the more you receive. It’s a wonderful thing!”
Thomson lives the parable of the faithful servant in so many generous ways and benefitting so many counties in the region. He believes in community development and the critical role of Main Street commerce, partnership, and civic good will. Beyond the support of hundreds of gift coupons and sandwich platters, he has been giving financially to Luther College for more than 25 years. In particular he supports the Annual Fund, capital building efforts, the music department, the Norse Athletic Association, and, most recently, the new baseball and softball stadium projects. “Luther students are so amazing! I just love them all! And if I could live anywhere else after Charles City, it would be Decorah,” he says. The majority of our Luther College donors are alumni or current and past parents. For those who support the college and who are neither alumni nor parents—well, we call them friends of the college. How fitting, we think, for someone like Thomson, who treasures friends above all else. Thank you, Bob, for all you do for Luther College and beautiful Decorah, Iowa.
—Ann Sponberg Peterson
Learn more about giving to Luther at (800) 225-8664 or www.luther.edu/giving.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Campus News
WILL HELLER ’16
ATHLETICS
Pioneers in women’s athletics at Luther who returned for the celebration included, left to right: Kathy (Barth) Van Dine ’67 (field hockey, basketball, tennis), Nancy (Bye) Sime ’66 (basketball), Ruth (Nelson) Delgehausen ’67 (tennis), Marianne Christianson ’67 (basketball), Karen (Schiesser) Montgomery ’69 (field hockey), Pat (Evans) Svendsen ’68 (basketball), and Michaele (Peters) Benn ’67 (field hockey, basketball, tennis).
MARIA DA SILVA ’15
Alumnae return to celebrate 50 years of women’s sports
Betty Hoff ’60, professor emerita of health and physical education, coached Norse women for more than three decades, beginning in 1968. She led the first softball team onto the playing field and, after 33 years at the helm, retired with a record of 544-343-1. Hoff is shown here speaking at the celebration luncheon.
Sports recaps WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
2-0, 3-2 overall The women’s swimming and diving team posted a dual meet record of 3-2, captured an 11th consecutive Iowa Conference championship, and was crowned Liberal Arts Championships team champion for the ninth year in a row. Clare Slagel ’16 qualified for the NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships and captured her second national title in as many years. Slagel, who won the national title in the 200 backstroke in 2014, qualified for the national championships in the 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 backstroke. She claimed the national championship in the 100 backstroke (54.57), touching the wall ahead of Madeline Lovrensky of LaVerne (54.73) and Emma Paulson of St. Thomas (54.86). Slagel went on to place third in the 200
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Luther Alumni Magazine
Fifty years ago Luther sponsored its first varsity athletic teams for women. During the 1965–66 academic year, basketball, field hockey, and tennis began varsity competition, seven years before Title IX was passed in 1972. Today, more than 200 female student-athletes participate annually on nine varsity teams at Luther. On Feb. 14, a luncheon was held to celebrate women’s athletics at Luther. The luncheon was held in Peace Dining Room in the Dahl Centennial Union. Guests heard from individuals who participated or coached during the early years of women’s athletics at Luther. Women who were members on the first team in each sport were also recognized. These women helped start the tradition of excellence in women’s athletics and blazed a path for thousands of female studentathletes during the past 50 years at Luther. Following the luncheon, the group attended the women’s basketball game and watched the Norse defeat Central College, 63-44.
backstroke (1:57.33), breaking her own school record. Olivia Jackson of Williams and her teammate Kathie Bennett placed first and second respectively (1:57.24 and 1:57.25). With her two All-America honors, Slagel is now a seven-time All-American during her career. As a team, Luther wrapped up the regular season capturing the team title of the Liberal Arts Championships for a ninth consecutive year. The Norse posted a team total of 892.5, finishing 254.5 points ahead of runner-up Franklin College. Collectively, the Norse claimed eight individual titles and four relay titles at the LAC. The Iowa Conference championship is also decided at the Liberal Arts Championships. At the conclusion of the Liberal Arts Championships, the meet is rescored with just the four Iowa Conference schools, determining the league champion and individual league champions. Collectively, the Norse captured
nine individual titles and swept all five relay events. Individual school records established during the 2015–16 campaign were set by Slagel in the 500 freestyle (4:57.67), 1,000 freestyle (10:34.21), and 200 backstroke; and by Jackie Hughes ’17 in the 200 IM (2:08.76) and 400 IM (4:30.59). The full list of Liberal Arts and Iowa Conference champions can be found under women’s swimming and diving history at www. luther.edu/sports/women/swimming-diving. MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
2-0, 2-3 overall The men’s swimming and diving team posted a dual meet record of 2-3, claimed its 11th consecutive Iowa Conference championship, and finished second at the Liberal Arts Championships for the fourth consecutive year. The Norse posted a point total of 477.5, finishing behind Franklin College, which won the team
Campus News
Liberal Arts title with a point total of 785.5. The Iowa Conference championship is also decided at the Liberal Arts Championships. At the conclusion of the Liberal Arts Championships, the meet is rescored with just the four Iowa Conference schools, determining the league champion and individual league champions. Capturing individual Iowa Conference titles were Sam Weinberg ’15, David Carius ’16, and Sam Raiche ’15. Weinberg became the first swimmer in Luther history to claim four 200 freestyle league titles. Carius was crowned the league champion in the 500 freestyle and 1,650 freestyle and became a threetime champion in the 400 IM. Carius also set a school record in the 400 IM (4:11.51) during the meet. Raiche won his second consecutive 200 butterfly title. Carius, Carson Miller ’18, Jacob Cole ’18, and Weinberg were also crowned league champions in the 800 freestyle relay.
completed her career with 1,065 points, becoming the 12th 1,000-point scorer in Norse women’s basketball history.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
6-1, 13-6 overall Nationally ranked the entire year, the Luther wrestling team posted a dual meet record of 13-6, finished second in the Iowa Conference with a league record of 6-1, was the runner-up at the NCAA Division III Central Regional, and went on to place ninth at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Seven Norse qualified for the national championships, one shy of the school record of eight that was set in 2007. Advancing to the national finale were Evan Obert ’15 (133),
10-4, 23-6 overall The women’s basketball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the first time since 2007 after capturing the Iowa Conference Tournament championship. The Norse finished the regular season league schedule tied for second place with a mark of 10-4, earning the no. 2 seed for the six-team tournament. Luther defeated Coe 89-82 in the semifinals and then defeated Wartburg 61-53 in the championship game, claiming its second tournament title in school history. Luther advanced to the second round of the national tournament, defeating St. Norbert College 72-61, but were eliminated by undefeated University of St. Thomas (MN) 6057, in what proved to be the Tommies’ closest contest to that point. Head coach Amanda Bailey was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year. Bailey led the Norse to an overall record of 23-6 after posting a mark of 11-14 the previous year. Moran Lonning ’16, who joined the Norse after transferring from the University of Northern Iowa, was named the league’s Most Valuable Player and Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Lonning led the Norse in scoring (402), assists (140), and steals (77) and finished third on the team in rebounds (124). Lonning was also named D3hoops.com All-West Region as a first-team selection. Meagan Koepnick ’15 was named firstteam all-conference, and Kylie Romeo ’16 was selected second-team all-conference. Keopnick
MEN’S BASKETBALL
5-9, 9-17 overall The men’s basketball team completed the 2015–16 campaign with an overall record of 9-17, 5-9 in the Iowa Conference. The Norse earned the no. 5 seed of the six-team Iowa Conference Tournament but were eliminated in the first round by eventual tournament champions University of Dubuque. Luther was making its fifth consecutive appearance in the league tournament. Individually, Jake Martin ’15 was named first-team all-Iowa Conference. Martin led the Norse in scoring and rebounding, producing 379 points and collecting 234 rebounds. This marked the second consecutive time Martin had been selected to the all-conference team. WRESTLING
Drew Van Anrooy ’16 (141), Dakota Gray ’16 (149), Reed Van Anrooy ’18 (157), Blake Letney ’16 (165), Jayden DeVilbiss ’15 (197), and Conner Herman ’16 (285). Obert, Drew Van Anrooy, and Herman earned All-American honors. Obert completed his career as a two-time All-American placing third. Obert finished his senior campaign with a record of 27-7 and a career mark of 10236. Herman, making his second appearance at the national tournament, placed eighth, earning All-American honors for the first time. Van Anrooy advanced to the title bout, where he was defeated in double overtime by a score of SV-2 4-2, completing his first year in a Norse uniform with a mark of 25-3. Van Anrooy joined the Norse this season after transferring from Oregon State University. DeVilbiss, making his third appearance at the national championships, completed his career with a record of 106-47. It was also announced at the national championships that Luther earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Scholar All-America team honors with a cumulative team grade point average of 3.46. The Norse ranked ninth in the NCAA III, its highest finish in this category under the direction of head coach Dave Mitchell. Five members of the team were also named NWCA Division III Scholar All-Americans, the most in one year in program history. This list included Obert, Drew Van Anrooy, Reed Van Anrooy, Letney, and Herman.
Drew Van Anrooy ’16 in his NCAA III National Championship semifinal match at 141. He won by fall, 0:41. Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Retiring faculty
helped shape
learning at Luther
CAROLYN MOTTLEY
A
Professor of chemistry
AARON LURTH ’08
t the end of the academic year, 12 dedicated, influential, long-serving Luther professors will retire. While Kevin Kraus, dean of faculty, is confident that the college will find worthy replacements, “We’re definitely going to miss their contributions,” he says. The 12 people who are leaving come from nine academic departments and Preus library. All of them sat on multiple committees, and half of them served or currently serve as department heads. Four are Luther alumni (Hubbard, Wharton, Sordahl, and Preus), three taught in more than one department (Hubbard, Wharton, and Preus), and one commutes 270 miles for the privilege of teaching here (Christianson). Among them are a former bus driver (Goodin), a former flight attendant (Bruneau), and a current Episcopal priest (Griesheimer). One of them directs a museum (Sordahl), one keeps score for women’s basketball games (Mottley), one tats in her spare time (Kubesh), and one landed a hot air balloon on the Luther campus in the 1970s just for fun (Preus). Collectively, they’ve taught at least 22 current Luther professors and represent 357 years of service to Luther.
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Luther Alumni Magazine
—Kate Frentzel
“I didn’t know any computer science. There’s a lot more to it than just writing programs.” STEVE HUBBARD ’68
AARON LURTH ’08
Professor of mathematics Started at Luther in 1973
RUTH CALDWELL
Professor of French Started at Luther in 1971 “I was pretty much a mail-order bride for Luther,” Ruth Caldwell says. While living in Paris after graduate school, a chance meeting and interview with Luther’s dean John Linnell (her only question for him was “Where is Luther College?”) led to a contract letter waiting on her return stateside. Caldwell is the longest serving of Luther’s 2015 retirees, having taught at the college for 44 years. She is exacting and meticulous, maintaining high standards for herself and her students; when Caldwell’s students learn French, they really learn it. In addition to chairing her department for 18 years, Caldwell was the first to suggest that Luther start offering Italian courses (she subsequently obtained a master’s degree in the language). Colleagues note too that she hosts a steady stream of international visitors to the college and serves as a mentor to new faculty members both within and beyond the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. “An awareness of legacy at the college has been at the heart of her work here for a long time,” says Ruth Kath, longtime friend and colleague. “Passing on the history and strengths of the college and of the liberal arts is of vital importance to her, and she takes that responsibility very seriously. There is even a languages fellowship in her name, established by one of her former students. We all benefit from her care.” In a meditation on vocation, Caldwell muses, “The joy I feel in perceiving the power of words has made me understand more deeply the centurion in Matthew 8 when he says, ‘Lord, I am not worthy . . . but only say the word . . .’ It is my hope that I can help my students deepen their appreciation of the power of the word in this and other texts, as well as the spoken word, whatever field they ultimately choose.”
Not only has Steve Hubbard ’68 been a pillar of Luther’s Mathematics Department, he is also an early member of the college’s Computer Science Department. Along with Walt Will, who Hubbard insists deserves the lion’s share of the credit, Hubbard was one of the first Luther faculty to teach computer science. “But even though I knew how to write programs in a couple of languages,” he says, “I didn’t know any computer science. There’s a lot more to it than just writing programs.” So Hubbard began taking all the courses in the computer science major, sitting in on a class or two each semester, doing all the homework, taking the exams, and working 70 or 80 hours each week between his teaching and his learning. Building up the Computer Science Department consumed the middle 15 or 20 years of his career, Hubbard says. “I was one of the first three or four people teaching computer science at Luther. Then the others gradually left the department, so it was just Walt and me, these retread math and science teachers during a time when it was impossible to get real computer scientists.” Eventually, however, the college hired several Luther graduates to build out the department, which now consists entirely of Hubbard’s former pupils. How’s that for leaving a legacy? Hubbard, who loves to stay fit and for decades ran 40–50 miles per week, is looking forward to having more time to work out in the years ahead. “My golfing buddies are three retired Luther profs,” he says, “and they tell me I missed a lot of nice golf days last fall.”
CAROLYN MOTTLEY
Professor of chemistry Started at Luther in 1975 For many summers (and sometimes for year-long sabbaticals), Carolyn Mottley has packed up and headed across the country to conduct research. She’s been involved in research at the University of Alabama, Northwestern, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Argonne National Laboratory, and with a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Her specialty is the generation of free radicals in biological systems. Maintaining an active research life, Mottley says, “keeps you thinking about things and looking at different ways to do things, which is why I change my classes all the time. ... Being involved in research does that. Having an area where you really are an authority makes a difference; it touches what I teach all over the place.” Mottley, who received her Ph.D. at UNC–Chapel Hill, started out during a time when female physical chemists were rare. “After I took general chemistry,” she says, “I don’t believe I was ever in another chemistry class with a woman, and that includes graduate school.” As an educator, she’s loved teaching conceptual courses that “require students to think very differently about the world. They begin to see that the equations we use are more than just something on the board.” In addition to teaching, Mottley has served as department head (three times, for a total of 18 years) and as interim dean of the college, but she thinks she’s been most valuable in maintaining top-line instrumentation for Luther students to use. “I love to hear back from grad students that their education was just as good or better than anybody else’s in their program, and we hear that regularly,” she says. An avid women’s basketball fan, Mottley attended Wayland Baptist College as an undergrad because they had a women’s basketball team (luckily, they also had an excellent chemistry professor). She’s kept score for women’s basketball games at Luther for years.
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MARJORIE WHARTON ’66
Associate professor of music Started at Luther in 1979 When asked what her greatest contribution to Luther has been, Marjorie Wharton ’66 replies, “For more than two decades, I was able to provide flexibility in staffing for two departments: French and music. And several times I had a student in both French and piano during the same semester!” Wharton was hired to teach French part time at Luther in 1979. Already a proficient pianist, she decided to purse a music degree simultaneously, which eventually qualified her to teach in both disciplines, helping the French and Music Departments run smoothly over the past few decades. Among Wharton’s many positive impacts on campus, she is known for teaching a technique that helps students learn to make choices about how to produce sound and create phrasing. She teaches this to beginners in class piano as well as to advanced students in the private studio. “Some resist it at first but send me thank-you notes later. The technique has been of particular benefit to several advanced students who were in pain due to injury from hightension techniques,” she explains. During her retirement, Wharton plans to turn a critical eye on her writing on Francis Poulenc’s song cycle Le Travail de peintre (The Work of the Painter), about which she has traveled widely to present—including to France, England, and the United States. “I need to look at my 32 drafts, ditch most of them, and put fresh words side by side on a computer screen,” she says. TEX SORDAHL ’73
Professor of biology Started at Luther in 1980 “My mantra is that nobody ever regrets learning about birds,” Tex Sordahl ’73 says. “You can approach it at different levels, and it’s complex enough to fuel a lifelong hobby.” The veteran bird evangelist and department head should know: he’s racked up 48 publications (“And I don’t really want to stop short of 50,” he admits), including a 32-year study of spring migrations in the SAMANTHA PHILLIPS ’17 FOR CHIPS Decorah area. A second paper that he just published in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology involves a 25-year study of screechowls. This kind of long-term research might seem rare in the digital age, but “I’m an oldschool naturalist at heart,” he says, “and most of my projects are very low budget,” involving trekking on foot and putting in time behind the binoculars. Sordahl knew as early as third grade that he wanted to be a zoologist, but it was a summer job at an Audubon Society Camp in northern Wisconsin that focused his interest on ornithology. “The first question of the day that anyone asked was, What species did you see this morning?” he recalls. The budding biologist had found his people. One of Sordahl’s most important roles at Luther, and one he’s had since he began, has been as director of Luther’s Hoslett Museum of Natural History, which contains thousands of plant and animal specimens, as well as the third-largest eggshell collection in the state of Iowa. Over his decades of stewardship, Sordahl has coached students on how to set up exhibits; taxidermy birds; clean, fumigate, repair, and tag specimens; and keep organized records and databases. Not only has Sordahl employed lots of students over the years, but he’s also mentored almost two dozen Luther graduates to become zoologists and wildlife biologists, and that includes six true ornithologists. As for the students who didn’t go into the animal field? “I hope they’ll be lifelong bird watchers,” he says.
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Collectively, the retirees represent 357 years of service to Luther.
DONNA KUBESH
Professor of nursing Started at Luther in 1982 There’s not one object in Donna Kubesh’s delightfully appointed office that doesn’t tell a part of her life story. There’s the incense burner she picked up in Dubai while visiting a dear friend and former Luther professor.
“What have I done today to help somebody?” There’s the Nurse Barbie from 1961, an inside joke with a friend that celebrates—subversively—Kubesh’s love of nursing and her feminist bent. There’s the simple computer printout sign that reads: What have I done today to help somebody? “I have to see it every day,” Kubesh explains. “That is what life is about.” Kubesh came to Luther after working as a nurse in a small community hospital in Rochester, Minn., and it didn’t take long for her to feel at home. “This is the world that makes me happy,” she enthuses. “You can’t be in this setting without the constant desire to learn more and share ideas with other people. And it’s not just in nursing—it’s in the liberal arts and lectures and the conversations that you have with other professors. It gives me a chance to be a student forever and pay my bills too!” In addition to chairing many committees over the years, Kubesh served for 15 years as a department head. “I really enjoyed it while I was doing it. You’re on 24/7—it’s an excellent challenge.” As for teaching, she has most enjoyed the first courses in the nursing series. “The students are so enthused and excited about their career choice,” she says. Given what an engaged, patient, and committed teacher she is, it’s easy to picture a legion of Kubesh’s nurses setting out into the world asking themselves, what have I done today to help somebody?
CHUCK CHRISTIANSON
Professor of accounting and management Started at Luther in 1988 Chuck Christianson redefines the word commitment. Since 1992, when he married his wife, Beverly, he has been commuting from Sioux Falls, S.D., where they have a home (they also have a home in Decorah). “There were weekends when I’d get caught in a snowstorm on the interstate,” he says. “And before cell phones and Internet technology, I would have to guess whether it was wise to continue on to Decorah or not.” Back in the ’80s, in the days preceding Olin Hall and widespread use of computers, when typewriters ruled the day, Christianson and his colleagues had offices in Korsrud Annex (now the Ockham House). “Back then,” he recalls, “there wasn’t a night, with the exception of maybe Friday night, when you wouldn’t find someone working in Korsrud Annex. Every night, people would be working there well beyond midnight. It just took that much time to prepare notes, handouts, and exams—we didn’t have the technology that we have today.”
“I get to talk one-on-one with every single student I work with...” Christianson’s long days didn’t slow much during his time as department head, from 2001 to 2010. “My wife came to the conclusion many years ago that she’s not going to see me anyway,” he jokes. Christianson says that he’s enjoyed teaching management and accounting courses, but there’s little he’s enjoyed more than working with students in an advising role. “I get to talk one-on-one with every single student I work with and I can help them develop a study and career plan,” he says. “That’s been really fun and rewarding.”
MARIA DA SILVA ’17
JIM GRIESHEIMER
Professor of music Started at Luther in 1991 “I don’t think I could have found a better balance between a high-powered program and something that used me fully,” Jim Griesheimer says of his tenure in Luther’s Music Department. “It seemed providential, and for that reason I probably taught 10 years longer than I intended to,” the 73-year-old jokes. A former Fulbright scholar and professional oboist, Griesheimer came to Luther from Middlebury College in Vermont. “I couldn’t believe when I got here how sophisticated the program was and the sheer scale of it,” he says. “It’s really on an ancient Egyptian scale of operations.” At Luther, Griesheimer taught music history courses. By all accounts, he is a fantastic lecturer, and he peppers even casual conversation with historical gems. From his examination of how the transition from Bach to Mozart mirrored the dissolution of the Baroque style and the onset of irony, to his research on amateur musician Edward Finch, about whom he’s presented five times at Oxford, Griesheimer has a talent for animating his material and getting students fired up about it too. Griesheimer credits his grandfather with influencing his own lecturing style. “He was a natural orator and storyteller,” Griesheimer says. “He used to read stories like the ‘Valley of Dry Bones’ that would make the hair stand up on the back of your neck.” Griesheimer’s speaking skills are also put to good use during his sermons. Ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2010, he serves parishes in both Decorah and Charles City. He has officiated four weddings of Luther students and will officiate a fifth this year. JOHN GOODIN
Associate professor in library and information studies Started at Luther in 1994 It was a stroke of good timing that landed John Goodin at Luther. He happened to learn of a job opening at the college around the same time that his son had an Odyssey of the Mind competition in Ames, Iowa. On the way back to their Indiana home, the Goodins stopped in Decorah and recognized it as a very special place. Goodin got the job, and since then he’s been instrumental in shaping library services at Luther. He has managed three separate library systems, bringing two of them to Luther, and he was a member of the task force that led to the formation of LIS, which merged the library and information technology into one organization. Goodin has
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also been deeply involved in budgetary concerns, and, as a faculty member, he has advised dozens of first-year students. But Goodin is equally known around campus and Decorah for his musical talent. A skilled mandolin player, he often performs during chapel and for student and faculty recitals, theatrical productions, and other events. A composer with about 20 published pieces circulating around the world, Goodin writes on his own and for his contra dance band, Contratopia. While it was difficult to choose between music and library science earlier in life, he says, “I have never had second thoughts about my profession. Librarians know that, day after day, our work is a positive contribution to the common good.”
“There are districts that come looking for Luther-prepared students” ODETTE BRUNEAU
Professor of education Started at Luther in 1995 Odette Bruneau doesn’t like fanfare, though she deserves it. During her two decades at Luther, she’s been responsible for the special education courses within Luther’s Education Department. She’s helped craft a specialed program that’s comprehensive and well regarded throughout the region. “There are districts that come looking for Luther-prepared students,” she says. “Students don’t pick special ed unless they have a real mission,” she continues, “and so I get the students who really want to be doing it. Sometimes we’re able to go out and supervise these student teachers, and when I’m able to see a student fly, that’s really special.” In a previous life, Bruneau was a flight attendant. In fact, she earned her master’s, completed her doctoral work, and spent the first six months of her first teaching job all while flying the friendly skies. After leaving Luther, Bruneau, who spent two sabbaticals teaching English in China, where her three adopted daughters were born, will likely return to China to teach for a third time.
NICK PREUS ’69
Professor of English and education Started at Luther in 2000 What Nick Preus ’69 loves most about teaching is “being in a room talking with young people about books,” he says. “They bring to it a freshness, eagerness, and a great sense of fun. It’s like we’re entering a virtual world of literature and stories and poems. It’s coming to them new, and it’s wonderful to watch how texts open up to them and how they open up to texts.” Preus, former head of Luther’s Education Department, once taught at the high school level and, as a graduate student, worked in UW–Madison’s Writing Center, where he learned to engage in conversations about academic writing. He explains that this “altered my perception of ‘delivering’ an education to entering a shared conversation” when he teaches.
“I’m always impressed by the care with which my colleagues undertake their tasks here, and that’s a great strength of the place.”
MARY LEWIS
Instructor in biology Started at Luther in 1995 After studying limnology (freshwater science) at the University of Minnesota, Mary Lewis moved to Fillmore County, Minn., to start a research farm that practices woody agriculture, a sustainable form of farming—in Lewis’s case, hazelnuts and chestnuts. During this time, she taught piano and dance. When she decided to leave the farm, Lewis “knocked on doors and made it known that I was around and had these skills. Luther hired me, and it turned into an instructor position,” she says. For the past two decades, Lewis has lectured and taught and prepared labs for three of Luther’s largest biology courses—Microbiology, Anatomy, and Principles of Biology—and to do this, she’s engaged about 30 students per year. “I employ student assistants not just to set up the labs but to make sure they’re well tested beforehand,” she says. “They learn the labs so well that they can help the other students have a good experience. To get all the pieces of it in good shape has taken years to do well, but it’s resulted in some very smooth-running labs.” Lewis, a lifelong dancer, has often thought of teaching as a performance, and students don’t soon forget her mnemonic story of checker-playing Ole and Cranon that teaches the elbow bone, or her impression of a breech-birth baby coming out. “I found out that I like to ham it up, and students seem to like it,” she says. Lewis also writes fiction and essays. She’ll spend part of her retirement completing an MFA program at Augsburg College and completing her second novel—as well as skating, dancing, swimming, doing yoga, playing piano, and combatting invasive garlic mustard in Decorah city parks.
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An avid sailor, Preus developed a January Term course called Tales of the Sea that allows 30 people to spend a week and a half on a 130-foot wooden schooner while they read maritime literature and participate in crewing. But while the January course is adventurous and exciting, Preus sees his role on the Luther faculty as “being present for the students. The good work is doing the daily work,” he says, “being prepared for class and being encouraging and inspiring and being there in a conversational way.” “I’m always impressed by the care with which my colleagues undertake their tasks here, and that’s a great strength of the place.” In retirement, Preus plans to help colleague Kari Gronningsaeter translate and research a memoir written by her Norwegian grandmother, who also undertook a maritime adventure. Also, he and his wife will reassemble a Norwegian log cabin as their summer home in Door County, Wis.
Looking toward the future: Six faculty members granted tenure At its February meeting, the Luther Board of Regents approved tenure for Todd Green, religion; Michael Johnson, mathematics; Don Jones, economics and business; Ginger Meyette, social work; Ben Moore, art; and April Rowe-Neal, nursing. These six faculty were also promoted to associate professor. President Paula J. Carlson announced promotion to full professor for Ruth Berger, mathematics; Du Huang, music; Mark Johns, communication studies; and Eric Kutz, music. TODD GREEN
Religion Todd Green has taught at Luther since 2008. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Birmingham-Southern College, a master of divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University. Green teaches in European and American religious history. He is the past co-chair of the Religion in Europe Group of the American Academy of Religion and serves on the editorial board for the journal Religions. He also blogs for Luther’s Ideas and Creations and the Huffington Post. Green’s research focuses on Islamophobia, secularization, and interfaith dialogue in the West. In his most recent book, The Fear of Islam: An Introduction to Islamophobia in the West, Green surveys anti-Muslim bigotry and hostility in the United States and Europe. MICHAEL JOHNSON
Mathematics Michael Johnson has been on the mathematics faculty since 2010. He holds bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and music education from University of the Pacific and has a master’s degree in mathematics from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Northwestern University. Johnson’s research interests are in the fields of dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and, more recently, cellular automata. His works have been published in the Illinois Journal of Mathematics and Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems. This summer he plans to collaborate with Luther students to investigate the frequency of various-sized avalanches in a sandpile model.
DON JONES
Management Don Jones began teaching in the economics and business department at Luther in 2009, focusing on marketing techniques and ethics, advertising, and sales and promotion. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a master of business administration degree from Regis University. Jones is a professional certified marketer through the American Marketing Association. Before coming to Luther, he served as director of marketing-retail at Brunswick Corporation in Lake Forest, Ill., where he received the President’s Executive CouncilManagement Award five times. GINGER MEYETTE
Social work Ginger Meyette has been a member of Luther’s social work program since 2009. She teaches Social Work with Groups and Families, Research Methods and the Senior Paper course, and serves as field director for Luther’s Social Work Program. Meyette graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado, then went on to earn a master of divinity from the Iliff School of Theology and a master of social work from the University of Denver. She also earned a Ph.D. from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Metropolitan State College, the University of Denver, and Colorado State University, and she has worked as a hospice grief counselor and social worker, and as a therapist in a residential/day treatment facility for children ages 5–13 with mental health diagnoses.
BEN MOORE ’02
Art Ben Moore ’02 studied at the Scuola Internationalle de Grafica in Venice, Italy, and received a master’s degree and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa. He has also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. He returned to Luther in 2008 to teach in the Visual and Performing Arts Department, specializing in painting, drawing, foundations, and digital media. Moore’s works have been shown across the Midwest, most recently in the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, Minn.; the Kinsey Institute at the University of Indiana; (SCENE) Metrospace Gallery in East Lansing, Mich.; and Gallery 455 in Milwaukee, Wis. Moore is also lead artist and game designer for Random Thoughts Entertainment. APRIL ROWE-NEAL ’01
Nursing April Rowe-Neal ’01 joined Luther in 2008, teaching in the medical/ surgical courses and pathophysiology courses on the Rochester, Minn., campus of the nursing department. She earned a master of science in nursing degree from the University of Minnesota and is working on a Ph.D. in nursing education from Capella University. Her dissertation explores the experience of staff nurses teaching nursing students in the clinical learning environment. Prior to teaching at Luther, Rowe-Neal served as the student nurse preceptor for the Hennepin County (Minn.) Medical Center in Minneapolis and as Education Committee cochair at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She has also worked as a critical care registered nurse for St. Elizabeth Medical Center and as a staff RN for Hennepin County Medical Care Center, Mayo Clinic, and Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester.
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Into the larger world Students hiked through cloud forests, encountered wildlife, and hit the urban streets with their cameras during J-term 2015
Miranda Gumpert ’17 snapped these female sea lions and lava lizard on Sombrero Chino Island in the Galapagos Islands while on the J-term 2015 course Ecology of Ecuador, led by biology professors Kirk Larsen and Molly McNicoll. Gumpert says the seals were very friendly and interested in humans.
Sydney Larsen ’17 caught this photo of a gondolier in Venice, Italy, while on the J-term 2015 course In Frankenstein’s Footsteps: The Keats-Shelley Circle in London, Geneva, and Italy. Amy Weldon, associate professor of English, and Amanda Peck, global learning intern, led the program. Larsen says: “We were in Venice for a couple of days visiting landmarks and museums pertaining to Lord Byron. I took this photo when we passed by while riding a vaparetto (water taxi) down the Grand Canal. We didn't get to ride in a gondola ourselves, but it was always a treat to pass by them and hear the gondoliers singing to their passengers.”
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Emma Carpenter ’17 captured this scene at a floating village near Siem Reap, Cambodia. She was with the January Term 2015 class War, Peace, and Reconciliation in Cambodia, led by Scott Hurley, assistant professor of religion, and Ann Highum, dean of student life emerita. The class focused on the topics of human rights, the environment, children and women's issues, and the role the United States has played in Cambodia’s history and current climate. Carpenter says the class passed such floating villages while on a boat ride to the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary.
During the J-term 2015 course Ecology of Ecuador, led by biology professors Kirk Larsen and Molly McNicoll, students hiked through the Santa Lucia Cloud Forest Preserve. One of their guides took this photo, left, at the first cascade along the cascades trail. Pictured left to right, back, are Brennen Reysack ’16, Katelyn Evenson ’16, and John Hadish ’16. Sitting are Samantha Barron ’15 and Miranda Gumpert ’17. “The day that we visited the waterfall we hiked to a sugarcane processing plant and then hiked to the waterfall, where we stopped to take a break,” Gumpert says. “We observed and learned about the plant life within the forest as well as near the waterfall.”
Abby Carpenter ’16 got this shot with the J-term 2015 class Forging Paths to Peace: Personal, Political, and Social Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The fishing boats were along the river in Galway, Ireland. “I loved all the colors on the boat that complemented the unique coloring of the houses and buildings,” Carpenter says. During the course, students met with representatives of the main political parties of Northern Ireland, former members of paramilitary organizations, academic experts, police officers, members of intercommunity organizations, and victims of violence. Paul Gardner, professor of political science, and Britt Rhodes, associate professor of social work, led the program.
Emily Stoneking ’15 took this photo of a wild African elephant at Pilanesberg National Park, in Bojanala, North West, South Africa, with the Stories in South Africa J-term 2015 class. “Soon after this photo was taken, the teenaged elephant approached the game drive vehicle to eat from a nearby tree,” Stoneking says. “The elephant was close enough to reach out and touch!” In this J-term course, students seek to understand South Africa by seeing, hearing, and collecting stories from a rich diversity of storytellers and sources including writers and musicians; museums and sites of history, science, and art; and ordinary individuals young and old from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. The course was led by English professors Nancy Barry and Martin Klammer.
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New Hong Kong J-term focuses on street photography This January Term, Luther unveiled a new course that took student photographers to the streets of Hong Kong and Shanghai. The course, Art in Cultural Perspective: Picturing Change in Hong Kong, challenged students to move beyond snapping photos like a tourist to engaging with the cultural history of major Chinese cities and capturing the complexity of a modern, changing China. Mornings were spent on technical lessons, art history, and the ethics of good street photography. Afternoons, the students were given free reign to tackle the day’s theme— for example, portraiture or images of objects. Senior Connor Mattison appreciated that the independent nature of the course allowed the group to have a lot of reach: “We split up into small groups to capture as much of the designated area of the city as we could. This allowed each group to have a varying perspective on that certain part of Hong Kong for that day.”
Senior Jenny Bonnell experienced a poignant moment when Hong Kongers flipped the script. “On one of the first days,” she says, “we were site-seeing near Victoria Harbor in Kowloon, and all these locals kept walking up to us and taking pictures. They would either ask us to take a picture, or they would stand near us and pretend to be taking a picture of the harbor, but really it would be a selfie with us in the background.” Director of visual media Aaron Lurth ’08, co-leader of the trip along with Kate Elliott, assistant professor of art history, was initially nervous about the quality of photographs the group would produce, with most of the students having little camera experience. But, he says, “A successful street photograph transcends culture and humanizes whomever we’re looking at in a way that allows us to connect, that rises above our background or birthplace. Our students did that very well.”
Björn Myhre ’16, Squad “I took this photo after watching a young Boy Scout troop march for over an hour on a Saturday afternoon in preparation for their upcoming graduation ceremony. I asked them to pose as a group for a photo, and they were delighted at the prospect. A local who spoke English informed me that the Boy Scouts was a way for economically disadvantaged youths to gain an edge in getting a job with the police force, since many of them will not have the option to attend a prestigious university.”
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DJ Simpson ’16, Wedding Crowd “This photo was taken on the Avenue of Stars in the Hong Kong neighborhood of Kowloon. After a month of taking photos, trying to capture the perfect moment, I snapped this picture—which happened to be the last photo I took while in Hong Kong.”
Lars Sorenson ’17, Meter’s Running, a photo of taxis crossing an intersection in central Hong Kong
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JEFF BOEKE PHOTO
RACHEL MADRYGA ’16
Alahna Keil ’17 takes a ride in a palanquin to reach a mountain monastery in China.
Greg Trahan ’17 and classmates in Belize climbed up a Mayan ruin at the Lamanai archeological site.
Planning ahead helps make J-term trips accessible Alahna Keil ’17 uses a wheelchair and says that when she came to Luther, she had written off the idea of studying abroad. She wasn’t sure the opportunities would mesh with her academic interests or accommodate her mobility issues. Keil can walk but generally uses a wheelchair for longer distances and when she needs to keep up with groups. She did discover a January Term 2015 program that interested her, though—Experiencing Mahayana Buddhism, taught by religion professor Gereon Kopf. The class would take her to China, Japan, and Hong Kong. Working with Kopf, Luther’s Center for Global Learning, and the Disability Services office, Keil thought ahead about any special needs she might have and how to handle them. The plan, Keil says, “needed to be something I was comfortable with but at the same time was helpful for the group.” Ultimately, another student, junior Alexandra Klug, paired up with Keil on a daily basis. Others pitched in as well, some-
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times pushing the lightweight wheelchair that Keil used on the trip and sometimes even lifting her, chair and all, on and off public transportation. Kopf and Keil had talked about one class excursion in particular that she might not be able to participate in: a visit to a monastery in China that was at the top of a mountain, accessed by a long flight of stairs. “I would never ask the students to carry me up so many stairs,” Keil says. However, when the class arrived at the foot of the steps, there sat a palanquin and two men to carry it. It turned out that the monastery provided the palanquin—a chair attached to long poles—specifically for visitors who could not make the climb. “They just carried me right up the mountain,” Keil says. Her ride did earn her a nickname with her classmates: Princess Alahna. “Which is so not my personality,” she insists. With the success of her J-term study abroad, Keil is considering another oppor-
tunity next year. Greg Trahan ’17 also uses a wheelchair much of the time, and he also took a J-term 2015 course—Environmental Implications of Eco-Adventure Growth in Central America. The course took students to Belize, led by Jeff Boeke, an instructor in health and physical education, and Mark Eichinger, associate professor of biology. Trahan says he did not need to do much planning about accommodations for the trip, but he did speak with his instructors to learn what to expect. Once there, he says, “If there was something I would have trouble doing or would take me a longer time, I talked to the professors about it and we figured something out.” His advice to others with disabilities who are considering study away: “Get details of what you’re doing and how it will go. If there are things you don’t think you can do, discuss alternatives with the professor.”
Lab containers hold varieties of frogs at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama. The casque-headed tree frog (Hemiphractus fasciatus) has not been found in the wild in Panama since 2010.
By Kristine Jepsen Frog photos by Joel Sartore
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t her desk in blue scrubs, her curly hair escaping from a ponytail in humid wisps, Heidi Ross ’99 swipes a hand across her brow and sits up a little straighter as her FaceTime connectivity sticks. A minute ago she was elbow-deep in an aquarium, working alongside fellow staff at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) to disinfect the tanks that hold eight of the most critically endangered species of frogs on the planet. In the background, a coworker flits
Heidi Ross ’99 leads frontline research to save and restore threatened amphibian species
back and forth, walking individual frogs across the lab to a scale, recording their weights in order to separate larger adult frogs from lighter specimens. What they do at this small laboratory on the grounds of a sleepy private zoo in central Panama sounds simple, but in the realm of international amphibian conservation, it’s as rare as the species they protect: EVACC successfully breeds frogs. “Well, that’s not quite right,” Ross—ever the precise technician—explains. “Frogs breed
frogs. We just provide them the conditions that make it successful in captivity.” Her modesty is both native-Midwestern and intentional. Ross has felt the pressure of dire circumstance for so long she doesn’t trifle with recognition—and there’s been a lot of it, starting with front-page coverage in the Washington Post soon after EVACC’s inception. In 2012, their work won the international Conservation Award from San Diego Zoo Global, a distinction shared by pioneering biologists such as Jane Goodall. Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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PHOTOS COURTESY KRISTINE JEPSEN
EVACC raises not only frogs but the bugs to feed them, including springtail, a common flightless hexapod, in the colorful containers, above right. The coppery-skinned crowned tree frog (Anotheca spinosa), above left, breeds in tree holes in the wild and uses bony structures on its head to fend off potential predators.
EVACC also comprises a full chapter of the New York Times best seller The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert, and appears in both Goodall’s book, Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species are Being Rescued from the Brink, and 100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species by Jeff Corwin. In addition, multiple documentaries have been filmed at EVACC, including one for the program PBS Nature, Frogs: The Thin Green Line.
“When Edgardo and I first started rescuing frogs from the wild, it was always in the back of our minds that future generations might never see these frogs in their natural habitat,” Heidi writes. “With the birth of our son, Eliot, that generation suddenly had a name and a face.”
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Why frogs? “After Luther, I joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to a small village in Omar Torrijos National Park in Coclé Province, Panama—a three-hour hike-in location—and happened on my first trip out of my village to meet up with a group of American university students studying amphibians on the Caribbean coast,” Ross writes. Their professor was Karen Lips, then of Southern Illinois University, whose tracking of die-off in wild amphibian populations contributed to international recognition of the deadliest threat to biodiversity in recorded history: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. Likely gaining momentum in wild populations since the 1970s, Bd flourishes in cool, moist climates and causes fatal chytridiomycosis, or chytrid, obliterating whole amphibian communities within just weeks or months of infection. Chytrid kills frogs by crippling the condition and function of their permeable skin, essentially starving them of nutrients and oxygen, while causing lethargy and loss of righting reflex—dead frogs are found “frozen,” sitting in the last position they could muster as their organs gave out. A full one-third of the world’s amphibian species are affected by this fungus, with an estimated 200 previously healthy species on the cusp of extinction in fewer than 30 years. There is no known way to eradicate the fungus from wild habitat, and its effects appear unprecedented. “Once amphibians are eliminated from an ecosystem, everything else changes,” Lips explains in a University of Maryland interview. “Snakes disappear, algae grows, sediments accumulate and affect water
quality. We don’t know yet how many of these changes are irrevocable.” Ross, a biology major with research interests in entomology, started working with Lips and her students each year in the field, hiking at night to document populations. Eventually she stayed on in Panama just to work with visiting scientific expeditions. “It got eerie,” Ross says. “When we started, you could easily spend four or five hours traveling just 200 meters—the mere distance from Valders to the library parking lot at Luther—documenting 20 species or more, calling, eating, and carrying on. After the fungus moved through—I remember the first time I encountered this—a familiar, busy area would be silent. Silent! Except for the rushing of water and the wind blowing through the trees or the occasional call from a night bird or mammal. It was real, and from that moment on, I dedicated my life to doing whatever I could to help keep these voices from disappearing from the planet altogether.” By the time Lips had good data, it revealed that chytrid was moving eastward across Panama at a rate of 22 kilometers per year. “We knew it was too late to try to save populations in Coclé, and that’s actually really hard to admit—to give up on an area and move on,” Ross says. “But it wasn’t too late for El Valle Anton, farther east.” Long known as the mountain retreat of Panama City’s elite, El Valle sits in the caldera of an inactive volcano of the same name, with thick jungle fringing its steep rim. It seemed close enough to infrastructure and resources to host a laboratory, while wild populations still thrived within hiking distance.
200,000
More than people visit the Panamanian Golden Frog exhibit in EVACC’s educational center each year.
Ross was not alone in leaping to action. On her last day of Peace Corps service in her Coclé village—after extending her contract twice—she met, by chance, Panama’s foremost field biologist in frog research, Panamanian native Edgardo Griffith. “It was love at first sight, literally, for me, anyway,” Ross says with a grin—the two are now married—“but that’s a whole other story. What matters is that Edgardo has spent his entire adult life in the field. There is literally no one else as familiar with Panama’s wildlife, especially amphibians, anywhere. He knew something had to be done. I knew something had to be done. And we couldn’t wait for research to catch up or issue some kind of protocol. We either went out and collected genetically viable frogs while we still could, or they’d be gone.” So in 2006, patching together funding from international conservation initiatives, including the Houston Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Henry Doorly Zoo, and many others, Ross and Griffith set up a system of sterilized tanks and equipment for their first mating pairs in the rooms of a local hotel. Soon they needed not only more space but a cottage industry to grow the fruit fly colonies, crickets, and cockroaches to feed their residents. Through a working partnership with El Nispero Zoo in El Valle, EVACC built a laboratory, educational exhibits, office space, and modest living
quarters on the zoo grounds for visiting biologists and technicians. “There was a lot we didn’t know, initially,” Ross says, “but then, we had to try. We knew, for example, that lots of frog species eat crickets of various stages of development, as they themselves develop. Now we know those crickets should be gut-loaded with vitamin A and calcium to help frogs’ tongues stay sticky for the optimal catching of food.” Beginning in 2007, EVACC found success. At the time of this writing, eight species have successfully reproduced in captivity, their swarms of tadpoles obscuring whole panes of their aquariums’ glass. Among them is Atelopus zeteki, or the Panamanian golden frog, a cultural icon and national emblem for wildlife conservation in Panama—now extinct in the wild. More than 200,000 people visit its featured exhibit in EVACC’s educational center each year. But the work has just begun. “The next questions are big ones,” Ross says. “Can we identify habitat that’s not saturated with the fungus in which to reintroduce these species? Should we spin off revenue streams that generate actual cash flow—like farming insects for the pet industry? Can we illustrate the value of saving species from extinction? “I get asked all the time why frogs are such a big deal, why people all over the world should care about us, here, counting and
With markings similar to Panama’s golden frog, this female variable harlequin toad (Atelopus varius) is the largest at EVACC and was caught in the wild in 2007. The goal is to breed a captive insurance colony of each species comprising 300 individuals, including 20 each of unrelated founding males and females.
weighing frozen crickets for a frog with some cool spots on it,” Ross says—shaking a container of crackly frozen crickets toward the camera as she talks. “My knee-jerk reaction is to say you don’t have to care about frogs. Banging the ‘environmental’ drum isn’t my thing. “Instead, I’ll tell you why I care about frogs: Going out in the forest, any forest, you walk among hundreds of species, all living together, sharing the same space. Certain species of glass frogs, for example, lay their eggs on the bottoms of leaves, leaving room for other species to utilize the top of the leaf. For me, the best moments ever are seeing these guys in the wild. Yeah, every day at EVACC is work and sometimes feels far removed from that forest, but you hold it in your mind’s eye—because everything is connected, and realizing that is what we’re moving toward.”
Kristine Jepsen is a freelance writer and editor in Iowa publishing creative nonfiction, essays, commissioned articles, and interviews. Her work appears in print magazines and journals and on the web, including at kristinejepsen.com. She is married to Ryan Jepsen ’99, a friend and biology compatriot of Heidi Ross. The Jepsens and their young daughter visited Ross and her family in winter 2014.
The horned marsupial tree frog (Gastrotheca cornuta), above, carries its young to full frog form in a pouch on its back. This female is a second-generation resident at EVACC and carries the third generation in this photo.
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PHOTOS COURTESY PEACE COMMUNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER
Alumni News
Pastor Tim Larson '82 with his wife, Doreen
Pastor Tim Larson ’82 saves Detroit church by sharing it with other faiths Detroit. With a population down more than 60 percent from 1950 and abandoned properties constituting more than half of its residential lots, the once-mighty center of American manufacturing now struggles against urban decay. But sometimes, as Pastor Tim Larson ’82 knows, necessity is the mother of invention—communitybuilding, church-saving, denomination-crossing invention. In 1998, after a circuitous route, Larson took on the role of pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in the northern suburb of Southfield, Mich., smack dab in the middle of the metro Detroit area. The ELCA wanted Larson to come to Southfield, he says, because it had lost so many congregations there and was looking for someone with urban experience to help shore up the church. “When I came,” Larson says, “I learned that the synod was there to talk to the
congregation about closing, the very first day.” Not disheartened, Larson sought another way. For a while, he had some success in building attendance. But then the Great Recession hit, and by 2009 he saw a small (fewer than 50 people), aging congregation in a facility valued at $1.5 million. “It was taking a huge slice of our budget to heat and maintain it,” he says. “So we decided to look for partners. And that was scary because it meant we had to admit to ourselves that we were in trouble and then admit to the community that we were in trouble.” Larson took a leap of faith by putting a message on the roadside marquee—“Is your congregation looking for a home? We’re looking for partners”—along with his cell phone number. Over the next several years, Larson’s building, which is now called the Peace Community Spiritual Center, became home to six other congregations—three types of Pentecostal churches, a missionary Baptist church, a Presbyterian church that practices largely silent contemplative prayer, and a Church of God in Christ congregation that has to bring in its own speaker system because the center’s is too quiet. The building also houses the Rosedale Community Players, a theater group that’s put on more than 150 performances there, as well as a meditation-education group, a neighborhood association, a local union, an African American women’s entrepreneurial school, and various Anonymous support groups, among them AA, NA, Clutterers Anonymous, and S-Anon, for people who have been affected by someone’s sexual behavior. The partners are as ethnically, doctrinally, racially, and culturally diverse as the neighborhood in
Members from Peace Lutheran, Restoration India, Fellowship of Love Missionary Baptist Church, and Point of Vision Presbyterian share space at the Peace Community Spiritual Center.
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Alumni News
A faux stained-glass project was commissioned for Peace Lutheran Church in 2006. This "church community" section features Larson (center panel, top).
which the building is located. In lieu of rent, Larson collects a building contribution from each of the groups, which allows Peace Lutheran to take building expenses out of its budget and focus instead on ministry. And it allows the church’s partners, many of which would have folded without affordable
headquarters, to continue to operate. It also keeps the building lively and vibrant: on Sundays, services are held from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with theatre matinees down the hall. “A friend who came in to talk to me once said, ‘It’s like you have a lifeboat for churches.’ And it is,” Larson says. “I look at this as a
way to build an intentional community with other groups and stretch our church so that we start thinking out of the box. The question for me was how, on a practical and theological level, does a Lutheran pastor and a Lutheran congregation with Scandinavian roots live out our values and serve others in the name of Jesus in this place? As I began to meet these various pastors, it became evident that we could do it through a coalition and a partnership. The ministry that could be done in the place where we’re planted is that of being hospitable, to fellow Christians and members of our community, to extend grace to them and to be the body of Christ in this building together. That is the covenant that we live by, and that’s what it means to be a partner at the Peace Community Spiritual Center.” —Kate Frentzel
CLASS NOTES
1956 JIM LIMBURG is guest
pastor for Living Waters Lutheran Church in North Port, Fla. His position, which he has held four times previously, is for the months of February through August.
1957 CHERI (WENTZ)
WUBBELS retired as CEO of Media Consultants Inc. and is president of USE (Useful Services Exchange) of Reston, Va., a volunteer time bank with more than 200 members.
1963 DAVE NUESSE is a
Basketball Tournament for 32 years and at the scoring table for the University of Wisconsin men’s games from 1974 to 2006. DAVE ROXIN of Balaton, Minn., retired after 50 years of teaching and directing band.
1966 SHARON (HILSTROM)
and TERRY JOHNSON live in Midland, Texas. She is a retired bookkeeper; he is a retired pastor and chaplain. CONNIE KRONLOKKEN of San Rafael, Calif., is author of The Pastor’s Kids, a family-oriented novel set in a small town in the Midwest, told from
the point of view of three siblings growing up in a Scandinavian Lutheran family in the 1950s. DAVID ROSHEIM is owner of Timber City Books, Used and Rare, and the Andromeda Press in Maquoketa, Iowa. He was featured in the article “There’s a Book for That,” by reporter Douglas Melvold of the
disaster services volunteer for the American Red Cross in Altoona, Wis.
1965 JOHN HEFTE of
McFarland, Wis., was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame as a Friend of Basketball. In addition to many years working as a coach, referee, and volunteer, he worked at the scoring table for the Wisconsin Boys State
A group of alumnae in the Madison, Wis., area gathered for coffee at the Middleton home of MYRNA (JOHNSON) MCNATT ’60. Left to right: DONNA (FERDEN) SUBY ’59, KAREN JULESBERG ’60, HILDY (GREVSTAD) MCGOWN ’57, CAROL (CIKANEK) CLAYBAKER ’60, JAN ROBERTSON ’60, MCNATT ’60.
Maquoketa Sentinel-Press, detailing Rosheim’s half century of publishing. “From poetry to biography to social commentary to history to fiction, the multifaceted Rosheim has a book covering that genre,” Melvold says. He began his writing career at Luther as literary editor for Chips and as a coeditor and contributor to the Oneota Review. He published his first booklet of poetry as a Luther student in 1964 at Anundson’s Publishing House in Decorah. Since then, Rosheim has written a number of freelance stories, commentary pieces for the Des Moines Register, and published a number of other books of poems and fiction, as well as historical works including: The Other Minneapolis (1978), A Literary History of Jackson County (1994), and a more visual work, A Pictorial Bibliography of the Histories of the Cities and Towns of the State of Iowa (2011), which included 503 photos of Iowa towns. “Rosheim’s 50 years of publishing came full circle, in a sense, last year when he published Collected Poems, 1962– 2014, a volume of poems he had written during that span,” Melvold says. Rosheim’s current project is a
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Alumni News
The Arc Minnesota to recognize Donovan Frank ’73 at public policy recognition event The Arc Minnesota, a nonprofit organization advocating for individuals with disabilities, will recognize U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank ’73 on May 26 at its annual Public Policy Recognition Event, which honors individuals who are dedicated to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. The event will honor Frank’s work to make sure the rights of people with disabilities are recognized and respected in the U.S. legal system. He is a key figure in monitoring and approving Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan, designed to help people with disabilities become integrated in their communities to the greatest extent possible. According to the Arc Minnesota, the plan is a huge step forward in the inclusion of people with disabilities. Frank has also worked to ensure people with disabilities have the same rights as anyone else in the courtroom. This has included recruiting more pro bono attorneys to represent people with disabilities in court, as well as ensuring that people with disabilities are allowed to serve on juries and that their needs are met so they are able to do so. Through his individual advocacy with people with disabilities and his efforts in the legal system, Frank has touched countless lives. The Public Policy Recognition Event will take place on Tuesday, May 26, at 6 p.m. at the Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville, Minn. The public is invited to attend and help celebrate Frank’s work. For more information or to make a donation to honor Frank’s work, contact Wendy Gerlach, (651) 604-8070 or wendyg@arcmn.org.
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history of Iowa’s psychiatric hospitals, including those at Cherokee, Independence, Mount Pleasant, and Clarinda.
SHARI (KIELY) NELSON teaches special education for the Durham District School Board in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.
1967 PAUL HANSON of
Moorpark, Calif., received the Distinguished Service Award from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The award recognizes an individual
for 2014 from the Quinlan and Fabish Music Company. Hengesh has directed bands for 39 years in Illinois, 35 of which were at Glenbard West and North high schools. He currently teaches fifth-grade beginners at Keenyville ESD 20 and directs the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band. APRIL ULRING LARSON is interim pastor at Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Decorah.
1970 BILL TOMHAVE of
who has promoted collegiate athletics and the concept of the studentathlete. Hanson is a professor of history at California Lutheran University and served as the CLU faculty representative to the conference for nearly 20 years.
Moorhead, Minn., was named to the Minnesota All State School Board for 2015 by the Minnesota School Boards Association, one of seven people recognized from more than 2,300 school board members in the state. Tomhave has served on the Moorhead School Board since 2001.
1971 JANET PREUS is
senior editor at Industrial Fabrics Association International in Roseville, Minn.
RICHARD ROLLEFSON is author of Thinking with Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein. He is pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Palm Desert, Calif.
1973 BIRGITTE (POVELSEN)
CHRISTIANSON and her husband, John Christianson, Luther professor emeritus of history, were featured in the MPR News story “Searching for Hygge: Danes Create Winter Warmth through Food, Talk.” Read the article at lczine.com/BirgitteC.
1968 BENJAMIN AUNE is
executive director of Raphael House of San Francisco. Founded in 1971, Raphael House is the oldest and only privately funded shelter and services program of its kind dedicated to providing short-term housing, rental assistance, and ongoing supportive services to Bay Area families experiencing or at risk for homelessness.
1972 MARK HENGESH
received the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award
BRENDA (HELM) and RICK THOMPSON live in Broomfield, Colo. She is a clinician for Neuroscience Associates; he is senior pastor at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church.
1969 DAVID ELLINGSON
paddled his kayak the length of the Mississippi River, from source to sea, in summer 2012. He described what he calls his spiritual pilgrimage in his book Paddle Pilgrim: An Adventure of Spirit and Learning: Kayaking the Mississippi River. He also created a video that features an excerpt from the book, “Letter to the River,” which can be viewed at http://youtu.be/ QGEoTb0Q2i4.
1974 RUSS BRUEMMER of
KATHLEEN (SHERIFF) MINECK ’75 and BARB KIELY ’71 attended a Taoist Tai Chi workshop together in Chicago.
Arlington, Va., retired from his partnership at the WilmerHale law firm and became senior counsel. He serves on the boards of several emerging companies in the alternative financial services and financial tech and renewable energy sectors and is active in corporate governance issues and compliance/ risk/audit reviews. He also serves on Luther’s Board of Regents and is
Alumni News
Father and son document their trek to Machu Picchu In October 2014 Jon Jordan ’76 and Elliot Jordan ’05 went on a father/son adventure trip to Peru. They made the four-day trek along the 26-mile Inca Trail, which winds up and down through cloud forest and subtropical jungle to Machu Picchu. One of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu is considered the premiere pre-Columbian archeological site, possibly built as an estate for an emperor at the height of the Inca Empire. The Jordans hired an outfitter, Llama Path, to carry most of their supplies, but hiking the trail even with “smaller” 25-pound packs was no easy feat. A documentary video that they made and posted on Youtube (search for Something Hidden—The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu) shows them hiking along sheer drops and over wet, slippery stones and climbing nearly vertical flights of steps. But the spectacular views of Machu Picchu appear worth
the effort. The documentary is made up of still images as well as video from a GoPro camera mounted on Jon’s head. Flight delays turned the trip home into a long ordeal, with the trip from Cuzco to San Francisco alone taking 47 hours. But Jon says at the end of documentary: “Nothing could take away from the amazing adventure that Elliot and I had shared. Like all fathers, I love my son very much, and more than ever because of this trip and what we did as a team. But the greatest discovery I made, the fondest memory I will take away from all of this, is I really like the man my son has become. I wish I could spend more time with him.” Jon is the wellness and lifestyle director at a retirement community in Atlantic, Iowa, and Elliot is a computer consultant for the Linde Group in San Francisco.
Jon Jordan ’76 and Elliot Jordan ’05 perch on a boulder at the top of Waynapicchu Mountain, which towers 63 stories above Machu Picchu.
Father and daughter hike to top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa When McKenna Campbell-Potter ’16 saw the “Congratulations” sign rising in the distance atop Mount Kilimanjaro, she was thrilled. Soon McKenna, daughter of Deb Campbell-Potter ’75 and Ken Potter ’75, would realize a longtime dream of summiting that mountain with her father. McKenna spent six weeks during summer 2014 volunteering in a hospital outside Arusha, Tanzania. She had always been interested in Tanzania and was looking for a medical internship because she intends to study medicine. The volunteer organization Projects Abroad
put the two together for her. The hospital was among the lowest-level government medical centers in Tanzania. McKenna spent mornings doing rounds with physicians or working in the outpatient ward, taking blood pressure and other basic readings. Afternoons she worked in the operating room, holding a flashlight on incision sites. The hospital’s only technology, McKenna says, was a single battery-operated heart-rate monitor. “I had never been in an operating room before, so it was a little bit nerve wracking,” she says. “But I got used to it.” Ken joined his daughter after her internship to knock Kilimanjaro off their bucket lists. Two guides ensured they stayed on the path and rested regularly to combat fatigue from the elevation. Porters carried tents, food, and other supplies and set up camps each night by the time McKenna and Ken arrived, exhausted. They reached the top in four days, trekking first along muddy rainforest paths, then McKenna Campbell-Potter ’16 celebrates a climb last summer to the top of through sandy, shrubMount Kilimanjaro with her father, Ken Potter ’75.
covered chaparral, and finally up steep, rocky terrain that looked like a moonscape. Temperature changes were extreme. “In the rain forest it was hot, but by the first night—at about 9,000 feet (above sea level)—we had on down jackets,” McKenna says. The final six-hour climb began at 2 a.m. In darkness, wearing headlamps, they got under way in cold and wind that McKenna says was like the coldest January day in Decorah. They skirted the edge of a glacier and reached the rim of Kilimanjaro’s crater about 45 minutes from the summit. They then followed the rim to its highest point, at 19,341 feet. “The highlight for me,” McKenna says, “was when we were about a half mile away from the summit and we walked over this little ridge and I saw the sign that I had been dreaming about seeing for 20 years.” The experience was breathtaking, she says. A group of hikers ahead of them were just coming down when McKenna and Ken reached the top. “It was really nice. My dad and I were at the summit alone for about 50 minutes. At the highest point in Africa.” After a day-and-a-half descent, the fatherand-daughter team took in a Serengeti safari complete with close-up lions and elephants. And their adventures may just be getting started. Next up could be salmon fishing in Alaska after McKenna’s graduation from Luther. —Ellen Modersohn
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Alumni News
JAYNE THOMPSON is campus pastor and professor of religion at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa., and a guest blogger about campus ministry for The Lutheran online magazine.
board member for Blue Legacy International, a 501 (c)(3) founded and run by Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau. KITTY CHADIMA is lodge director for Western Fraternal Life Association in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1980 MARY LYLE
ANDERSON is a real estate broker in Billings, Mont.
1975 ANN (CHRISTENSEN)
BEATTY is advancement consultant for Good Earth Village in Spring Valley, Minn.
SUSAN (HANSEN) FOGELSON retired from teaching at Kenyon– Wanamingo (Minn.) Schools.
This photo was taken after the Luther College Symphony Orchestra performed at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria, in January. Left to right: Virginia Strauss, professor of music; John Strauss, professor of music; ANNIE WEILGART ’75; Dr. Hans Weber; PETER FORSGREN ’82; and Luisa Forsgren.
MARK MAGNUSON received a national leadership award for the Beta Cell Biology Consortium (BCBC), a major team science initiative along with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health. As director of the Vanderbilt University Center for Stem Cell Biology, Magnuson created “a structured environment of trust and common purpose” between BCBC investigators that accelerated the exchange of data and reagents between laboratories, facilitated constant interactions, and led to “many fruitful scientific collaborations,” said NIDDK director Griffin Rodgers, M.D. Magnuson is the Louise B. McGavock Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. CHUCK STORLA of Marietta, Ga., is retired. He enjoys posting on his satirical websites: NotQuiteProfitable. com (where he is Chairman of the Bored) and NotQuiteNews.com.
1976 TOM COON retired
from the faculty at Michigan State University last June and is vice president, dean, and director of Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in Stillwater. TERRY (PETERSEN) PEDERSEN is year-four teacher and library coordinator at Esbjerg International School in Denmark.
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JOAN PEDERSON retired after 24 years with Nystrom in Chicago, where she had been director of product development since 2005.
1979 JUDEE (DEYOUNG)
BLOYD is enrolled agent for R and J Salina Tax Service Inc. in Salina, Kan.
1977 BRIAN RUDE concluded
a four-year term as president of the Norwegian-American Historical Association and continues to serve on the board. He is also presidentelect of the Board of Curators of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Rude is vice president of external and member relations for Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse, Wis.
MARY (BUNGE) DOCKEN is vice president of association partnerships for Hobsons Inc. in St. Paul, Minn. ALISON (NORDBERG) HUSAK is a registered nurse, critical care registered nurse, and peri-op clinical lead at Unity Hospital in Fridley, Minn.
1978 MARILYN
(WANGBERG) BRATTSKAR was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International for her contributions to their global campaign to end polio by 2018. She is a cantor for the 14,000-member parish Holmen Church in Asker, Norway. KEVIN WOOD of Chicago is touring the country, sharing his cabaret show, Sentimental Journeys: A Cabaret Travelogue, based on his lifelong love of travel. Wood is committed to bringing the art of cabaret to audiences of all ages and interests.
TRUDEE (PETERSEN) GREEN is a secondary school music teacher at Chevalier College in New South Wales, Australia.
MARY (CHRISTIANSON) HANSEN was honored by Finance and Commerce newspaper as a Top Woman in Finance. She has served as CEO/president of the Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union in Rochester, Minn., since 2001 and is board director for the Minnesota Credit Union Network and a director for the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation. Hansen is also a director and officer of Brighter Tomorrows Inc., a charitable organization that assists and supports families that are facing pediatric cancer diagnoses.
DAN NELSON is director, human research, for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chapel Hill, N.C. DAVE OLSON is associate professor of arts management and director for the MFA program in arts management at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. JAMES SCHATTAUER is a self-employed musician in St. Paul, Minn. DALE SHATZER is finance manager for DB Schenker in Shippensburg, Pa. DEB (NESHEIM) STOLL is assistant director of special education for Southwest West Central Educational Cooperative in Worthington, Minn.
TOM MAAKESTAD is a landscape painter from Marine on St. Croix, Minn. He was featured in a column “Museum quality; the honor is all Tom Maakestad’s” by Jane Dierberger in the Stillwater (Minn.) Gazette in February. His work, Above the Farm, was purchased by and is on display at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul, Minn. Above the Farm is part of a series of works by Maakestad that engage the Minnesota land-
Alumni News
CAROL (RUNDAHL) TILLMAN is senior total rewards human resource analyst at Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Wauwatosa, Wis.
scape from above, as seen from a prop plane. Viewing from the air allowed him to observe unique spatial relationships between linear and natural forms. Four of Maakestad’s paintings were recently purchased by the U.S. State Department for the U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Oslo, Norway.
1981 LAIRD EDMAN was
selected to participate in a series of research seminars in Oxford, England. The 2015–16 summer seminar, Bridging the Two Cultures, focuses on bridging the academic and cultural divide around the crossdiscipline collaboration of science and religion. Edman is a professor of psychology at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. CAROL (GUSTAFSON) HETRICK is a volunteer and performer for the community theater Windham Theatre Guild in Coventry, Conn., and has recently been involved in a number of stage productions. She was a soundboard operator, puppet maker, and puppet operator for Shrek The Musical. She ran sound for No Sex Please, We’re British and ran music and one “live” sound effect for A Nice Family Gathering. ROBERT PAUL is a realtor with Bartikoski Group of RE/MAX Results in Wayzata, Minn. PAUL PETERSON is executive vice president for Cambria in Eden Prairie, Minn. PAM (NORRIS) PHILLIPS of Davidsonville, Md., completed the 200-hour Yin Yang Yoga Teacher Training Program. SUE ROTHMEYER and her father, Linus Rothmeyer, were inducted into the Legacy Society by Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). They were honored for their leadership in the NICC Campaign for Excellence and providing a lasting legacy for the future of the college. Sue is executive for the Office of the Secretary Administration at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Chicago.
1984 JOHN BARTH earned TOM VIX ’82 reached a milestone of 600 wins coaching the Rushford-Peterson (Minn.) High School boys basketball team. Team accomplishments include 20 district and subsection championships, 14 region/section champions, and two state championships. Vix has been selected Coach of the Year 10 times and was named State Coach of the Year in 1998. He was inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Association Hall of Fame in 2008 and is the ninth coach in Minnesota to reach the milestone of 600 wins. Rushford-Peterson principal Jake Timm, left, presented a commemoration plaque. LORI (MERCIL) SLESAR is a hematologist for ProHealth Care in Waukesha, Wis.
1982 CONNIE
(CARSTENSEN) CONINE of Belgium, Wis., is senior analyst at United Fire Group.
is community services director for Bloomington, Minn. DAVE MOEN is principal of MoenMD Consulting in Mahtomedi, Minn. JENNIFER (WESTLAND) THIMMESCH is director of CBRE University, Learning and Development, in Dallas. SCOTT WEBER is a family practice physician at the Veterans Administration Medical Clinic in Mount Vernon, Wash.
1983 MERLIN BARTZ of
Grafton, Iowa, was elected as a Worth County (Iowa) supervisor.
DAVID CROWE is the author of Cosmic Defiance: Updike’s Kierkegaard and the Maples Stories, a novel about how author John Updike was influenced by the writings of philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. Crowe is professor of English at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.
NANCY (NIELSEN) HUNSICKER is manager-supply chain, customer service, and PMO for Brunk Industries in Lake Geneva, Wis. MARTY (PETERSON) PARRY is a registered nurse at Waverly Health Center in Waverly, Iowa.
SUSAN (HENGESH) EARL is inpatient care adviser and utilization management nurse at Evolenthealth in Arlington, Va.
SUE (OXLEY) BIGLER is accounting coordinator for Opportunity Homes Inc. in Decorah. CRAIG IBSEN was appointed to the VIDA Diagnostics Inc. board of directors. He is founder of Next Level Ventures, a late-stage venture capital firm in Des Moines, Iowa. DAN KUESTER works in public affairs for U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. STEVE NICHOLS BERG is a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. JAY SIEMS is senior diabetes specialty sales and senior hospital account specialist–cardiovascular and diabetes for Eli Lilly and Company in Coralville, Iowa. BETH (HARVEY) SOHOLT is executive director of Wind on the Wires in St. Paul, Minn. KERSTIN STENSON is an M.D., Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and professor of otolaryngology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. TODD VANDENBARK earned a master of library science degree from Indiana University at Indianapolis. He is research and instruction librarian and assistant professor at McIntyre Library at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
THOMAS FLODEN of Mason City, Iowa, retired after 29 years of general dentistry. CAROL HAGEN is a clinical social worker at Lighthouse Professional Counseling LLC in Decorah. DIANN (HOSTERT) KIRBY completed a one-year term as district governor for Rotary/District 5950 (Minn.) of Rotary International. She
a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Kathy, volunteer at their local church by teaching baptismal preparation courses for new/expecting parents. He is vice president, operational risk manager in the technology group at Wells Fargo in Minneapolis. He has also resumed his (very part-time) painting career, he says. A sample of his work can be found at fineartamerica.com (search with his name).
1985 JUAN BORG DELL STAGGERS of Mansfield, Texas, is the author of devotionals Through the Storm: Adults, 30-Day Devotional and Through the Storm: Overcome Teen Challenges, 30-Day Devotional.
MANDUCA is head of Government and Corporate Programmes for the Malta Information Technology Agency in Blata I-Bajda, Malta.
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Alumni News
1990 MISSY (OLDS) DUNN
GREG GERBER is director of recruiting at Software Technology Group and talent acquisition manager at Cardon Healthcare Network in Salt Lake City.
is a teacher in parent and family education and special education for the Waseca (Minn.) School District.
MIKE DOTSETH ’84
DIANE (BIERBAUM) GROEBNER is eligibility worker for Brown County in New Ulm, Minn. JULIE (GANGSTAD) GROTNES is human resources business partner at Wells Fargo in Des Moines, Iowa.
Luther’s NCAA Division III men’s cross country national championship team, coached by KENT FINANGER ’54, was honored at the 10th Norse Athletic Association Kent Finanger Golf Classic in March. This year is the 30th anniversary of the team’s championship. Pictured during the golf weekend in Goodyear, Ariz., are (left to right, front) CRAIG CRANDALL ’86 and ALLEN LIVINGOOD ’85, and (left to right, back) Finanger, BRIAN HAWES ’88, TERRY RAMLO ’86, STEPHAN SANDNESS ’86, and ERIC OLSON ’85. Not pictured is team member LORAN STORTS ’87.
BARBARA (SELTZER) TAKO published her second book, Cancer Survivorship Tools—We’ll Get You Through This. As a two-time cancer survivor, she wrote the book she wished someone could have handed her after her first diagnosis. The book offers tools to cope with the emotional trauma from hearing the life-changing words, “You have cancer.”
1986 KRISTIN REINGER
is senior examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
WGNO TV (ABC). She educates viewers about how to can find help to improve their health and at the same time alerts them to treatments that may even be harmful. She is an OB/ GYN at LSU Network in New Orleans. This is her second Emmy.
English at Roanoke College in Roanoke, Va., where he has been teaching since 1996.
RICH “LUNCH” SMITH is area sales manager Midwest/Western U.S. for Zuidberg North America Inc. in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
1989 BRENDA (GUETZKE)
1988 NATHAN BRAMMER
AMY CHICOS is a psychology instructor at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar.
is an investment adviser for Marrs Wealth Management in Ames, Iowa.
VALERIE (PENO) SIMAYS graduated from the U.S. Army’s Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker and was awarded the Class Leadership Award from her peers. She also graduated from the Warrant Office Basic Course at the U.S. Army School of Music. She currently serves as the executive officer of the 484th Army Band in Milwaukee.
1987 CHRIS JOHNSON was
named president of the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah
LOUANN (TIESKOETTER) LANGRECK is a retired college teacher in Ossian, Iowa. RACHEL REITAN received a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast Emmy in the On-Camera Talent-Reporter-Medical category for her “Dr. Rachel” segments, which air on New Orleans’
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PAUL HANSTEDT was named 2014 Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He was selected from nearly 400 top professors in the United States. The award recognizes the most outstanding instructors across the country who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. It is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Hanstedt is professor of
RACHEL (KINTZINGER) HARPHAM of Redding, Calif., graduated from her second year at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. STACY JAYCOX is director of master data management and governance for Tyson Foods Inc. in Fayetteville, Ark. MARGIE SINEX is compliance program coordinator at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minn. She belongs to the Society of Clinical Research Associates and is a certified clinical research professional. She is
JANE (FLOY) NICHOLSON is pastor at First Lutheran Church in Chambersburg, Pa.
BRAYKO teaches humanities at the Hong Kong International School’s secondary school.
AMY (SCHROEDER) FISHER teaches biology at Faith Lutheran High School in Las Vegas, where she also is the assistant athletic director and volleyball coach. She was named Nevada State Coach of the Year for the past three years. Her volleyball teams have qualified for the state tournament three years in a row and won back-to-back state championships the last two seasons. The team also won three straight conference and regional titles, with their record the last three years of 85-37 and 34-0 in conference play.
SYLVIA (SCHEY) NORLAND ’47 and BETH (HAWKINSON) HAMPTON ’88 were featured in an article in the West Central Tribune newspaper in January, when Luther’s Nordic Choir stopped by their church, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Montevideo, Minn., for the first concert of the 2015 Nordic Choir Tour. Read the article online at lczine.com/SylviaNorland. Norland was among the charter members of the organization in 1946 under the direction of Sigvart Steen. Hampton is director of activities at Luther Haven Nursing Home, where Norland lives. She and her husband, DAN HAMPTON ’87, were presidents of the choir in 1987 and 1988 respectively, and their son, LUKAS HAMPTON ’15, is a member of the choir. Sylvia and Beth (along with other choir alumni) were invited to join the choir on stage to sing the choir’s signature closing piece, “Oh Lord God” by Pavel Chesnokof.
Alumni News
also a breeder, owner, and handler of Charizma Airedales and secretary for the Twin Cities Airedale Terrier Club board of directors, and works in hospitality and as historian for the Airedale Terrier Club of America. She was a founding member of Upper Midwest Terrier Association, where she is secretary and AKC liaison.
of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.
JOHN STORSVED II is associate professor/coordinator of clinical education at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. RHIA (FRY) STROHM earned a master of divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary and is assistant pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, S.D.
1991 SUSIE (MCKLVEEN)
ANDERSON works in a 16-bed adult inpatient oncology/hematology unit as an oncology-certified registered nurse at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa. SHERRY (ATIENZA) JOSEPH of Plymouth, Wis., earned certification as a massage therapist from the East West Healing Arts Institute and is a massage therapist at Jade Healing Massage Eastern Therapeutics LLC. She is also a dentist at Joseph & Joseph Dental LLC. ANGIE (SHARP) MORGAN earned a master of physician assistant studies degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is a physician’s assistant in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University
KATIE NELSEN was named 2013 Outstanding Professional Fundraiser of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She is chief advancement officer for Opportunity Partners in Minnetonka, Minn.
tor and head of global marketing for Red Wing Shoe Company in Red Wing, Minn.
MITRA SADEGHPOUR is assistant professor of opera at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
1993 JENNY (STIGERS)
JENI SHEETZ works in the environmental area of BNSF Railway in Irving, Texas.
LAURIE (NESS) PARKER teaches second grade at George W. Gibbs Elementary School in Rochester, Minn.
CHRIS ENGELHARDT is vice president, channel management for Vantiv in Tinley Park, Ill.
1992 TODD FISHER is
COLLEEN (FITZGERALD) HENNESY is IRIS consultant for the Management Group in Walworth, Wis.
president of Fisher Mortgage, which was acquired by North Shore Trust and Savings in Lindenhurst, Ill. The company can now lend in 50 states. ANDREW GRAY is wealth adviser for Thrivent Financial in Northfield, Minn. ANDREW MANGION of St. Julians, Malta, is owner and executive chairman of EC English Language Centres. The company opened two new schools—one in Washington, D.C., and the second on the campus of the University of New York in Oswego. The company operates schools in 21 locations worldwide. AMY (GRAHAM) NEWELL is executive director of The Arc of Winnebago, Boone, and Ogle counties in Rockford, Ill. AMIE (BARSCH) ODAHL is associate pastor of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, Minn. DAVE SCHNEIDER is senior direc-
BOSKING is manager of the Ronald McDonald House Family Room at St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
KRISTIN HILTON was named the 2015 Counselor That Changes Lives by Colleges That Change Lives. She is a counselor for the Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools Central Academy. ANJELA SHUTTS was admitted as a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She is one of eight attorneys in Iowa who have been admitted to the AAML. Shutts practices in family law in a variety of issues including prenuptial agreements, divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and modifications. She is trained and certified by the Iowa Supreme Court, trained to practice in collaborative law, and mediates family law cases. She is a partner/attorney with Whitfield & Eddy PLC and was recently recognized for 20 years of service to the Des Moines, Iowa, law firm. BRIDGET (UFFELMAN) SKALESKI is associate director, regulatory affairs for UnitedHealth Group in Green Bay, Wis. JOELLYN (KILBURN) VENINGA is vice president, global compensation and benefits of Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn. MARK ZOBEL is coordinator of alumni relations for Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill.
1994 ANGIE (GRECIAN) TIFFANY HILD ’89 visited Iceland last fall. She reports: “This year was my 25-year Homecoming from Luther. In that spirit, I took the advice of our commencement speaker, the president of Iceland. She encouraged us all to visit her country. . . . In November of 2014, her request was granted. Iceland is wonderful—a gracious country filled with amazing history, stunning geography, and geological phenomena. . . . In true Luther spirit, I made friends with a trio traveling from Canada while in the Reykjavik airport awaiting a transport bus to the Blue Lagoon (above). The ‘Luther hello’ has resulted in lifetime relationships. So, although I was not able to travel to Luther for Homecoming, a different type of homecoming reunion occurred on the volcanic island of Iceland!”
DAOUD teaches grades 6–12 vocal music for Newman Catholic Schools in Mason City, Iowa. NICOLE ENGDAHL is vice president of planned giving for the National Park Foundation in Washington, D.C. MATT REBRO is general manager, business development for ASI in Chicago.
LANI WILLIS is marketing and communications director for the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.
1995 HEATHER (MANGLER)
and DREW CURTIS are running for the offices of lieutenant governor and governor of Kentucky as “Citizen Candidates for Kentucky.” BRENDA (JANS) DARLING earned a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from Eastern Illinois University, where she was recognized as the outstanding graduate student in the program. She teaches high school mathematics at Jakarta International School in Indonesia. BRIAN HAASE is imaging services manager for Allen Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. DARYL HANSMEIER owns Allamakee Realty LLC in Waukon, Iowa. JODY JACKSON teaches alternative special education at Cooperative Educational Service Agency 1 Learning Center—West in Pewaukee, Wis. JULIE JENSEN is senior health systems engineer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. MELISSA (SCHINDLER) MIROSLAVICH was named a silver medalist during the Professional Photographers of America 2014 International Photographic Competition. Her work was displayed at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn. She is owner of Miroslavich Photography in Woodbury, Minn. SCOTT PANKOW is solution consultant at Wausau Financial Systems in Wausau, Wis.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Alumni News
RACHAEL PETERSON earned a master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling from Walden University and is a dual-licensed therapist in mental health and chemical dependency. She is a mental health therapist and chemical dependency counselor at River Ridge Treatment Center, Minnetonka, Minn. KARL RIST is a registered nurse on the inpatient float staff at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. TANYA ROSENKRANZ MALLOY was selected to direct an honor choir for the Iowa Opus Honor Choir 2014. She is an elementary music specialist at Indian Creek Elementary in Marion, Iowa.
LISELLE (LEHMAN) JOHNSON earned a master’s degree in nursing from Graceland University in Independence, Mo. She is a nurse practitioner for Mayo Clinic Health System in Cannon Falls, Minn. ANNA (WHITE) LOVELY is marketing and communications director, risk management for Cargill in Hopkins, Minn. BRAD LUND is an attorney at Aron & Hennig in Laramie, Wyo. PATRICK NEEDHAM is a registered nurse at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
REBECCA (BORKE) RUTTER earned a master of divinity degree from United Theological Seminary. She is pastor at New Hope Methodist Church in De Pere, Wis. JILL (LINDEMAN) SEIDELMANN is an occupational therapist at Fairview Home Care and Hospice in Minneapolis.
BRETT ROBISON is director of choral activities for Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa. CHRISTY (PALMER) RUSDAL is a physical therapist at Orthopedic Rehab Inc. in Libby, Mont.
1997 JEFF BERTHIAUME
is senior loan officer at Group Mortgage LLC in Fort Collins, Colo. AMY (OSTRANDER) CROLL is cofounder and executive director of Community Youth Concepts in Des Moines, Iowa, which serves more than 3,000 youths. CYC introduces them to volunteer services and how they can influence area nonprofits.
CHUCK DETTLOFF directs marketing, planning, and analytics for Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Minneapolis. DEBBY (BENDER) GUTIERREZ is bilingual associate at Hoffman School in Glenview, Ill.
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ROSS LUND is president and CEO of Hughes Equipment Company LLC in Columbus, Wis. KIMBERLY SWENSON is pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Berkeley, Calif. TODD VELNOSKY is chief operating officer for Microgrid Energy in St. Louis. BECKY (HINRICHS) VIANDEN is assistant to the dean in the College of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.
1998 JENNELL (PRIBYL)
DUEY was recognized in the 2015 “Billings 40 Under 40” list by the Billings (Mont.) Gazette. She is a family practice physician at Billings Clinic West. TROY KNOX of Decorah is senior business analyst for Acxiom Corporation in Little Rock, Ark. MEGAN (KNUTSEN) ROWEKAMP is director financial reporting at Life Time Fitness in Eden Prairie, Minn. GABRIEL SCHEER is senior strategist for frog in Seattle. ANN (BOSSARD) SMITH is elementary building facilitator for the College Community School District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
1996 DEE BROWN is head
cross country coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His men’s cross country team won a national title and the women’s team finished third in the nation last fall. Brown was named the National Junior College Athletic Association National Men’s Coach of the Year.
KATHY (LINDSTROM) KNOLL is a registered nurse certified at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver. She was named a finalist in the second annual Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Heroes Award presented by Mead Johnson and Hand to Hold. The award recognizes outstanding NICU health care professionals each year for their compassion, courage, and perseverance in improving outcomes for medically fragile babies and their entire families.
MATTHEW DOLLINGER is a technology consultant and founder of Gearbox Consulting in Chicago. ANGELA (GRAZZINI) FERGUSON is chief financial officer and owner of WTG Terrazzo and Tile Inc. in Burnsville, Minn.
LARA WALTER WEST is a lecturer at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., where she directs the Liturgical Choir and teaches music appreciation, world music, functional keyboard, and organ. She also serves as music director at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lawrence.
1999 JULIE ADAMS of
Washington, D.C., was appointed secretary of the U.S. Senate by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. She has worked in
McConnell’s Senate office since 2003, except for a three-year stretch in which she was spokeswoman for then First Lady Laura Bush. As secretary of the Senate, Adams will be the chamber’s chief legislative and financial officer, responsible for its logistical and administrative operations. She will also oversee a new technological initiative under way in the Senate. MOTHUSI CHILUME is a family physician at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, Mass. DREW DIXON is lead NOC engineer for Loffler Companies in Bloomington, Minn. He is also a member of the Board of Education for Independent School District 508. ROBIN (ROSS) GOSAI is a registered nurse/triage nurse for Marshfield Clinic in Arbor Vitae, Wis. DAN KOBLER is partner at SMO Pros in Denver. AMIE (SIEBENALER) LARKIN earned a master’s degree in reading from National Louis University. She is a stay-at-home mom in Evanston, Ill. JESSICA MASSIE is an independent consultant in Kigali, Rwanda. MACKENZIE (ROUTH) MCNAUGHTON is tax law specialist, LB&I International Coordination for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. ADAM NELSON is general manager at Jake the Plumber in St. Paul, Minn. PAT QUAID is pastor for Lutheran Church of Hope’s new campus in Waukee, Iowa. AARON SWENSON is division manager, thrift compliance and state licensing for John Deere Financial in Madison, Wis.
2000 SUSAN (HOEPPNER) BAUS is campus office and community education supervisor,
Alumni News
Which opera roles have been your favorites and why? Any opera based on the Orpheus legend. I have a special place in my heart for Monteverdi’s Orfeo, maybe because it was my first big role in graduate school, but it has also been an opera I have been lucky to come back to several times in my life. I think the story of love and loss resonates with a wide audience and keeps a 400-year-old opera relevant. It’s also very foreign-sounding to most operagoers, so there is the fun/freak factor as well.
Grammy winner Aaron Sheehan ’98 aims for clarity, emotion, beauty Opera singer and voice instructor Aaron Sheehan ’98 won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in February for a recording of baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s La descente d’Orphée aux enfers. Sheehan sang the title role with the Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble. A lecturer in the School of Music at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, Sheehan spoke with the university’s BU Today shortly before the Grammy awards show, and we excerpt that Q&A below. You can find the full text at www.bu.edu/today/2015/cfalecturer-nominated-for-grammy-award. But first, what effect has the Grammy win made on Sheehan’s life? “I have gotten a lot of press and media attention as of late, which is exciting and overwhelming at the same time,” he says. “For someone who is still somewhat introverted, it takes a lot of energy. I am enjoying it all, and trying to let it sink in as much as possible. And I am trying to remember to always stay humble—thank you, Mr. Noble!”
BU Today Q&A with Aaron Sheehan Known internationally for a tone critics have described as “classy, clear, refined, polished, and lovely,” tenor Aaron Sheehan is best known for his interpretations of the oratorios and cantatas of Bach and Handel. But Sheehan moves easily from recital hall to opera stage, and has a prolific recording career. A seasoned performer who has toured Europe and South America as well as the United States, Sheehan has sung at the Tanglewoood Music Center, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Washington National Cathedral, and Boston’s Jordan Hall, among many other venues.
You have an international reputation as an interpreter of Bach cantatas and oratorios. Did a passion for this music lead you to perform it, or does your voice naturally lend itself to these baroque works? I am lucky in that I am extremely passionate about Bach and baroque music and the light nature and flexibility of my voice is ideally suited for it. What makes Bach’s music so endlessly compelling? He was a genius. Think of the thousands of CDs of Bach’s music. Now think of how many different ways and ideas there are about how to perform his music. It’s incredible, and I would say that almost all of them are relevant in some way. Your voice is known for its lyricism and beauty; could you describe what you’d like audiences to hear and experience when they listen to you? I have three things I want my audiences to experience. I want them to understand my text. If they can’t understand what I’m saying, what’s the point of singing? I want them to be moved emotionally. If I don’t move you, for better or worse, then I have failed. And I myself love beauty and a beautiful voice, so I am always striving for my sound to have beauty in it. I hope an audience member comes away saying, “Wow, that was beautiful.” You’ve been touted for your versatility. Can you give examples of your range as a tenor? Can or do you ever sing countertenor? In terms of a vocal range, tenors usually have the smallest range, but we generally have to be comfortable between a low C and a high C, a two-octave range. I never sing countertenor, as I have a horrible falsetto, but I do a lot of haute-contre repertoire, which is a specialty of the French baroque.
How does performing in Europe and abroad help you develop as a musician and as a performer? Do you have a favorite place to perform? I think that every musician needs to spend time either studying, or just traveling, in Europe. Almost all the music I perform was meant for the opera houses and great churches of Europe. Any experience a singer can have on stage is part of our development as a musician and a person. Singing in Jordan Hall in Boston is always thrilling. It is my favorite acoustic hall in the United States and the audiences are always appreciative. However, I just had the opportunity to sing in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, which is quite stunning as well. Which tenors, living or not, have inspired you most? Aksel Schiøtz and Anthony Rolfe Johnson are the tenors I most look up to. What are the most important lessons you impart to your voice students here? There are a couple of things I try to instill in all of my singers. I want my students to exude on stage the love that they have for singing. I want that love to be imparted to an audience. Also, there is never a time to rest on your laurels. There will always be someone there to take your place, so never stop practicing or having lessons. I still try and get lessons whenever I can. What does it take—beyond practice, practice, practice—to be a successful professional in the world of classical music performance and recording? I would say patience and persistence, talent, and luck. For more about Aaron Sheehan’s career, visit www.aaronsheehantenor.com.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Alumni News
2002 SARAH (ROOT)
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
BENGTSON is senior pediatric physical therapist for the Witwer Children’s Therapy Center at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her work was featured in a news story “Kids with Disabilities Get a Kick out of Aquatics” (http://lczine.com/ SarahBengtson), on KCRG-TV in March.
MATTHEW CHADWICK is chief technology officer for Scrimmage in Minneapolis. KATIE (BRUNNER) ELLINGSON is library service associate at the Brown County Library in Green Bay, Wis.
GREG BLOCK is a private banker for U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Milwaukee.
MARK HADDINGER is an admissions counselor for Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. CHARLIE LEONARD was featured in the article “Wayzata Theater Company Helps Young Actors Reach for the Stars,” which appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, for his work as founder and executive director and artistic director of the Blue Water Theatre Company. Since the theatre began in 2007, it has offered four main stage–type musicals a year, plus a handful of smaller productions, including a student-directed show. The theatre company caters mainly to students in grades 6 to 12 and has served more than 400 young aspiring actors and actresses. CHINGWELL MUTOMBU is development director at Digital Divide Data in San Francisco. KYM (WAKELAND) PARODO is partner relations consultant at Zywave in Milwaukee, a software solutions company for insurance brokers.
TIFFANY (SELLNER) ECKBERG is business process consultant, merchandising for Target Corporation in Minneapolis.
In February 2015, 12 Luther grads and their families met for a fun weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. Adults, left to right: STEPHANIE (BECKER) VELDMAN ’03, KELLY WOODS BIRKENHOLZ ’03, JULIE (ARTHUR) WIGLE ’02, ZACH WIGLE ’04, JOSH JEVNE ’04, GREG JENEARY ’03, JASON GRIMM ’04, MATT BIRKENHOLZ ’03, NATE VELDMAN ’03, ANNE (ELLINGHUYSEN) JENEARY ’04, JENNY (LAURSEN) JEVNE ’04, and HEIDI (BERG) GRIMM ’04 JASON RICHARD is accounting professor and CPA at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.
HILARY (TESLOW) GANSEN is senior pricing consultant for OptumInsight in Eden Prairie, Minn.
MISSY (JOHNSON) SERWE earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from Concordia University Wisconsin. She is on the nursing program faculty at Madison Area Technical College in Reedsburg, Wis.
LAURA (CAULUM) GRATTON is a family physician and the medical director at Mosaic Medical Clinic in Prineville, Ore. She also serves as the public health officer of Crook County.
TIM STATON and his wife, Ryann, started the Cargo Bike Shop in Madison, Wis. They specialize in commuting bikes, work bikes, and cargo bikes.
PAUL HOYEM was featured in the article “Financial Planners Help Take the Mystery out of Saving, Investing” that appeared in the business section of the Chicago Tribune in November 2014. He is a financial planner for Thrivent Financial in Downers Grove, Ill.
2001 JEFF CURRY is a staffer
for Wisconsin State Representative Travis Tranel, District 49 in Madison.
HOLLY MOREHEAD works in accounting at Target Corporation in Minneapolis. KOFI ODOOM of St. Petersburg, Fla., is group chief financial officer for QUALMS Group Limited.
Father-son team of JEFF BISHOP ’98, TIM BISHOP ’02, and BOB BISHOP ’69 invaded St. Olaf College territory Sept. 6, 2014, each completing the 100-mile bike ride that was part of the annual Jesse James Days celebration in Northfield, Minn.
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GREG FOSHEIM earned a juris doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law and an MPH degree in epidemiology from Emory University. He is an associate attorney and a member of the litigation practice group at McKenna Long and Aldridge LLP in Atlanta.
TY ESTER is director at JMP Securities in Minneapolis. BARRETT GIPP is a partner at Anderson, Wilmarth, Van Der Maaten, Belay and Fretheim in Decorah, and he serves as assistant Winneshiek County attorney. MOLLY GOODWIN is the production stage manager for the national tour of Sister Act by Troika Entertainment of Gaithersburg, Md. NATHAN GUESS was named managing director, forage solutions, at Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa. JON HEEREN teaches mathematics and coaches football and wrestling at Farmington (Minn.) High School. SARAH (CLARK) HUFFMAN is associate general counsel for the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation in Columbus. KATIE KRAMER was the top female finisher of the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, Okla., in 2013 and placed second in 2014. It was her 71st marathon in the past 11 years, and she has won 16 of them. She is a chiropractic assistant with Tensegrity Chiropractic in Tulsa.
DANA SANDSTROM is senior manager, capacity building, in the Office of Business Strategy, Development, and Advocacy for Management Sciences for Health in Lusaka, Zambia. GENE TESDAHL is assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and director of development for Leave No Veteran Behind.
JOAN LINDEMAN is the illustrator of the book When God was a Little Girl, written by David Weiss, former Luther religion faculty member.
COURTESY JOHN BORYS
Alumni News
The Cabaret Project performs regularly in historic hotels in Lake Geneva, Wis. From left: Olin Eargle, Meredith Freyre, and Kyle Hustedt '02.
Jennifer Hudson and Hustedt on set during the American Family commercial shoot.
What do cabaret and the Super Bowl have in common? Kyle Hustedt ’02 Kyle Hustedt ’02 fights hard for his dream: he freelances as a floral designer and moonlights as a bartender in order to pour his extra time, money, and energy into the Cabaret Project, a variety troupe that specializes in comedic, whimsical, racy entertainment. This winter, a big player took notice of Hustedt’s efforts by casting him in a 60-second American Family Insurance Super Bowl commercial alongside singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. Cabaret as a medium After earning a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s voice and opera program, Hustedt spent a few years doing cruise ship work with Jean Ann Ryan Productions. “When I was traveling around, I had a lot of time to think about my life and what I wanted to accomplish. While doing a musical-revue show, I realized that I wanted to be involved in a cabaret community,” Hustedt says. In 2007, between ships, Hustedt staged his first cabaret show in Chicago, his home base. He returned to Jean Ann Ryan but realized “it was pretty much done for me. I had to focus on building a life in one location, because I wanted a home, a family, a dog. I needed a sustainable way to be a working singer, actor, dancer and have those possibilities.” In 2009, Hustedt’s Cabaret Project ramped up production, from one show per year to nine, performing at corporate events, historic hotels, private parties, benefits and galas, and everything in between.
Dreamers needed This January, Hustedt saw a poster soliciting musical-revue troupes or casts that just closed and were available for a commercial. He submitted materials for the Cabaret Project’s 12 core members. Soon after, Hustedt was asked to fill out a lengthy online survey. “It was peculiar. . . . It was very personal as far as your dreams were concerned, your day-to-day life and how you were striving to achieve your dreams, and regrets over having given up on dreams,” he recalls. It soon came to light that the commercial, which highlights five unknown “dreamers” singing “Ooh Child” in a recreation of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks painting, was part of American Family’s Dream Fearlessly campaign—and that Hustedt was a frontrunner. But an eleventh-hour scheduling conflict nearly tanked the opportunity when the production team told Hustedt that if he were one of the five dreamers chosen, they would need him for the next four days. With a cabaret show scheduled in Lake Geneva, Wis., that would require six hours of his time, Hustedt was torn. The tough choice “I could not get out of the show. It was a company that I worked tirelessly to build for the past seven years. I couldn’t just throw that away on one maybe opportunity. I worked too hard to get this company where it’s at. So they said thanks, if that’s the case we’ll no longer need to see you again tomorrow.”
An hour later, the team called back with a change of heart. “In retrospect,” Hustedt says, “when you look at the story behind the commercial, it’s a living-your-dreams sort of thing, and the Cabaret Project played a huge part in that. It’s something I fought for fearlessly for years, and in the end it was my unwavering commitment that was part of the fabric of the person they were looking to highlight in the commercial.” Hustedt says that the four days of shooting (the producers gave him leave for the Lake Geneva show) were a whirlwind of signing papers, getting fittings, singing in the recording studio, acting on set, and having every step of the process filmed for an accompanying documentary. “I can’t thank them enough for the gift they gave me this year,” Hustedt says. “It not only validated everything I’m doing, but it gave me the opportunity to do more of it and pursue it even harder.” —Kate Frentzel Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Hustedt at youtube.com/watch?v=lZyZW7N9JV0. Learn more about Hustedt’s cabaret company, whose upcoming shows will feature the music of Cole Porter (Porter to Paris), Bette Middler (You Bette We Did!), and Cher (Cher the Love!), as well as a murder mystery (Adieu, Adieu), at cabaretproject.org.
“
I came to Luther to be in Nordic Choir—that was my entire reason. There was one Nordic pizza night at Mabe’s when Weston Noble asked what our daydreams were, and so we all talked about our dreams as young adults about to be turned loose on the world. My dream was to play Jean Valjean. And working on a cruise ship, I had the opportunity to play him. It wasn’t exactly as I pictured it, on Broadway, but my dream came true. There’s so much hard work that goes into a dream, but it’s the dreamer’s ability to follow through that makes it a reality. I’ve always—as American Family would put it—dreamed fearlessly because of that question at Mabe’s. I always carry a dream in my pocket.” —Kyle Hustedt ’02 Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
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Alumni News
Lindeman provided the colorful oil illustrations complimenting the creation tale woven between father and daughter in the story by Weiss.
occupational therapist, OTRL, for the University of Minnesota Medical Center and Regions Hospital in Minneapolis.
KATYA OUCHAKOF is pastor at Cooksville Lutheran Church in Evansville, Wis., and a contributor to the book There’s a Woman in the Pulpit, published by Cokesbury.
DUSTIN NASH earned a Ph.D. in Near Eastern studies from Cornell University. He is visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa.
ALISON (DOUGHERTY) and ADAM PULS ’03 live in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She teaches Spanish and LIEP for the Hudson School District; he is in information technology for the University of Northern Iowa.
JOSHUA WROLSTAD is a graduate student in social work at Portland State University in Portland, Ore., and is U-10 boy’s soccer coach for the Eastside Timbers.
ANDY WAGNER is vice president, compliance consultant for Wells Fargo Bank N.A. in Minneapolis.
2003 MATT BEATTY is
director of international recruitment for Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. BJÖRN BERG is business development executive for ATW Training and Consulting Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa. ANGIE (DEMMER) HIETALA teaches third grade for the Kodiak Island (Alaska) Borough School District.
2005 JOY (STUBER) ALSOP is pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Rochelle, Ill.
GABRIELLE ATWOOD is a board member of the Nash Foundation in Minneapolis. JENNY BERKEDAL is new-employee onboarder and educational standards researcher and consultant at Rubicon International in Portland, Ore. CRISTINA BRUSA earned a master’s degree in reading from Concordia University and is an ESL teacher for the School District of Waukesha, Wis.
KENDRA KORTE is requirements analyst for PARE XEL Informatics in Nottingham, England.
2004 ERIK FERN was named
a partner in the law firm of Putnam, Fern, and Thompson in Decorah. Fern earned a juris doctorate from Hamline University School of Law. His practice includes family law, civil litigation, juvenile law, workers’ compensation, real estate, personal injury, probate, and general trial practice. KATIE KONRATH is content marketing lead for TopRank Online Marketing in Spring Park, Minn. ANNE (PETERSON) MURPHY earned a master of arts degree in occupational therapy from St. Catherine University. She is an
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of children’s choirs for Cantare Children’s Choirs of Oakland, Cantare Con Vivo. KATELYN KLUG is inside sales representative for Computex Technology Solutions in Minnetonka, Minn. TIM LUNDQUIST is director of government and public affairs for the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans in Madison.
BRET POWELL graduated as chief resident in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Duke University. He has a fellowship in geriatric medicine at the university in Durham, N.C., starting this summer. KRISTIN RICE is pastor of spiritual formation at Cross Lutheran Church in Burlington, Wis.
SARAH (SAMUELSON) LUSSMAN is insurance accounting manager for John Deere Financial in Johnston, Iowa.
JIM KOWITZ is Entrepreneur of the Year program manager at EY in Minneapolis. ARVID von TAUBE is an associate attorney at Ropes and Gray LLP in Boston.
Graduates from 2004 and 2005 get together once a year near Christmas. Last season’s gathering was in Decorah. Front row, left to right: JENNY (HARTMANN) MAUCH ’05, MOLLY (NESS) YOUSSEF ’05, KIM (WILLIAMS) MICHLIN ’05, and LIBBY (NUSSDORFER) CHMIELEWSKI ’05. Back row, left to right: TARA (WILKINS) SHERIDAN ’04, Michelle Hurley, DANELLE LARSON ’05, and ANDREA NIMMO ’05 Missing from the picture but also with the group were SARAH (GIBSON) ELLIOTT ’05, KELLY (WEUM) ISAACSON ’04, CASSIE (MACK) FEHLEN ’04, JULIE (ALBERTSON) STOVER ’04.
NICOLE CAIN is a naturopathic physician at Natural Mental Health LLC in Scottsdale, Ariz. LIBBY (NUSSDORFER) CHMIELEWSKI earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. She teaches sixth grade for the Oregon (Wis.) Community School District. SARAH (GIBSON) ELLIOTT is senior finance analyst, supply chain, Quaker Oats Brands for PepsiCo in Chicago. MICHAEL FERRIS is national account manager for Bosch Automotive Service Solutions in Owatonna, Minn. KATIE (SCHAEFER) HOM of Berkeley, Calif., is assistant director
SCOTT MEYER was awarded the first Mayor’s Generational Leadership Award by Brookings, S.D., mayor Tim Reed, who created the award to recognize young leaders. STEPHANIE MOCK and RYAN NILSESTUEN live in Madison, Wis. She is victim resource center coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services. He earned a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is an attorney for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. MOLLY NESS is dermatology resident at the Medical College of Wisconsin Hospitals in Milwaukee. RYAN PERSON was selected to direct an honor choir for the Iowa Opus Honor Choir 2014. He is director of choral activities at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa.
ANDY RUMP was named Naval Flight Officer of the Year for P3Cs— four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft for the U.S. Navy. About 300 flight officers contend for the honor. Rump won “based on his success as mission commander and operational success.” He has had two seven-month deployments to the fourth, fifth, and sixth fleet area of operations in the Middle East. His 21-member crew had a primary mission in the P3 to hunt submarines. They also did intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance work. He recently graduated as a top gun from the navy’s maritime weapons school and is stationed with the VP47 Squadron at Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, where he is an instructor.
Alumni News
2006 CLINT AMBROSON
is associate dentist at West Union/ Oelwein Dental Associates in West Union, Iowa. JILL (DINKLA) BORRALL is director of Unity Point Clinic, Peoria, Ill.
conducting at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. ANNE (THIELKE) VELDHUISEN is pastor for Christ United Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Minn.
KELSEY BOYCE is Farwell Hall area coordinator for the Student Life Office at Luther. JACOB CHRISTOPHER is marketing associate in graphic design for Manhattan Concert Productions in New York City. KATY (RECKNAGEL) COWDY is branch manager for Educators Credit Union in New Berlin, Wis.
2007 NATHANIEL
HANS FINANGER earned certification as a rolfer from the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colo. He is in practice with Rolf Midwest in Decorah.
ANDERSON is priest-in-charge at the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church, in Wilbraham, Mass. Each Sunday, Anderson serves as celebrant at the 9 a.m. worship service at Epiphany, greets parishioners as they leave, then drives three miles—in about eight minutes—to lead the 10:30 a.m. worship service at Christ the King.
LISSA FLAATEN is school counselor for Maranatha Christian Academy in Brooklyn Park, Minn.
CHRIS ANGELICA is business intelligence analyst for Allstate Insurance Company in Northbrook, Ill.
NIKKI GAMEZ is volunteer coordinator for the Domestic Abuse Resource Center in Decorah.
KELLY (THORSEN) ARRINGTON is a school social worker for the Minneapolis Public Schools.
RYAN HANKE is data warehouse analyst for 3M in Maplewood, Minn.
HEIDI BOTHUN is nurse coordinator for blood and marrow transplant at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
AMY ELMORE is general manager of Colorado HorsePower Inc. in Castle Rock.
ALYSON (NIENHAUS) HAUGEN is adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. JAMIE SUE (SCHULTZ) KNIGHT is project manager for Safe Bridge Solutions in Middleton, Wis. KATIE (YOUNG) LANE is disability specialist at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. TIMO MECHLER is natural gas strategist for Susquehanna International Group LLP in Stamford, Conn. He is also owner of Mechler Enterprises LLC. JILL (BURKE) and DAN RING ’04 live in Storm Lake, Iowa. She works in internal audit for Central Bank; he is materials manager at Meridian Manufacturing Inc. MAGGIE SCHNEIDER earned a master of fine arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art. JOE SVENDSEN is an instructor and doctoral candidate in choral
LORI (WEBERG) BROWNLEE is social media director for the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. ANNIE (HERRIG) and CARSON BRUNS ’08 live in Berkeley, Calif. Both earned Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University, Annie in molecular biology and Carson in organic chemistry. He is a Miller Fellow at the Miller Institute Department of Chemistry at the University of California–Berkeley. TRACY (KOLSTAD) LARSON is performance engineer for UnitedHealth Group in Minnetonka, Minn. KATE (REIMAN) LIPPITT is an administrator at Holland Center in Minnetonka, Minn. MIKE LUDEKING is an agriculture and business banker for Decorah Bank and Trust Co. in Decorah.
AMANDA (ELLSON) and LEIF MADSEN ’08 live in Bloomington, Ind. She is a research assistant and athletic trainer for Indiana University; he is an assistant instructor and a Ph.D. candidate at the university.
New Hampshire in Durham. JANA (SMITH) and NICK LARSON live in Edina, Minn. She is utilization management specialist for Blue CrossBlue Shield; he is territory manager for Mohawk Industries.
ERIK MATTH is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich.
CHARLIE MOE teaches vocal music at Hutchinson (Minn.) High School.
ANNA (AMUNDSON) OKSNEVAD earned a master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
CALE NELSON of St. Paul, Minn., was named an associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society. He is senior actuarial analyst with Travelers Inc.
AMY (GMINSKI) SCHULTZ is program manager for DRS Technologies Inc. in Milwaukee.
LEAH (SIKORA) and JUSTIN PATNODE ’05 live in Eagan, Minn. She is manager, business development for Securian Financial Group; he is territory sales manager–Menards Division for JELD-WEN in Eagan, Minn.
ADAM STANGE is senior general accountant at Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, Minn.
2008 BRITTA ANDERSON
earned a Ph.D. in molecular cell biology from Washington University in St. Louis, where she is a postdoctoral research scholar in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. BRIDGET (OELRICH) CAMP is administrative assistant for the Clayton County Attorney’s Office and co-owns with her husband, Drew, Camp Powersports and NAPA Auto Parts in Elkader, Iowa. MICHAEL FEDOTOVSKIKH of Decorah is unit administrator for the Department of Defense. JACKSON FELDE is a chef at CULINAIRE in Minneapolis. BETH GOSKESEN is area manager for Workforce Development Inc. in Austin, Minn. KATIE (CURRAN) HALLMAN is managing director at Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans and also serves as associate producer with Manhattan Concert Productions for the Broadway Series in New York City. JULIE JEFFERSON is women’s program coordinator for Volunteers of America in Eden Prairie, Minn. JORDAN JENSEN is sales account executive and client development manager for Pictura Graphics in Minneapolis. KRIS KLEIN earned a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa. He is a National Science Foundation Atmospheric and Geo Space Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of
BECKY STIGER, deaf and youth services manager at the Whole Person in Kansas City, wrote the article “Tie Together in a Single Garment: Stemming the Epidemic of Community Violence” for Caring Connections: An Inter-Lutheran Journal for Practitioners and Teachers of Pastoral Care and Counseling. BRITA (GALL) STRUB teaches preschool in the Fisher Early Learning Center at the University of Denver. BETH (ELLINGSON) WALDRON is a nurse clinician at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison. ANDY WILHELM is information technology services manager for Cinch Connectivity Solutions in Waseca, Minn. DEREK ZIESMER is success coordinator for the Forest City (Iowa) Community School District, where he also coaches freshman football and seventh-grade basketball and track.
2009 SARAH COWING
is assistant stage manager for the Pittsburgh Opera. LIZ (HANSEN) and STEVE COX ’08 live in Charlotte, N.C. She is assistant director of annual giving at Davidson College; he is business development executive at SystemTec.
HOLLI (MCCLURE) and CHRIS HUUS live in Woodbury, Minn. She is special education teacher EBD at North St. Paul, Maplewood, and Oakdale ISD 622. He is in background studies research for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
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Alumni News
STEFANIE (BOREN) KAYLOR is a language arts/at-risk teacher for Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.
ADAM KOBLER is the owner and president of Kataku Technology LLC, an in-home computer repair business in Eden Prairie, Minn.
BEN MATHESON is news reporter for KYUK Radio in Bethel, Alaska.
ERIC KRUEGER is senior account executive, mid-market for SPS Commerce in Minneapolis.
BAILEY MILLER is digital content strategist and assistant digital brand manager for TN Marketing in Wayzata, Minn. ANDREA SCHIEFELBEIN is project manager for Pettelaarpark 63 in The Netherlands. EMILY SPICE is a registered nurse on the cardiology and thoracic medical and surgical unit at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. KRISTIN SWEDLUND is development coordinator for Gathering Waters Conservancy: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts in Madison. KATE THOMSON is senior client account manager for KTI Inc. in Minnetonka, Minn. CAMERON WEBB is iOS engineer for Bawte in Des Moines, Iowa. JILL (SUNDBY) YORDY is clean water and mining program director for the Northern Alaska Environmental Center in Fairbanks.
2010 PHUONG DAU earned a Ph.D. from the University of California–San Diego. He is a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in Berkeley, Calif.
SARAH (BOUSSELOT) DOPSON is a registered nurse at the VA Medical Center in San Francisco. NICOLE GESCH earned an Alternative Education License from the University of Milwaukee School of Education. She is secondary Title I math, alternative education teacher for the Manitowoc (Wis.) Public Schools. LAURA (MOHS) HESSE teaches social studies for the Bettendorf (Iowa) Community School District. CASSIE JENSEN is personal banker, marketing committee for First State Bank and Trust in Bayport, Minn. ANNE LITSEY KERHOULAS is ministry fellow at Christian Union, Harvard Faith and Action in Cambridge, Mass.
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BOBBY KUENNEN is project coordinator for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in Des Moines. SARAH LULOFF teaches kindergarten at Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School in St. Paul, Minn. SCOTT MARTIN is staffing manager for Robert Half Finance and Accounting in Minneapolis. DANIEL MOSS is lodge coordinator and chef for a gourmet bushwalking company, Freycinet Experience, on the east coast of Tasmania. He is also in training for an upcoming Ironman competition. DEBORA MUKAZ earned a master of science degree in biology from the University of Delaware in Newark. She is a doctoral student and a researcher in the interdisciplinary program in medical sciences at the university. Her current research focuses on diabetes and obesity in African immigrant populations in the United States. JACOB REITZ is manager of payer relations for Fresenius Medical Care in Nashville, Tenn. MITCH SCHABEN is on the policy and budget staff for the Illinois senate president, Senator John J. Cullerton, in Springfield. KIRSTEN (JENSSON) SCHOLZ is office manager and accounts manager for SouthWest Chiropractic in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Smith, Houghtaling reimagine Home Alone Liz Smith ’11 of San Francisco and Kari Houghtaling ’11 of Milwaukee got together over a three-day weekend in winter 2013 to film a full-length reinterpretation of the 1990 holiday classic Home Alone. The pair created a film they call Abode Solo. Smith edited the film and a premiere was scheduled in her hometown of Guttenberg, Iowa, where much of the film was shot, in December 2014. “Liz and I knew each other all four years of college at Luther, but we became best friends during senior year— which was when we discovered our mutual love of Home Alone,” Houghtaling says. “Last year, Liz and I were both in the Midwest over the holidays, and she suggested that I come to Guttenberg for an extended weekend to film a remake. I didn’t know how serious she was until she sent me part of a script (transcribed from the original film).” The filmmakers played the majority of characters in the story and used many local sites as shooting locations, doing just one scene at the Milwaukee airport. View the film at AbodeSolo.com.
reading, at JM Story School in Busan, South Korea, and volunteers at an orphanage outside the city. KELSEY ANDERSON is an admissions counselor for the University of Iowa in Iowa City. KELLY BANDMAN is program and supply intern for Group Mission Trips in Loveland, Colo. RACHEL BARCLAY is development associate for Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. ANNA ESSENDRUP is a boardcertified genetic counselor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
AARON SHATZER is data analytics specialist for PacificSource Health Plans in Springfield, Ore.
SARA (WALSTON) FELDKAMP is lead teacher discovery preschool for Knowledge Beginnings in Eagan, Minn.
JEREMY SMITH is a network technician assistant specialist for Popp Communications in Golden Valley, Minn.
KATE FREUND earned a master of science degree in ecology, evolution, and behavior from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
MARIA WOO CHING works for Mono Advertising in Minneapolis.
RACHEL GABBERT earned a master of science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
2011 KAT ALBERTS teaches
kindergarten English classes, including phonics, yoga, music, and
DANA (SONNICKSEN) GEARING is an elementary EL teacher for the Northfield (Minn.) Public Schools.
COURTNEY GREENLEY earned a master of arts degree in global environmental policy from American University. She is a water resource management fellow at the Institute of Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in Washington, D.C. SAMANTHA JEWELL and TYLER WEDEMEIER ’13 live in Hanlontown, Iowa. She earned a doctor of physical therapy degree from Des Moines University and is a physical therapist at Mitchell County Regional Health Center. He is a teacher for the Forest City Schools. RACHEL LOEFFLER-KEMP is program manager for the American Lung Association in Duluth, Minn. She received the 2014 Past Governors Award from Soroptimist International-Midwest, the 2014 Annual University Award from the American Association of University Women, and the 2013 Volunteer of the Year Award from Duluth Area Family YMCA. PETER MAGNUSON is a clinician providing in-home mental health care for at-risk youth for Catholic Community Services of Western Washington in Tacoma. TYLER MCCUBBIN is a substitute teacher in Des Moines, Iowa.
Alumni News
ERIN (GILBERTSON) and WILLIAM MONTOYA live in Des Moines, Iowa. She is a doctoral student in physical therapy at Des Moines University. He earned a master’s degree from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica and is working with Wells Fargo and developing businesses in Colombia and Des Moines.
JOE WHEELOCK earned a master of science degree in sustainable agriculture and a master of science degree in entomology, both from Iowa State University in Ames. ANDREW WHITE is assistant public affairs officer at Grand Teton National Park in Moose, Wyo.
ANGIE PIDDE is product manager for When I Work in St. Paul, Minn.
ALICIA WOODHOUSE is health and wellness coach for CarePro Health Services, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
ANNA RICK is intake specialist for Johnson Becker in Minneapolis.
2012 ALEESE (KENITZER)
MELISSA (LARSON) and BENJAMIN SCHORI ’10 live in Hibbing, Minn. She is a self-employed graphic designer; he is pastor at First Lutheran Church. STEVEN THAI is lead communications consultant for Deloitte Service LP in Arlington, Va.
and DAN BALDWIN live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is vicar at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. He is a pastoral intern at First Lutheran Church. LIZ BOUMA is a quality assurance coordinator for Pearson Government Solutions in Lincoln, Neb.
In June 2014, four Luther alumni attended a World Cup match in Fortaleza, Brazil. They saw Germany play Ghana in the group stages. The match ended 2-2 (the only game Germany didn’t win). Left to right: SPENCER WARD ’12, ANNA MURRAY ’12, LAUREN (KRAUS) KELLER ’06, DAVID KELLER ’09. ALYSE EGGEBRECHT is associate director, alumni engagement and annual giving for Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. ANDREW FINANGER is residential solar consultant and sales associate for Sunrun in Westminster, Colo.
KELSEY (VAALER) and JAKE VAITH ’10 live in Rochester, Minn. She is a nurse on the cardiovascular surgery/cardiovascular transplant progressive care unit at the Mayo Clinic. He is senior information technology systems analyst at Mayo.
KATIE CARNES is a trainer at Epic Systems in Verona, Wis. ALEX CLARK is a graduate student in divinity and works on the grounds crew at the Lutheran School of Theology–Chicago.
CARLY (BLAZING) and ROSS FREI live in West Des Moines, Iowa. She teaches art for the Ankeny School District; he is senior associate for OutcomesMTM. TAYLOR FROEHLE is client service associate for Pratt, Kutzke and Associates LLP in North Mankato, Minn.
LISA (HIEB) WADDELL received certification as a registered genetic technologist from the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists. She is a DNA/protein lab technologist at SGS North America Inc. in Brookings, S.D.
WHITNEY (KELTNER) and JAKE WESSELS live in St. Paul, Minn. She is senior social worker at Hennepin County Medical Center; he is a medical student at the University of Minnesota
DANIEL FLUCKE is a pastoral intern at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Dubuque, Iowa.
VALARIE FYFE earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Ill.
MARGARET DARLING conducts health policy research through case studies on clinical leaders who are innovating heath care delivery. She is coauthor of a recent study, “Transforming Rural Health Care: HighQuality, Sustainable Access to Specialty Care,” and is a research assistant at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, Merkin Initiative on Payment Reform and Clinical Leadership, at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
LAUREN GRIFFIN is a graduate student and teaching and research assistant at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. ALYSSA (HENDERSON) JACKSON teaches early childhood special education at Fairview Elementary School in Mora, Minn. SAM LIBRA earned a master of music degree in organ performance from the University of Washington. He is assistant organist and administrative director of youth music for St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
AUGIE LINDMARK was a recipient of the Dr. George and Emma J. Torrison Scholarship at the University of Minnesota Medical School–Duluth. He won the media company Mic’s Making Health Care Work for Our Generation competition. His idea to engage the millennial generation to sign up for health insurance received a response from the White House. MAGGIE MICHENFELDER is a certified nuclear medicine technologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. KELSEY (KITTLESON) MILLONIG of Des Moines, Iowa, was selected for a Global Health Pathways Distinction eight-week research internship at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. She is the first podiatric medical student at Des Moines University (DMU) to be selected for an internship with WHO. At DMU she leads the Global Health Student club, traveled to Honduras on a health service trip, and co-led a health service trip to the Dominican Republic. She is also president of the student chapter of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and president and cofounder of Podiatric Medicine Advocacy. LETA OELRICH is health market clerk for HyVee in Cedar Falls, Iowa. ALLISON (CROAT) ROE is special sections editor for the Rochester PostBulletin in Rochester, Minn. SHANE STEELE is a naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minn.
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Alumni News
MARCUS TUREN is cash control operations manager at U.S. Bank in St. Paul, Minn.
MARI KISE is assistant teacher for Step by Step Montessori in Minneapolis.
JAKE WITTMAN is an educator for DREAM Technical Academy in Waldorf, Minn.
JASON KNUTSON earned a master of engineering degree in environmental and water quality engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is an environmental engineer for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Madison.
DI YIN is a wedding photographer for George Street Photo and Video in Chicago.
2013 THOMAS BANSEN is a
corn processing plant grain inspector for Cargill Inc. in Blair, Minn. In his spare time he is developing his skills as a blacksmith. CLARA BERGAN is a development associate for the Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul, Minn. GRANT BURKE is transfer and external credit specialist for Upper Iowa University in Fayette.
KELSEY KRALL is disability representative for Sedgwick CMS and owner and photographer of Keepsakes by Kelsey in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. JESS LANDGRAF is an instructor for High Trails in Angelus Oaks, Calif. EVIN LANTZ earned Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation from the College for Financial Planning. He is a financial adviser for Waddell & Reed in Rochester, Minn.
JESSIE CLINE teaches third grade for the Chariton (Iowa) Community School District.
JENNIE MAURER is MIS/QI analyst II for Special Service for Groups, Occupational Therapy Training Program in Torrance, Calif.
ANNA DICECCO is a graduate student in sports administration at Northwestern University and a seasonal sales representative for the Chicago White Sox in Chicago.
ABBY (SANDRY) and DEREK MOE live in Owatonna, Minn. She is a stayat-home mom; he is a self-employed strength and conditioning coach.
ALEX FORBES is registration coordinator for Nystrom and Associates Ltd. in Apple Valley, Minn. EMILY (JACOBSEN) FREEMAN earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Allen College. She is a registered nurse in general pediatrics at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
ELSBETH (EDRINGTON) NAATZ is Setting III: EBD teacher for the Rochester (Minn.) Public Schools. TEDDY ORTEGA is NexTech associate with NBCUniversal in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. DAVID PEDRICK is a residential engineering fellow at Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta.
MICHELLE GOHMAN is a tax accountant for Ernst & Young LLP in Minneapolis. NATALINO GUTERRES earned a master of arts degree in responsible management and sustainable economic development from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica. He is a private English and Portuguese teacher in San Jose, Costa Rica. JULIA HAM was awarded a Board of Trustees Endowed Scholarship from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., where she is a doctoral student in optometry. KATRINA HANSON of Philadelphia is youth minster for Glenside United Church of Christ.
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ALISON VANDEGRIFT ’12, ADAM RAVE ’12, and KATHERINE MEHLHOFF ’12 graduated in Dec. 2014 from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine with doctorates in physical therapy. EMILY SCHNEIDER is tax credit intern at Honkamp Krueger in Dubuque, Iowa, and a student in radiology/CT at Northeast Iowa Community College. She is also the assistant swim coach for Wahlert High School. MARA (WARNBERG) SORENSON teaches K–6 music for the Owatonna (Minn.) Public School District. NATHAN STEELE is music director for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville, Mo. TINA YATES is operations manager for Greenability magazine in Kansas City, Mo.
2014 CATE ANDERSON is
congregational relations associate for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota in Minneapolis. INGRID BAUDLER is administrative assistant for CliftonLarsonAllen LLP in Austin, Minn. DAN BLATTNER is associate real estate accountant for CB Richard Ellis in Minneapolis. MARTHA CRIPPEN teaches sixthgrade language arts for Oak Grove Middle School in Bloomington, Minn. MICHAEL CROCKER is a freelance videographer in Decorah.
JUSTIN RATZLAFF of Mayer, Minn., and David Dudek (father of JORDYN DUDEK ’14 and KILEIGH DUDEK ’17) of Chatfield, Minn., were section chiefs for the 2015 International Ski Federation Alpine World Championships in Beaver Creek, Colo. MATT RUBINS is software developer for the Rock Island Arsenal in Rock Island, Ill.
KAREN DAVISON is service member for FoodCorps, Washington, D.C. ISAAC DONTJE LINDELL is a software developer for Epic Systems Corporation in Madison, Wis. HANNAH FISHER is lead cook at Holden Village in Chelan, Wash. KAITLIN HEIKKINEN is application developer for Securian Financial Group in St. Paul, Minn.
ANT HOWARD is shift coordinator for 180 Degrees Inc. in Minneapolis. MICAYLA IRMITER is an art specialist for Hiawatha Leadership Academy—Northrop in Minneapolis. TAYLOR JOHNSON works in human resources for Mathy Construction Company in Onalaska, Wis. SAM JONES is instructor of voice for Mount Calvary Academy of Music in Excelsior, Minn. EMMA LOFTHUS is lectrice d’anglais (English teaching assistant) at the Universite de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, France. JENNA MCGEE is digital marketing communications specialist for Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix, Ariz. SAMUEL MOLZAHN is an elementary literacy tutor with the Minnesota Reading Corps at Brimhall Elementary School in Roseville, Minn. BRITA MOORE is digital editor for Ashdown Broadcasting, Kasson, Minn. TED OLSEN of St. Paul, Minn., earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of Northern Colorado. He plays bass in the jazz group Miguel Hurtado and Friends. CALLA OLSON is a graduate student and teaching assistant at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. KELSI RILEY is a registered nurse in the NICU at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, Calif. JENNY RUSTAD is a graduate student and teaching assistant in Mathematics at the University of Maryland in College Park. ERIN SCHMIDT is a staff nurse for Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.
Alumni News
MARISSA SCHUH is a graduate student in entomology and a teaching assistant at Michigan State University in East Lansing. MARY (MAIDEN MUELLER) SCHULTZ works at Yinghua Academy in Minneapolis. MATT YAN is assistant editor for the Glenview Lantern and the Northbrook Tower newspapers in Northbrook, Ill.
1995 SCOTT PANKOW and Jennifer Marthaler, Sept. 6, 2014
ANNA TIMMERMAN and Braham Ketcham, Oct. 4, 2014
SAMANTHA REISER and Ryan Collins, June 21, 2014
KARL RIST and Daniel Kronemann, Nov. 1, 2014
2006 JILL BURKE and DAN
2011 RACHEL ABRAMOWSKI
1999 MEGAN MOLNAU and
JOHN LIDVALL and Michelle Scott, Sept. 13, 2014
LISA HIEB and Isaiah Waddell, Oct. 11, 2014
JOE SVENDSEN and Jillian Knutsen, July 19, 2014
SAMANTHA JEWELL and TYLER WEDEMEIER ’13, Dec. 13, 2014
2007 TRACY KOLSTAD and
MANDEE PARRISH and Tim Prince, Oct. 10, 2014
Micah Helling, May 31, 2014
2000 SHANA DEETS and Jonathan Inkman, July 13, 2013
MARRIAGES
1952 DONALD OSS and Mary Jo Dathe, June 30, 2014
1965 LYNNE (BOLLER)
STARK and Ron Prahl, Sept. 19, 2014
1976 JOAN PEDERSON and Bette Sikes, Sept. 27, 2014
1980 JULIE SERRA and Philip
BECKI MENSING and Pete LeGrant, Nov. 1, 2014 KYM WAKELAND and Ryan Parodo, March 1, 2014
2001 HILARY TESLOW and Dustin Gansen, Aug. 16, 2014
2002 JULIE HENDRICKSON
Nichols, July 31, 2014
1985 ERIC ALECKSON and
RACHEL WIESENBERG and BRANDON LeBEAU ’07, May 17, 2014 NICOLE WILSON and Ryan Goetzl, Sept. 20, 2014
RONNIE COOPER and Christopher Straub, Aug. 17, 2013
DEREK ZIESMER and Mallory Lovik, June 15, 2013
ANNIE HENDRICKSON and Brett Hoffman, Oct. 19, 2013
2009 STEFANIE BOREN and Steve Kaylor, Aug. 2, 2013
KAYLA SONNICKSEN and GUI CASTRO ’11, Feb. 20, 2015
ANGIE DULL and ANDREW BURKLE, Feb. 21, 2014
LOUISE VIVANT and Jared Corley, Oct. 18, 2014
JENNA GIESEKE and Josh Goldberg, Dec. 20, 2014
RENEE WEEKS and KARL GESCH, Sept. 27, 2014
JENN HOLST and Tyler Whiley, Aug. 31, 2013
2013 MALLORY BAZAN and
KRISTA NELSON and Shaun Arnold, June 15, 2013 MOLLY NESS and Paul Youssef, Aug. 9, 2014 MARY PEDERSON and David Hopper, July 25, 2013
SARAH WIESE and Andrew Craig, Oct. 4, 2014
ROSS FREI, Sept. 13, 2014
ALLISON CROAT and Keith Roe, Oct. 11, 2014
KEVIN WILLIAMS ’11, May 24, 2014 EMILY JACOBSEN and Shamus Freeman, Oct. 3, 2014
2010 JILL BOHLE and Dale Grauman, July 19, 2014
ALLIE JOHNSON and DANIEL GRAINGER ’12, July 12, 2014
SARAH SAMUELSON and Zach Lussman, June 7, 2014
SARAH BOUSSELOT and Brandon Dopson, May 10, 2014
TAYLOR SPILDE and MATT AMUNDSON ’05, Sept. 27, 2014
ERIC TEMPLE and Lindsay Bebout, Feb. 15, 2014
LAURA GRANGAARD and Wesley Johnson, Aug. 2, 2014
MARA WARNBERG and CARL SORENSON, Aug. 9, 2014
LAURA MOHS and Justin Hesse, June 28, 2014
TINA YATES and John Moessner, July 5, 2014
MEGAN RONDEAU and Allen Tschumper, Feb. 2, 2013
1993 ERIK BEGUIN and KRISTIN HILTON and Terri Steinmann, Nov. 9, 2013
SARA WALSTON and BENJAMIN FELDKAMP ’13, Oct. 24, 2014
2012 CARLY BLAZING and
and Sheila Baker, Dec. 5, 2014
Kimberley Caylor, Sept. 28, 2014
DANA SONNICKSEN and Justin Gearing, Aug. 1, 2014
AMANDA VAN WECHEL and Matthew Long, Aug. 9, 2014
LINDSAY NEAL and Kyle Dudley, April 27, 2013
1991 REYNOLDS CRAMER
KATRINA SIKKINK and Nathan Sand, Sept. 27, 2014
Mike McDonough, Dec. 31, 2013
2005 MARIEL BOEYINK and
1990 CHRISTOPHER CROSS
JAMES ROTHERT and Stefanie Pitthan, May 31, 2014
KATIE CURRAN and Cavan Hallman, July 6, 2013
CHARLIE RASMUSSEN and Anna Baker, Sept. 29, 2014
KAITLYN WORKMAN and GARETT BLOMGREN ’06, May 31, 2014
RYAN KNIGHT and Sherri Fisher, May 24, 2014
RHIA FRY and Chris Strohm, Aug. 16, 2013
ERIK ELIASON ’10, Aug. 9, 2014
and Andrew Hoover, July 18, 2014
CHRISTA FIEDLER and DREW ENGQUIST ’06, May 31, 2014
Chris Weinzetl, Dec. 31, 2014
and Jessica Lonie, Oct. 11, 2013
AMANDA VALO and Justin Berndt, Oct. 12, 2014
2008 ANGELA BLEWETT and
TIM NEUMAN and Lindsey Haaga, July 5, 2014
1984 STEVE BERG and Scott
AMANDA SCHMALL and Brian Lorentz, Nov. 22, 2014
JOAN LINDEMAN and Lalo Hernandez, May 2, 2014
1982 PETER HASVOLD and
Madden, Dec. 6, 2014
KATE REIMAN and Jordan Lippitt, Nov. 1, 2014
and Matt Barsness, June 15, 2013
Lund, Aug. 1, 2015
1983 MARY BOTHE and Greg
Kris Larson, Oct. 4, 2014
LORI WEBERG and Jeff Brownlee, Sept. 14, 2013
SHANNYN MAGEE and Jeremy Fuerst, March 1, 2014
Tracy Badsgard, Sept. 10, 2014
RING ’04, June 21, 2014
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
47
Alumni News
2014 SKYLAR CARNEY and Derek Bohr, Oct. 18, 2014
MARTHA CRIPPEN and Ian O’Neill, June 28, 2014 HANNAH GESING and Patrick Kelly, April 20, 2013 MEGHAN KAUFENBERG and DANE LARSON ’12, Sept. 27, 2014 JENNA MCGEE and Juan Rodriguez, July 17, 2013
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
1990 Dawn and JON
DOERING, a son, Jake Robert, Nov. 2013 Karen and PAUL WENZ, a daughter, Kaia, Jan. 2013, and a daughter, Kelsie, Feb. 2015
1999 ALYCIA ASHBURN and
ANGELA (OLDENBURG) and Michael Kueny, a son, William, July 2013
ROBIN (ROSS) and Jendra Gosai, a son, Benjamin, Nov. 2014
JULIE (DUHME) and Dustin Vande Hoef, a daughter, Claire Fran, Dec. 2014
JILL (KAMMARMEYER) and MATT CARPENTER ’04, a daughter, Genevieve Marie, born Jan. 2014, adopted Jan. 2014
ANN (LIEBBE) and JOSH WALTERS, a daughter, Isabelle Faith, Nov. 2014
LIBBY (NUSSDORFER) and Charlie Chmielewski, a son, Rowan Charles, July 2014
RENEE (ZERBEL) and Brian West, a son, George Eugene, Sept. 2014
SAMANTHA (STEPHANY) and COREY COLBURN, twins: a daughter, Gemma Grace, a son, Ephram Samuel, Dec. 2014
Drew Genszler, a son, Nathaniel Andrew, July 2014, deceased July 2014
Sarah and COREY HOODJER, a son, Jackson, March 2014 Yesika and ROSS KNUTSON, a son, Eloy Augustin, Sept. 2014 Erin and DAN KOBLER, a son, Leo, Nov. 2014 TRYNDA (OBERG) and Peter Kroneman, a daughter, Gretchen Nicole, Dec. 2013
2003 Erin and ANDREW
HAEMKER, a daughter, Emerson Christine, Jan. 2015
SARAH CORBISIER and Oyvind Berge, a daughter, Eleanor, May 2014
Missy and PAT QUAID, a son, Bode, Nov. 2014
Mary Ann and STEVE KEENAN, a son, Charlie, Oct. 2014
2000 STEPHANIE (JAEGER)
AUNY (KERNDT) and Ethan Pole, a daughter, Oletta Karen, Nov. 2014
MELISSA (SCHMITT) and Christopher Diveley, a daughter, Jocelyn, July 2013, a son, Jameson, June 2014
and Brian Paulson, a daughter, Olivia, July 2013
1992 Holly and DAVID
JORDE, a son, Tor Knut, March 2015
LEAH (EMBRETSON) and DAVID PIERCE ’93, a daughter, Huldah Betty, Dec. 2014
1993 KRISTIN HILTON and
2001 GAIL (CARPENTER)
Terri Steinmann, a son, Asher David, March 2014
and Benjamin Baggett, a son, Andrew Alder, June 2014
Monica and KRIS MOE, a son, Santiago Jacob, Jan. 2014
ELIZABETH GRICE and Michael Cornelius, a daughter, Elena Anne, Dec. 2014
1996 Lisa Dellinger and DEE
Amber and BRONSON POWER, a son, Royce Gardner, May 2014
BECKY FRANKLIN and SAM DRONG ’04, a son, Archer Franklin, Sept. 2014
ASHLEY (SLOAN) and RYAN SHERLOCK, a daughter, Ellie, June 2014
LINDSAY (NEAL) and Kyle Dudley, a daughter, Everly James, July 2014
SARAH (COOLEY) and Dan Solberg, a daughter, Margaret Josephine, Feb. 2015
2004 LINDSAY COLWELL
and Terry Czeck, a son, Oliver Byron Colwell, Jan. 2015
BROWN, a daughter, Elora Joy Oliver, March 2015
KELLY (FLYNN) and Christopher Janson, a son, Charles William, Oct. 2014
AMY (VON RUEDEN) and BRAD LUND, a son, Dax Griffin, April 2013
LEAH (THEESFIELD) and Sam Kolner, a son, Owen James, Aug. 2013
CARRIE (KOLIHA) and David Patzke, a son, Nolan Parker, July 2013
Lorena and DUSTY NASH, a daughter, Ruby, Jan. 2014
1997 Amanda and MATTHEW DOLLINGER, a daughter, Danika Jayne, Dec. 2014
NICOLE (EICHHORST) SWANSON, a daughter, Isadora Briel Eichhorst, Dec. 2014
1998 SHERI (OSBORNE) and
Bill Hansen, a son, Alexander James, March 2015 JILL HOCKEMEYER and Rob Prendergast, a son, Matthew Allen, July 2014
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Luther Alumni Magazine
NICOLE (WALKER) and NICK BUSCH ’06, a son, Jack, June 2013
Melina and PAUL HOYEM, a daughter, Olivia Grace, Aug. 2014 KIRSTIN LARSON and LARS LARSON, a daughter, Leah Julie Mae, Nov. 2013
2002 JULIE (HENDRICKSON) and Matt Barsness, a daughter, Teagan Marie, Aug. 2014
SARAH (MOELLERS) and Scott Kach, a daughter, Cora Margaret, Oct. 2014 CARRIE KEENAN, a son, Phoenix Elijah, Feb. 2015
KIRSTEN (SPARKS) and BRAD PAULSRUD ’05, a daughter, Lila, July 2013, a son, Andrew, Oct. 2014 BECCA (HOEL) and Stuart Sedlak, a son, Carson David, Nov. 2014 HOLLY (HARRIS) and Mark St. Germain, a daughter, Victoria Louise, Nov. 2014 AMANDA (RECK) and Matt Thoendel, a daughter, Isabel Helen, Aug. 2014
2005 CHRISTY (PATCHIN) and MARSHALL BARKER ’04, a son, Allister Patchin, Jan. 2015
Amanda Barry and J. RICKY FRY, a son, Oliver James, April 2014 ALISON MEIER and JOEL GENTES, a daughter, Rhodes Elodie, Feb. 2015 LEA (O’DELL) and James Gottry, a daughter, Abigail, Sept. 2014
ASTA GULLICKSEN and Edin Mustacevic, a son, Selver, Jan. 2012 CHRISTINE (MUELLER) and MARK GUY, a daughter, Madeline, June 2014 ELAINE (STOERZINGER) and Joe Hauger, a son, Luke, June 2013 Kacy and CODY HONL, a son, Riley David, June 2013 LINNEA (MUELLER) and TREVOR HUINKER ’04, a son, Jonah Trevor, Dec. 2014 HEIDI (ZIMMERMAN) and Chris Keefer, a son, Jonathan Jeffrey, March 2015
Alumni News
ASHLEY (SAUKE) and Michael Kincaid, a daughter, Abigail Sylvia, Dec. 2013
ANGELA (REICHERT) and Kevin Griffin, a son, Braylon Miles, Dec. 2014
SARAH (GISSEL) and TIM LUNDQUIST, a daughter, Olivia Louise, Aug. 2013
ALYSON (NIENHAUS) and Brandon Haugen, a son, Caleb Michael, Aug. 2014
JENNY (HARTMANN) and ED MAUCH ’04, a daughter, Alice, Nov. 2013
AMY (LEIN) and Chris Loker, a daughter, Piper Amelia, Aug. 2014
Jen and JARROD QUINLIVAN, a daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, May 2014 LINDSEY (RISLOW) and Jake Ruhland, a daughter, Noelle Kay, Dec. 2014 BETHANY SCHIEFELBEIN and MATT BURNS, a daughter, Marielle Joan, April 2014 BRITTANY (BENIDT) and Neal Schroeder, a son, Hans Benidt, July 2013 ANNA TIMMERMAN and Braham Ketcham, a daughter, Cora, May 2014 Alison Aukes and NICK TORGERSON, a daughter, Astrid Marie, Jan. 2015 NORA (RONNINGEN) and Matt Wojciechowski, a daughter, Lena, April 2014
2006 Abby and KYLE
ABERNATHY, a daughter, Brynlee, Oct. 2014 MICHELLE (KOHLMANN) and NICK BONIFAZI ’05, a son, Gabriel Michael Jeffrey, Feb. 2015 KRISTY (STROM) and Tom Carmody, a daughter, Charlotte Rose, Sept. 2013 KATY (RECKNAGEL) and Chad Cowdy, a daughter, Clara Loraine, June 2014
JENNIFER (LAMBRECHT) and Jason Silverman, a daughter, Stella, March 2014 KATE (PETERSON) and Nicholas Sloop, a daughter, Aspen Linnea, Nov. 2014
CASSIE (TYSLAND) and JACOB FOUTS ’12, a son, Finley Regi, Feb. 2015 VANESSA (OELRICH) and GARY WIEST ’11, a son, Jack Henry, March 2015
2011 LAURA (DAVIS) and Nathan Dahlke, a son, Grant Timothy, Feb. 2015
ABBY (BALLAIN) and Mike Polich, a daughter, Lauren Lynn, Dec. 2014
2012 KATIE (MALEK) and
ANNE (THIELKE) and Kevin Veldhuisen, a son, Martin Ray, June 2014
Travis Mahr, a daughter, Olivia Lynn, Jan. 2015
2007 HEIDI (MITCHELL) and MITCH CURTIS ’05, a daughter, Grayson, Nov. 2014
ALLISON (KRUGER) and DANIEL HERMAN ’06, a son, Owen, June 2014 CARRIE (BEAVER) and JOHN JAEGER ’05, a son, Jensen, Oct. 2014 HAYLEE (EASTON) and Drew Latta, a son, Henry Claude, Nov. 2014 EMILY (SIES) and John Mandel, a son, Samuel James, Dec. 2013
2009 SARAH KOLMAN-KEEN and Scott Kolman-Keen, a daughter, Emerson Leigh, Jan. 2015
GABRIELLE MCNALLY and SAM WHITE ’11, a son, Thorbjorn Edmond, Jan. 2015 ANDREA (JOHNSON) and ALEX MIERAU, a son, Bryson Alexander, Feb. 2015
SARAH (MURRELL) and KARL SWENSON ’06, a son, Caleb Michael, March 2015
2008 LISA (SAVRE) and
MATTHEW BUSCHE ’07, a son, Noah, Dec. 2014 KARI (LEGREID) and JOEY KLEIN, a son, Mason Andrew, Dec. 2013
SHANNON (BROCKSHUS) and STEVE ROSAS, a daughter, Azalea Keith, Sept. 2014
JANA (SMITH) and NICK LARSON, a son, Owen Phillip, June 2014
LANE (PALMER) and Eric Rich, a daughter, Natalie Jane, Dec. 2014 KELLY (WOOD) and Chris Robertson, a son, Micah Dean, Sept. 2014
Full obituaries are available online at www.luther.edu/in-memoriam.
1937
WILLARD LINNEVOLD of Decorah, Iowa, died Feb. 28, 2015, age 99.
1940
EDMUND BREKKE “ED” JOHNSON of Middleton, Wis., died Dec. 11, 2014, age 93. LESTER P. ULVESTAD of Rushford, Minn., formerly of Glendale, Wis., died Dec. 30. 2014, age 98.
CAROL (REECE) and MIKE LUDEKING ’07, a daughter, Nora Marie, April 2014
JUSTINE (ALLEN) and Chancy Nordick, a son, Caden Daniel, Sept. 2014
IN MEMORIAM
HAZEL (LEE) WANGSNESS of Decorah died Jan. 10, 2015, age 101.
LISA (HUINKER) and JASON RUDE, a daughter, Riley Jo, Jan. 2015
MEGAN (CRAVEN) and Michael McCreesh, a daughter, Adeline Louise, Feb. 2015
CASSIE (PETERSON) and Drew Cumings-Peterson, a son, Finnegan, April 2014
ALEX (LANCASTER) and Mark Schuerman, a son, Cade, Nov. 2013
1941 JOHN JAMIE (CHRISTOFFER) and Brandon Swenson, a daughter, Reese Olivia, Jan. 2015 JENN (HOLST) and Tyler Whiley, a son, Bryce Allan, Feb. 2014
MAAKESTAD of Anchorage, Alaska, died Dec. 31, 2014, age 96.
EARL C. VANDERWALKER of Seattle died Jan. 28, 2015, age 97.
2010 JUSTINE BJURQUISTNIES and Wynn Nies, a daughter, Annika Wynn Rebecca, July 2014
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
49
Alumni News
1942 HAZEL SHIRVEN of
Mabel, Minn., died Feb. 17, 2015, age 94.
1943
THERESA LOUISE AMBUEL of Falls Church, Va., and longtime resident of Chicago, died Sept. 27, 2014, age 93. GLADYCE BUDD of Minneapolis died Nov. 18, 2014, age 99.
PAULINE (KALNES) LARSON of McFarland, Wis., died Nov. 13, 2014, age 89.
JOSEPH JERDEE of Red Wing, Minn., died Jan. 31, 2015, age 86.
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Luther Alumni Magazine
MARY LOUISE WALTERS of Whiteland, Ind., died Oct. 10, 2014, age 84.
VICTOR H. SCHNEIDER of Windsor, Wis., died Dec. 19, 2014, age 82.
JOHN H. ALMLIE of Fountain Hills, Ariz., formerly of Tracy, Minn., died Dec. 19, 2014,
1948
CHANDLER of Spring Grove, Minn., died Feb. 10, 2013, age 88.
HELEN DOLORES (LARSON) PETERSON of West Salem, Wis., formerly of Onalaska, Wis., died Jan. 26, 2015, age 88.
1950
BERTHA (WABSHAGAIN) LOWE of Waunakee, Wis., died in March 2014, age 88.
1949 GEORGE EDWARD
ROBERT H. NELSON of Rock Falls, Iowa, died March 15, 2015, age 85.
ARNOLD “JUDGE” VEGLAHN of St. James, Minn., died Jan. 6, 2015, age 92.
1947
MARLYN HANSING of Bloomington, Minn., died Nov. 12, 2014, age 93. BERTHA (SIMONSON) NUMEDAHL of Owatonna, Minn., died Feb. 2, 2015, age 85.
1952 HELEN
LLOYD SWANTZ of Lahti, Finland, died Dec. 22, 2014, age 90.
MARION J. (BREMSETH) GLENNA of Mabel, Minn., died Feb. 25, 2015, age 91.
DONALD L. DOCKEN of Woodbury, Minn., died Nov. 5, 2014, age 91.
A. ROBERT “BOB” PEDERSON of Fargo, N.D., died Feb. 5, 2015, age 89.
age 86. MARJORIE JOANNE HALLBERG of Winona, Minn., died Jan. 14, 2015, age 83. OBED JOHN NESHEIM of Hacienda Heights, Calif., died Dec. 31, 2014, age 85.
1951
GEORGE HERBERT AUSTIN of Madison, Wis., died Dec. 16, 2015, age 84. RICHARD REM of Stoughton, Wis., died Oct. 5, 2014, age 86. JANICE E. (SIMONSON) WINCH of Rockford, Ill., died March 8, 2014, age 83.
ELAINE (HANSON) DEWITT of Mulberry, Ind., died Dec. 31, 2014, age 84.
1954
MARILYN R. (HEFTI) GORHAM of Lincoln, Neb., died Feb. 20, 2015, age 82. FLORENCE E. (HOLIEN) LARSON of Willmar, Minn., died Jan. 2, 2015, age 82.
IRENE (DAHLE) SCHOTT of Arvada, Colo., died Oct. 28, 2014, age 83.
HAROLD ANDERS ULRING of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., formerly of Minneapolis, died Sept. 19, 2013, age 81.
1955 JEAN (BROWN)
EITTREIM of Robbinsdale, Minn., died Nov. 26, 2014, age 81. RODNEY DEAN ENGEBRETSON of Onalaska, Wis., died Dec. 8, 2014, age 79.
PAUL M. HASVOLD of Decorah died Jan. 19, 2015, age 81.
SID KNUTSON of Surprise, Ariz., died July 16, 2014, age 79.
1956
RICHARD THEODORE JACOBSON of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Dec. 12, 2014, age 84. GERHARD O. “GARY” MUNSON of Watertown, S.D., died Sept. 16, 2014, age 81. ROGER SPILDE of Moorhead, Minn., died Oct. 31, 2014, age 85.
1957
GEORGE G. KNEPPLE of Hampton, N.H., died Jan. 24, 2015, age 79. BETTY RIKANSRUD NELSON of Decorah died March 8, 2015, age 80.
1958 ERIK PAUL JOHNSON of Lilburn, Ga., died Dec. 31, 2014, age 78.
VALBORG MARGARET (SUBY) ROGSTAD of Sun City, Texas, formerly of Sioux City and Decorah, Iowa, died Jan. 6, 2015, age 78.
Alumni News
1963 KAREN
1959
JAMES R. “LEWIE” LEWIS of Plymouth, Minn., died March 7, 2015, age 78. CAROLE B. (TANGEN) WENDLANDT of Mabel, Minn., died March 8, 2015, age 78. THOMAS MARVIN WRIGHT JR. of El Centro, Calif., died Oct. 13, 2014, age 77.
1960 DALE
BRIAN HOIDAHL of Palatine, Ill., died Nov. 16, 2014, age 76.
1961
ROBERT LEE ROHNE of Lyle, Minn., died Feb. 13, 2015, age 75.
1962 PETER D. HOLT of Humboldt, Iowa, died Sept. 30, 2014, age 73.
RICHARD NELSON of Beverly Hills, Fla., died Feb. 5, 2015, age 77.
ONA TOLLEFSON of Lancaster, Wis., formerly of Viroqua, Wis., died Nov. 20,
2014, age 73.
1964
DUANE E. HANSON of Middleton, Wis., died Feb. 24, 2015, age 72.
1965
DOLORES SANDE of Rochester, Minn., died Jan. 10, 2015, age 85. JOY MARGARET (ANDRESEN) WETZEL of Golden Valley, Minn., died Nov. 6, 2014, age 71.
1967
HERMAN J. TIEDEMAN of Watertown, Wis., died Feb. 20, 2015, age 69.
STEVEN SCOTT TURNBULL of Chicago died Aug. 30, 2014, age 66.
1976 JOSEPH O’DONNELL of Minneapolis died Jan. 9, 2014, age 61.
1983
MICHELE MARLENE VENABLE of Hollywood, Fla., died Nov. 8, 2014, age 53.
1971 DARYL
LORAN BOLSON of Lansing, Iowa, died Nov. 15, 2014, age 66.
1992
STEVE ROOT of Plymouth, Minn., died Nov. 29, 2014, age 45.
1972
NANCY ELIZABETH THOMAS of South Daytona, Fla., died Oct. 23, 2014, age 63.
1975 LAWRENCE A. CIMINO of Chicago died Feb. 22, 2015, age 61.
JAMES HORTON HELLER of Durham, N.C., died Oct. 29, 2014, age 61.
2009 BETH KAY (MICHELS) DECARLO of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died March 21, 2015, age 28.
JEREMY KLEIN of Plymouth, Minn., died February 15, 2015, age 30.
DIANE (RICARDO) NITSCHKE of Decorah died Dec. 29, 2014, age 75.
1968 LEE
ALAN “AL” BROWN of Saginaw, Mich., died Nov. 5, 2014, age 68.
HANS MIKKEL HANSON of Des Moines, Iowa, died Nov. 29, 2014, age 68. JOHN CHAO PHOTO
JOANNE O. (HAMBERG) HEGGEN of Fitchburg, Wis., died Nov. 30, 2014, age 78.
1970 CAROL J. (WEIST) JOAN ELLYN (BRINGEDAHL) SYVERSON of Tulsa, Okla., died Feb. 9, 2015, age 74.
CIROCCO of Chisago City, Minn., died March 4, 2015, age 66. LINDA (ZIBA) DICKES of Bennington, Neb., died Dec. 10, 2014, age 63.
1969 WALTER ORDWAY of Soldier, Iowa, died Nov. 17, 2014,
age 67. Ordway was reported missing in December 2014, when his truck was found at Oldham Recreation Area in Soldier three weeks after the last time anyone had heard from him. When his dog turned up dead in a nearby dam, law enforcement and community members assumed the worst. Ordway’s body was found in Oldham Pond on March 14, 2015.
Spring 2015 Luther Alumni Magazine
51
President’s Council
D
uring “move-in” weekend last summer, my husband and I joined incoming first-year students for orientation meetings, receptions, tours, and picnics. Throughout this busy weekend, Luther’s college pastors offered us opportunities to gather for worship and reflection. At these gatherings, we sang together a prayer that speaks movingly to the journeys we all as “first-years” were beginning: Take, oh, take me as I am; Summon out what I shall be; Set your seal upon my heart And live in me.* Singing this hymn again and again with the first-year students, I was reminded of the Luther College mission statement, which calls students, faculty, and staff to be “enlivened and transformed by encounters with one another, by the exchange of ideas, and by the life of faith and learning.” At Luther, students gather to live together in community, to engage with faculty and staff in a way of learning that disciplines minds and develops whole persons, and to discern their callings and prepare for their careers. During their years at Luther, students are encouraged, challenged, and inspired to “summon out what [they] shall be.” In classrooms, gyms, labs, rehearsal rooms, offices, performance halls, studios, and residence halls, Luther faculty and staff serve as teachers, coaches, mentors, and guides for Luther students as they learn, grow, and make decisions about their futures. For more than 150 years, Luther College has fulfilled its mission to be this very special and distinctive learning community. In this President’s Council report, we recognize the many alumni and friends of the college who have given generously to support Luther College at this important and significant level. As Luther’s 10th president, I am privileged to extend many thousand thanks to these alumni and friends and to all alumni and friends of Luther who so generously share their time, talents, and treasure to assure that Luther College thrives now and for many years to come. Soli Deo Gloria!
The following pages list individuals and organizations that have provided financial support to Luther College of $1,500 or more— or $750 or more for alumni in their first decade after graduation—in the past calendar year, January 1–December 31, 2014, and those who have provided $100,000 or more to the college cumulatively through December 31, 2014. In recognition of their leadership in giving, these donors qualify as members of the Luther College President’s Council. Gifts at all levels are vital in providing scholarship assistance for students, ensuring the success of academic and cocurricular programs, and meeting needs for technology, equipment, and facility maintenance and replacement.
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL LIFE MEMBERS This is a permanent record of recognition of those whose cumulative outright gifts total $100,000 or more, those who have established irrevocable planned gifts with remainder interest present values of $100,000 or more, those who have made irrevocable gifts of life insurance policies with cash values of $100,000 or more, or those who have contributed combinations thereof, as of December 31, 2014. The President’s Circle commemorates these pioneer presidents of Luther College: Peter Laurentius (Laur.) Larsen, served 1861– 1902; Christian Keyser Preus, 1902–21; Oscar Ludvig Olson, 1921–32; Ove J. H. Preus, 1932–48; and J.Wilhelm Ylvisaker, 1948–62.
President Paula J. Carlson, Ph.D.
*“Take, Oh, Take Me As I Am,” text and music, John L. Bell, b. 1949. Text and music © 1995 Wild Goose Resource Group, Iona Community Pearce Institute, GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission, OneLicense.net #A703437.
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Luther Alumni Magazine
President’s Council *Attained Life Membership and President’s Circle membership during the 2014 calendar year ◊ President’s Council Life member(s) whose cumulative giving increase from last year resulted in a move to a new President’s Circle level † Deceased
The Larsen Circle Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2014, total $1,000,000 or more. INDIVIDUALS Bruce ’68 and Janis (Zube) Altorfer ’70 †E.E. “Ray” ’59 and Shirley (Klingsheim) Bentdahl ’59 David ’63 and Brenda (Landsgard) Carlson ’73 David Carlson ’85 R. Eric ’61 and Cynthia (Aal) Carlson ’63 †Bert and †Bernice Cross †Bert and †Mildred Dahl †Edward Dahly Shelby and Gale Davis Orville and Kathleen Johnson †Ervin and †Phyllis Johnson Douglas ’82 and Shelly Kintzinger †John Kintzinger Jewel Kintzinger Day and Burtwin Day †Leon and †Helen Koebrick David ’64 and Camille Kundert Bradley ’86 and Jane (Dalen) Miller ’86 Neal ’59 and Gerry (Mosby) Nottleson ’59 Curtis Reiso ’54 †Milton and †Dorothy Roelfs Steven Schaver ’76 and Asunta Eizaguirre †Edgar ’38 and †Gerda Sersland Rebecca (Linnevold) ’71 and Robert Shaw ◊Arne ’80 and Ruth Sorenson ◊O. Jay and Patricia Tomson ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Nena Amundson ’56 Estate of Malcolm ’30 and Maybelle Estrem
CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS American Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America F.W. Olin Foundation Inc. Gardner & Florence Call Cowles Foundation ◊Howard Hughes Medical Institute Iowa College Foundation The Kresge Foundation Lilly Endowment Inc. Microsoft Corporation Qwest Communications International Inc. ◊Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
The Preus Circle Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2014, total $500,000 to $999,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous Rich ’74 and Candace (Grimm) Altorfer ’73 †E.J. and †Betty Altorfer †Arthur and †Helen Austin †Arthur ’30 and †Mary Louise Bergee *Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand †John ’33 and †Mildred Breiland Ronald ’59 and Gene (Flom) Calgaard ’58 †Roy ’26 and †Helen Carlson †Lillian Ellerman Daryl ’61 and Audrey (Pederson) Erdman ’61 John and Marilyn Gilbert ◊Richard ’64 and Joann (Harr) Hemp ’65 †Thomas and †Frances James †Herbert ’32 and Kay Johnson Sandy and Mick Lee ’57 ◊Ellen (Hanson) Lindop ’46 David ’64 and Pat Miller †Tilmar Moilien ’34 Donald Nelson Weston Noble ’43 Marti (Tomson) ’84 and William Rodamaker ◊†Sterling ’50 and †Vila (Kiel) Thompson ’51 †C. Harvey ’49 and Charleen Wilkins
ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Patricia Gunderson ’70 Estate of Leo Schafee CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS ◊Associated Colleges of the Midwest Bank of the West (formerly Community First National Bank) Decorah Bank and Trust IBM Corporation Fred Carlson Company, Inc. ◊The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation R.J. McElroy Trust Teagle Foundation Incorporated
The Olson Circle Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2014, total $250,000 to $499,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (3) Jutta F. Anderson †Glenn ’39 and †Delia Bergland †Harald ’25 and †Helen Bestul Alan ’55 and Sally Brudos Russell Bruemmer ’74 Wilfred ’53 and Ruth (Jensen) Bunge ’51 John and Carole Lea Cotton †Kathryn Engebretson ’77 E.D. and Helen Farwell †Kermit ’38 and †Jane (Haugen) Hanson ’39 †Lucille Heintz ◊Betty Hoff ’60 Helen (Peterson) ’52 and Jack Hustad Dennis and Carole Johnson †Darlene (Peterson) ’55 and Robert Jones Douglas ’73 and Sandra Kratz David ’69 and Julie Larson †Paul ’49 and Justine (Holum) Lionberger ’50 David Lubben ’74 and Nancy Kwam Paula (Hermeier) ’76 and Kurtis Meyer ’76 ◊Victoria (Dahly) ’73 and Randal Miller ’73 Glenn Nelson and Mary Jane Borelli †Walter ’50 and Virginia Nelson Alan ’61 and Linda Nordhem
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council †Carleton ’49 and Barbara (Orwoll) Nordschow ’49 Donald ’48 and Dorie Olson †Jeanne (Preus) Rost ’41 Marilyn (Haugen) ’66 and Jeff Roverud ’66 Walter ’59 and Amelia Rugland †Vernon Serfling John ’58 and Donna (Ferden) Suby ’59 Robert ’58 and Janet (Purmort) Tollund ’73 Joan (Catlin) ’63 and David Totten †Ollie ’49 and Pipka Ulvilden Michael Voltmer ’74 †Russell and †Margaret Wicks Michael and Barbara Wigley †Robert and †Jean Wigley Enwei Xie ’94 and Lynn Tonglao ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Robert Amunrud Estate of Wilbur Dosland Estate of Evelyn Evenson Estate of David Knudson ’61 Estate of Gordon Luce ’49 Estate of Duane Monette ’69 Estate of Ronald Olson ’65 Estate of William Seabold Estate of Halberta Steensland Estate of Ruth Steinmetz Estate of Laura Stoin CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Bruening Rock Products Inc. Bush Foundation Carlson Materials Company Inc. Davis United World College Scholars ExxonMobil Foundation The Jessie F. Hallett Charitable Trust Kinney-Lindstrom Foundation Inc. Luther College Woman’s Club Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Foundation *Norswing Foundation Northwest Area Foundation The Presser Foundation Thanks to Scandinavia, an Institute of the American Jewish Committee Voltmer Electric
The Ylvisaker Circle
Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2014, total $100,000 to $249,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (2) †Maynard ’39 and †Minerva Aaker *Richard ’64 and Barbara (Moen) Amundson ’65 H. George and Christine Anderson Jeffrey ’84 and MaryEllen (Palmquist) Anderson ’84 Lloyd and Kathy Anderson M.C. Anderson ’54 John and †Mabel Bale *Steven ’74 and Paulette (Engel) Barnes ’74 †Sissel Berdal Alvin ’55 and †Marilynn Berg Roger and Carol Berg Jon and Stephanie Bergquist Susan (Maclay) ’64 and Paul Blackman Donald ’51 and †Wanda Blockhus Marilyn Bohl ’56 Alvin ’54 and Marion Brekken Gregory ’78 and Karen Bruening †Harley and Joyce Carlson †Alan ’62 and Rebecca Carpenter Keith Christensen ’80 and Dawn DeinesChristensen ’82 †Lois (Brandt) Drews ’49 Dennis and Jolene Elmore James Field ’54 Dennis ’68 and Jean Flatness Timothy ’67 and †Janet (Strube) Fleming ’67 Luther ’49 and Ilene (Knutson) Forde ’46 Helene (Rowe) ’48 and †Edward Furst Callista (Bisek) ’88 and Newt Gingrich Ingeborg (Bader) Goessl ’60 J Bruce ’62 and Cosette (Cross) Goetsch ’63 Jan (Engle) ’62 and John Gray Leon and Linda Gregg George and Joann Hagen William ’61 and Dianne Halling †Henry and †Janet Halvorson Gene ’63 and Suzanne Haugland Ronald and †Lisa Have Adrian ’41 and †Evelyne Helgeson Sheldon ’52 and Renee (Aust) Hermanson ’54
†James ’49 and †Elizabeth Holey Robert and Arlene Houlihan David ’66 and Carole Hoyem †Reuben ’28 and †May Jacobson Glen ’70 and Kathy (Selzer) Johnson ’71 †Erling ’31 and †Geneva Johnson Timothy Jones and Annie Cardelus Marvin and Mary Klocke Stephen ’63 and Susan Kraabel Wendell ’58 and Judith (Davidson) Larsen ’60 †Percy ’45 and Constance (Dahl) Larson ’45 O. Dale ’61 and †Patricia Larson David Lietz ’88 and Suzette Westlyn Derrevere †Willard ’37 and Yvonne Linnevold †Walter Magnuson Ronald ’57 and Marilyn (Lokensgard) Martinson ’57 Paul ’81 and Miri (Peterson) Mattson ’81 David and Patricia Meyer †Frank ’37 and †Esther (Stephens) Miller ’37 Martin Mohr and Mary Lou Hull Mohr Bjorn ’64 and Margot Monson †David ’49 and †Betty Rikansrud Nelson ’57 Corinne and Harland Nelson Millard and LaVonne Nelson Roald ’54 and Ruth Nelson *Joan (Gunther) ’64 and Dick Niemiec Stephen ’81 and Kari Noltner Franklin Norman and Lynn Winger †Hildred (Kronlokken) ’54 Timothy ’87 and Molly Oitzman Marsha (Weckwerth) ’82 and Lee Olch †F. Milo ’58 and Carole Olson Steven ’68 and Connie (Marlow) Overholt ’71 †Edwin and Thelma Overholt J. Robert ’78 and Barbara Paulson Steven ’78 and Solveig (Storvick) Pollei ’79 †Esther Porter †Herman ’16 and †Florence Preus †Lucile Brickner Brown Price †Mary Margaret Roberts ’44 *Janet Robertson ’60 †Esther Rodda Robert ’51 and Lucille Rosholt Dale ’62 and Catherine Ruosch J. Stephen ’68 and Lin (Mathieu) Schmidt ’70
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council †Floyd and †Mary Lou (Schmitt) Sollien ’68 Jon and Rebecca Stellmacher Steven ’81 and Carmen (Hansen) Stenhaug ’82 Karen (Mathews) ’65 and Mark Stuart *Richard ’72 and Jane Theiler Brad ’81 and Meg Thompson *James ’86 and Kathy (Winter) Thomsen ’85 †Henry Tollefson Paul ’73 and Rebecca (Larson) Torgerson ’73 Richard and Judith Torgerson Terry Trimpe ’70 Jerry ’57 and Barbara Twedt Thomas ’62 and Juanita Vaaler Joseph ’80 and Greer Whitters John ’57 and Carol Witt †Arlo ’43 and Agnes (Kvaase) Woolery ’43 †Paul ’39 and Mary Anne Wulfsberg †James Ylvisaker ’60 ESTATE GIFTS Anonymous Estate of Margaret Baker Estate of Ruth Benson Estate of Karen Berg Estate of Clara Bonthron Estate of David Borders ’73 Estate of Michael ’38 and Betty Borge Estate of Edwin Bottolfson ’22 Estate of O.L. Enstad Estate of Harlan Flatjord Estate of Marie Gunther Estate of O.M. Haaland Estate of Alvida Hale Estate of Lucille Hamilton Estate of Carole Hanson ’60 Estate of Dorothy Haugen Estate of Harry and Selma Hougan Estate of Herbert Jacobson ’33 Estate of Martin ’19 and Avis Jenson Estate of Betty Juhasz Estate of Linka Kempf Estate of Delores Kudej Estate of Affry Lerol Estate of Elizabeth Nasvik Estate of Leo Naughton Estate of Inga Nelson Estate of Justin ’41 and Milly (Meyer) Nelson ’44
Estate of Alice Paulson Estate of Melvin Rasmussen Estate of Walter ’29 and Nora Rugland Estate of Maynord Steensgard ’52 Estate of Genevieve Stelberg Estate of Josephine Thostenson Estate of Gertrude Tingelstad ’41 Estate of Henrietta Torgerson ’39 Estate of Theodore Vagts Estate of G. Norman Wigeland *†Margaret (Barth) Wold ’41
CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The American Scandinavian Foundation *The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Col. L.C. Christensen Charitable and Religious Foundation Deco Products Company Dr. J.E. Salsbury Foundation Ernest W. Hallett Charitable Trust First Lutheran Church, Decorah, Iowa Hawkeye Stages Inc. The Hearst Foundation Inc. Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family Foundation Hormel Foods Corporation Interstate Power Company John Deere Foundation The Joyce Foundation Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company Research Corporation S.C. Johnson Wax Fund Inc. Spahn & Rose Lumber Company *Wells Fargo The William Penn Foundation W.K. Kellogg Foundation
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL CALENDAR YEAR DONORS °Donor whose gifts total $1,500 or more to the Annual Fund in the past calendar year, January 1, 2014–December 31, 2014 † Deceased
President’s Executive Cabinet Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $50,000 or more. INDIVIDUALS Richard ’64 and Barbara (Moen) Amundson ’65 °Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand °Russell Bruemmer ’74 °R. Eric ’61 and Cynthia (Aal) Carlson ’63 Kent ’57 and Mitzi Evenstad °Helene (Rowe) Furst ’48 °David ’64 and Camille Kundert °Ellen (Hanson) Lindop ’46 °Joan (Gunther) ’64 and Dick Niemiec °Neal ’59 and Gerry (Mosby) Nottleson ’59 °Marti (Tomson) ’84 and William Rodamaker °Arne ’80 and Ruth Sorenson °Richard ’72 and Jane Theiler O. Jay and Patricia Tomson ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Margaret (Barth) Wold ’41 CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associated Colleges of the Midwest °Decorah Bank and Trust Howard Hughes Medical Institute Iowa College Foundation The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Norswing Foundation Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc. Sodexo, Inc. °Thrivent Financial
President’s Associates
Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $25,000 to $49,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous Carol (Lewerer) Banks ’69
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council °Steven ’74 and Paulette (Engel) Barnes ’74 Debra (Engelstad) ’74 and Mark Elstad Ingeborg (Bader) Goessl ’60 Richard ’64 and Joann (Harr) Hemp ’65 °Michael ’78 and Amy (Kiesler) Kust ’78 °Sandy and Mick Lee ’57 Cy ’76 and Ramona (Feller) Nelson ’75 David ’59 and Joy Roslien °James ’86 and Kathy (Winter) Thomsen ’85 Joan (Catlin) ’63 and David Totten °Donna (Wangsness) ’64 and James Weigle Melissa Willenborg ’02
President’s Academy
Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $10,000 to $24,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous Lewis and Margaret Agnew Jutta F. Anderson Thomas Berge ’50 Susan (Maclay) ’64 and Paul Blackman Alvin ’54 and Marion Brekken Wilfred ’53 and Ruth (Jensen) Bunge ’51 °Ronald ’59 and Gene (Flom) Calgaard ’58 °Evelyn (Henderson) Costley ’41 John and Carole Lea Cotton °Wendy (Jaycox) ’92 and Thor Davidson ’93 Jonathan ’90 and Dawn Doering James Field ’54 °Craig Fox ’83 Leon and Linda Gregg Larry and Diane Grimstad °Gene ’63 and Suzanne Haugland °Ronald and †Lisa Have °David ’66 and Carole Hoyem Helen (Peterson) ’52 and Jack Hustad Glen ’70 and Kathy (Selzer) Johnson ’71 Haldis (Solem) Kaasa ’81 Jewel Kintzinger Day and Burtwin Day °David ’69 and Julie Larson David Lubben ’74 and Nancy Kwam Paula (Hermeier) ’76 and Kurtis Meyer ’76 Bradley ’86 and Jane (Dalen) Miller ’86 David ’64 and Pat Miller Bjorn ’64 and Margot Monson
Virginia Nelson °Alan ’61 and Linda Nordhem Timothy ’87 and Molly Oitzman °Marsha (Weckwerth) ’82 and Lee Olch °Steven ’68 and Connie (Marlow) Overholt ’71 °J. Robert ’78 and Barbara Paulson Cheryl and Drew Pellett Lowell ’58 and Mary Peterson Sara (Wooster) Richardson ’69 Janet Robertson ’60 Walter ’59 and Amelia Rugland °Rebecca (Linnevold) ’71 and Robert Shaw Melvyn ’63 and Ingrid (Jacobson) Smith ’63 °Susan Sorlien ’73 and Thomas Jones °Steven ’81 and Carmen (Hansen) Stenhaug ’82 Olin ’49 and †Ruth (Struxness) Storvick ’47 °Diane (Baum) ’72 and Gaylord Thormodsgard °Paul ’73 and Rebecca (Larson) Torgerson ’73 °Lance ’79 and Shari Vander Linden °Judith (Johnson) ’88 and Paul Vijums Cassandra Warner ’85 °Larry ’83 and Jane Winter Enwei Xie ’94 and Lynn Tonglao °James ’81 and Jodi (Palma) Young ’81 ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Minerva Aaker Estate of Richard Anderson ’48 Estate of Edward Boyken ’34 Estate of Darlene Lidvall-Stevenson Estate of Sandra Osler CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Bruening Rock Products, Inc. Davis United World College Scholars °ExxonMobil Foundation Fjelstul Funeral Home Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest °The Medtronic Foundation °Wells Fargo Winneshiek Medical Center
President’s Affiliates
Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $5,000 to $9,999. INDIVIDUALS °Jeffrey ’84 and MaryEllen (Palmquist) Anderson ’84 Michael ’99 and Carryn (Ensrude) Anderson ’99 Roger ’48 and Amme Anderson David and Candace Arp Barbara (Kleene) ’72 and Daniel Babine Luong Banh Charles Banta ’13 °Charles ’73 and Ann (Christensen) Beatty ’75 Matthew Birkenholz ’03 and Kelly Woods Birkenholz ’03 °Ronald and Ann Bolinger Quentin and Inez Boyken Alan ’55 and Sally Brudos °John ’53 and M. Jean Bruemmer David ’63 and Brenda (Landsgard) Carlson ’73 †E. Roald and Marjorie Carlson °Paula Carlson and Thomas Schattauer °Keith Christensen ’80 and Dawn DeinesChristensen ’82 Martin ’91 and Michele Cole °Craig Cornelius ’74 and Ann HaddenCornelius Eric ’99 and Julia Cutler Donald ’68 and Joanne Davidson Jeffrey ’80 and Joni Dotseth Randa Duvick ’78 and Dave Grosnick °Charles ’73 and Janice (Knutson) Engebretson ’74 °James and Elizabeth Ericksen °Dennis ’68 and Jean Flatness James ’64 and Judith (Larson) Fogdall ’65 J Bruce ’62 and Cosette (Cross) Goetsch ’63 Richard ’50 and Eileen Grindeland Korey and Sam Hake Suzanne (Knoll) ’65 and John Hales Richard Simon Hanson ’53 Mark ’71 and Lois (Lebakken) Helland ’71 Fay Henning-Bryant ’64 and Delano Bryant Christopher ’89 and Jennifer (Jenkins) Hubbs ’95 °Katherine Johnson-Becklin
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council Jonathan ’85 and Sandra (Neitzel) Joppa ’87 Jane Kemp °Alice (Hogenson) Kienberger-Iverson ’54 and Melvin Iverson °Stephen ’63 and Susan Kraabel °Lyle Kruegel ’63 Timothy and Sarah Krumm °George Kuh ’68 Warren ’74 and Mary Kuh Mary Kust Reginald and Jerilyn Laursen °Ronald ’61 and Jean Lee °David Lietz ’88 and Suzette Derrevere Joel ’88 and Laurence Ludvigsen Jon Lund Dale and Kathleen Lyndahl °David and Patricia Meyer °Victoria (Dahly) ’73 and Randal Miller ’73 Suzanne (Roverud) ’96 and Corey Mineck Paula (Bedford) ’68 and Paul Moucka Jan Nelson ’70 †Betty Rikansrud Nelson ’57 °Glenn Nelson and Mary Jane Borelli °Roald ’54 and Ruth Nelson Stephen ’81 and Kari Noltner Franklin Norman and Lynn Winger Bradley Paulsrud ’05 and Kirsten (Sparks) Paulsrud ’04 °Hamlet ’54 and Suzanne Peterson Alexander Platt Curtis ’60 and Ann (Knutson) Rotto ’61 °Marilyn (Haugen) ’66 and Jeff Roverud ’66 Dale ’62 and Catherine Ruosch Robert ’68 and Dell Ann (Kappus) Sathe ’68 °Britt Sather ’78 °Steven Schaver ’76 and Asunta Eizaguirre °Corey ’98 and Tonya (Schwers) Schmidt ’97 °Susan (Riley) ’90 and Mark Schneider ’90 Steve ’72 and Susan Sorenson Scott ’89 and Laura (Anderson) Stevens ’92 Karen (Mathews) ’65 and Mark Stuart °David and Martha Tiede Matthew ’01 and Jaime (Rowe) Titus ’00 Brenda (Hustrulid) ’94 and Dan Vansteenburg °Michael Voltmer ’74 Kim Wall ’79 Jody Wettach ’86 Joseph ’80 and Greer Whitters
ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Ieva Asmyte ’50 Estate of Rhoda Nelson Estate of Grace Olson CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Bank of the West Casper Plumbing and Heating Deco Products Company °Google Matching Gifts Program Gundersen Health System Inc. IBM Corporation Kinney-Lindstrom Foundation Inc. Lutheran Community Foundation °Microsoft Corporation The Monticello College Foundation
President’s Society
Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $1,500 to $4,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (6) Scott Addington ’69 °Darrin ’90 and Amy Ahrens Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82 °Bruce ’68 and Janis (Zube) Altorfer ’70 Hazel (Milbrath) Amundson ’39 °Terry Anderson ’62 Dennis and Corinne Anderson Kenneth Anderson ’58 °M.C. Anderson ’54 Avis (Lovell) Andre ’57 °Peter and Berit Andreone °Karen Angell ’80 Jack Anundsen °Jeffrey ’89 and Angela (Carlson) Arndt ’88 Sharon (Zumdahl) ’70 and Stanley Asp °Roger ’63 and Eleanor (Roe) Ault ’64 Glenn ’62 and Karen (Swain) Austad ’62 °Michael ’65 and Karen (Wardell) Austad ’64 °Sally Swab Austin ’70 and Bradford Austin °Russell ’63 and Sandra (Edgren) Ayers ’64 Kelly and Allison Bachelder °Ruth Ann Bachman ’75 and Thomas Gallagher
Vernon ’50 and Donna (Haugen) Bahr ’53 Shirley Baker John Bale John ’83 and Karla (Nelson) Balk ’83 °Roger ’71 and Peggy Bang Nancy K. Barry Steven ’74 and Nancy Barry Eugene and Aneila Barth °Ann (Birdsall) ’71 and Byron Beasley °Marion ’75 and Peggy (Hall) Beatty ’74 Matthew ’92 and Kristine Beatty Lori (Beckman) Conway ’83 °Loren ’59 and Betty (Eide) Behm ’57 °Naomi (Flugstad) ’44 and Owen Bekkum °Donald ’56 and Barbara Berg Ann (Gulsvig) ’67 and John Bergstad Lance ’86 and Ruth Bergstrom Steven ’74 and Linda (Kennedy) Berry ’74 °Steven ’84 and Marsha Birchard Carol Birkland ’67 and Thomas Woxland Jacob ’01 and Catherine (Poetker) Bjork ’01 °Richard ’71 and Louann (Peterson) Bjorlo ’67 °Donald Blockhus ’51 Paul Blom ’91 °Nancy (Larson) Bluemel ’62 °Warren ’60 and Maryellen (Amundson) Boe ’61 °William ’95 and Kirsten (Stumme) Bohmer ’94 Kimberly (Carlson) ’02 and Andrew Bonnet Larry Bonney ’85 Eric Bookmeyer ’96 and Erin Peterson ’97 Glenn ’66 and Mary (Jorgenson) Borreson ’66 °Jake ’61 and Shirley Bostrom °Jeff ’81 and Shawn Bouslog James ’64 and Sharon Boyce °John ’61 and Julie (Seegmiller) Braaten ’67 David ’80 and Kathy (Haugland) Brandt ’82 °Rolf ’91 and Deirdre Brekken Darsi (Doyl) ’87 and Derek Brown °Renee (Anderson) ’72 and Charles Brown Amy (Carlson) ’92 and Keith Bruening ’80 John ’59 and Dorothy Brugge °Brian and Kathy Buchholz Marilyn (Myrah) Bunge ’51 Mary Bunge Docken ’79 and Don Lucas Don ’53 and Joan Bungum
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council °David Bunt ’78 John ’87 and Susan Bunz Adam ’06 and Molly (Sheppard) Burk ’07 °Julie (Rovang) ’63 and Donald Burton Lori Koch Cannestra ’82 and Paul Cannestra Jean (Flom) Carlson ’58 Joyce Carlson Michael ’85 and Susanne Carney Brenda Case ’94 and Richard Vonder Embse Rocklon ’73 and Barb (Donaldson) Chapin ’73 Larry ’65 and Karen (Aaker) Chellevold ’65 °Dennis ’63 and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ ’66 Ardis Fiskerbeck Christen ’59 °Rodney ’79 and Deborah Christensen °Ronald ’61 and Judith Christian Birgitte (Povelsen) ’73 and John Christianson Anne (Marking) ’62 and Myrvin Christopherson Jon ’84 and Janeen (Fowler) Christy ’93 Leofwin and JoBeth Clark Kristine Cleary ’78 and Peter Coffey °David ’80 and Wendy (Hillesland) Coe ’80 Richard and JoAnn Cole °Michele Cooley ’92 and John Gluesing °John ’60 and Diane Crawford Erno ’52 and Suzanne (Preus) Dahl ’53 James ’72 and Jeanne (Tormoen) Daubendiek ’72 °William ’62 and Judith (Ream) Davis ’62 David ’71 and Jenee (Nelson) Dettmann ’72 Jean Dickson ’89 °Rodney ’80 and Lisa Dir °Ronald ’64 and Barbara (Erickson) Dodd ’67
Mark ’70 and Vicki (Mohlis) Donhowe ’70 °Michael Dorner ’86 °Edward Dosh ’70 Gregory ’61 and Carol Dotseth Laura Dotseth ’86 and David Larsen Louise Dovre Bjorkman ’82 and John Bjorkman °Alice (Ranum) ’49 and Leonard Drake °Ruth Drews ’76 and Dean Peckham Sue (Franzen) ’78 and Jack Drilling Samuel Drong ’04 and Rebecca Franklin ’05 °Douglas Duin ’77 and Ann Hill Duin ’77 Shannon (Miller) ’95 and DeLane Duval Richard ’64 and Patricia (McCullough) Edwards ’63 °Tami Ehlers ’01 Charles Enge ’58 Henrik ’57 and Marcia (Borreson) Engebretson ’58 Karen (Johnson) ’64 and Carl Engelhardt °Joan (Rod) Engquist ’54 Daryl ’61 and Audrey (Pederson) Erdman ’61 Karla (Luzum) ’89 and Lindsay Erdman Nathan ’98 and Anne Ersig °Peter Espinosa ’81 and Kari Tollefson Espinosa ’84 °Peggy and Bryan Ettestad °Joann (Halvorson) Evans ’52 Jodene Evans ’84 David ’79 and Rachel (Andersen) Faldet ’78 Brett Fenske ’97 and Heather KeeslerFenske °Patrick ’00 and Katrin (Aarestad) Fergus ’00 Gregory ’77 and Victoria Fields
Kenton ’54 and Lois Finanger Mark ’77 and Lois (Dunleavy) Finanger ’77 °Nancy Fincham ’85 °Elizabeth Fiskerbeck Bruening ’58 Bob ’66 and Lynne Fjelstul °Timothy Fleming ’67 °Larry ’62 and Marilyn Fogdall Luther ’49 and Ilene (Knutson) Forde ’46 Gene Frank ’69 Kevin ’00 and Kimberly (Turner) Frantz ’00 °Laura (Charlson) ’89 and David Frazier Ronald ’61 and Karen (Paulson) Fretheim ’63 °Terence ’56 and Faith (Luzum) Fretheim ’56 °Wilmer ’48 and Margaret (Nelson) Fure ’48 Jerry ’64 and Mary Gehle °Gary ’74 and Sandra Gilderhus °Carl Glamm ’69 Nancy Gossell ’74 °Steven ’76 and Julie (Huntting) Grandgeorge ’77 °Kristopher ’82 and Kathryn (Willi) Gregersen ’81 Maryln (Johnson) Grimm ’50 Ben and Padrin Grimstad Joseph ’98 and Ann Grimstad °David ’85 and Janet Gross °Laura (Stordahl) ’03 and Tyler Guenzel C. Carlyle ’55 and Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland ’56 °Vernon Haas ’52 James ’72 and Susan (Hammond) Haemker ’74 J. Mark ’69 and †Karen (Trygstad) Halvorson ’69
“
We have been able to sponsor an annual student life award. While recognizing and assisting an underclass campus leader, it has enabled us to be a part of the ongoing mission of Luther College. Giving back has been an honor and a blessing.” —Laurie and Roger Krahn ’68
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council °Larry ’68 and Jane (Hoplin) Hansen ’68 °Thomas ’77 and Joyce Hansen Bradley and Marion Hanson Eugene ’59 and Naomi (Borreson) Hanson ’61 °Paul ’68 and Lorene (Wogen) Hanson ’69 °Rhys ’56 and Kathleen Hanson Lori Happel-Jarratt ’89 and Al Jarratt Steven ’84 and Denae (Erdman) Harder ’87 °J. Bruce ’48 and Beverly Harstad °Brian and Julie Hart °Jon and Mary Hart °Lee ’84 and Linda (Rosholt) Hash ’85 John ’00 and Jennifer (Cords) Hatlevig ’00 °Corey ’94 and Carla (Paulsen) Haugen ’93 °Dean ’91 and Pamela (Brown) Haugen ’89 °Gerald ’62 and Sally Haugen °Irene (Schulz) ’53 and Chester Hausken Alan Hecht ’80 and Kristin Swanson ’80 Alan ’58 and †Joanne (Olene) Heggen ’59 Adrian ’41 and †Evelyne Helgeson Bruce Helgeson Thomas Hellie ’75 and Julie Olds David ’76 and Sue Henderson Kristine (Hahn) ’85 and David Henderson Steven ’73 and Virginia (Fixsen) Hendrickson ’72 °Darrell Henning ’62 and Terry Sparkes Daniel ’06 and Allison (Kruger) Herman ’07 °Sheldon ’52 and Renee (Aust) Hermanson ’54 Gene ’53 and Ruby (Totman) Hermeier ’53 °Avis Herseth Norma Hervey Michael ’81 and Rhonda Hicks Ann Highum and Jerry Freund °Edward ’63 and Sharon (Madson) Hill ’63 °Elaine Ottmers Hill ’77 and Paul Hill °Lavern ’49 and Jean Hillesland James ’71 and Diane (Vlahovich) Hinrichs ’71 Terry ’64 and Judith (Nerby) Hjelkrem ’65 °Michael Hjelmeland ’01 and Wen Zhao °Barry ’83 and Lisa (Schulz-Fincke) Hoff ’83 Betty Hoff ’60 Donald and Mavis Hoffman °Pat Holman ’72 and Philip Wangberg ’70 Philip ’98 and Lorelee Hood °Corey ’99 and Sarah Hoodjer °Janice (Anderson) ’57 and Roger Horn Robert and Arlene Houlihan
°Philip ’87 and Sarah (Henning) Iversen ’87 Steven ’69 and Edith (Held) Jacobsen ’69 Jane Jakoubek Julie (Lyng) ’90 and Herman Jass ’89 °Lawrence and Mildred Jensen °Arthur ’67 and Jacqueline Johnson °Curtis ’84 and Lisa (Villarreal) Johnson ’86 John ’83 and Lucina Johnson °Kent ’83 and Lee (Knoernschild) Johnson ’85 Kirk ’82 and Kerry (Kramer) Johnson ’83 °Orville and Kathleen Johnson °Scott Johnson ’80 and Naomi Nowland ’80 °Terry ’81 and Jone (McDonald) Johnson ’82 Tracy Johnson ’92 William Johnson Beth Jones Donald and Cynthia Jones °Robert Jones °Timothy Jones and Annie Cardelus °Shirley (Stark) ’61 and Travis Jorde °Daniel Jordet ’78 °Brian Jorgensen ’80 and Richard Pietz °Karen Julesberg ’60 °Curtis and Edith Julson Michael ’98 and Heidi (Hingeveld) Jung ’00 David ’68 and Rayna Kaasa Edward and Elizabeth Kaschins °Ruth Kath Scott ’87 and Ruth (Berschet) Kauls ’88 °Eric ’87 and Laura (Doorenbos) Kehrberg ’91 °Michael ’89 and Julie Kinsel Douglas ’82 and Shelly Kintzinger °Lawrence ’54 and Mary (Buchholz) Kipfer ’55 Joy Hovick Kissel ’93 and Kevin Kissel °Wayne ’61 and Alyce Kivell °Helen (Legler) ’59 and Hans Kneubuhler °Harriet Knudson °William ’70 and Carolyn (Peterson) Kobler ’70 Fred ’73 and Stephanie (Hanson) Koch ’73 °Lesley (Dressen) ’00 and Jonathan Kochel °Joanne (Gray) Kolstad ’53 °Walter ’49 and Helen Korsrud Roger ’68 and Laurie Krahn Christopher Kramer ’91 Douglas ’73 and Sandra Kratz Dennis and Holly Kruger Michael ’87 and Amy (Larsen) Krull ’89
°Jon Kucera ’74 and Susan Graham °Lynn Kvalness ’64 °Meredith Kvalness ’69 °Donna Lager ’79 and Steven Jacobsen Eric ’00 and Jennifer (Filteau) Lahaie ’99 °Charles ’70 and Christine (Lindgren) Lane ’70 °Walter ’52 and Adeline (Lovstuen) Langland ’50 April Ulring Larson ’72 and Judd Larson ’74 Amy (Zalk) ’96 and Matthew Larson °Brian ’00 and Rachel (Forde) Larson ’99 °Marcy (Petersen) ’96 and Eric Larson °O. Dale ’61 and †Patricia Larson Robert and Marilynn Larson Rob and Sandra Larson Ping-Yee ’69 and Judy Law °Rebecca (Knutson) ’79 and Lee Lawrence °Lisa Laxson ’91 and Curt Clifton James and Catherine Lee °Jon ’62 and Stefani (Monson) Lee ’62 Ronald Lee ’62 and Marie Bender-Lee Dennis ’71 and Barbara Linderbaum °†Willard ’37 and Yvonne Linnevold Justine (Holum) Lionberger ’50 Jerrold ’62 and Elizabeth Lokensgard °Constance Lomen °William ’67 and Karen (Porter) Long ’67 Elaine (Wischhoff) Looft ’57 and Bill Schulz James ’85 and Martha (Anderson) Looft ’83 Joan (Fjeldstad) Losen ’53 °William ’56 and Maxine Losen Russell ’58 and Juanita (Zeman) Loven ’56 Warren Luckner ’68 and Mary Carr Luckner Gregg ’90 and Jennifer Luther °LaRoy ’60 and Lila Luther °Kari (Dokken) ’94 and Christopher Lyle David and Deborah MacKenzie Debora Madsen ’73 and John Cznadel Christine Magnuson ’74 °Cecelia (Nybro) ’78 and Brian Manlove Lisa Manzey Adelmann ’87 and Steve Adelmann Thomas ’91 and Jill (Johnson) Marquardt ’91 James and Karen Martin-Schramm Ronald ’57 and Marilyn (Lokensgard) Martinson ’57 °John and Rebecca Mason Paul ’81 and Miri (Peterson) Mattson ’81
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council °Stephen ’68 and Margeen (Bolson) Mau ’69 Richard ’77 and Mary Mayerchak °Timothy ’84 and Mindy McCarthy James ’91 and Wendy McCreight James and Helen Meehan °Bruce ’52 and Rosella (Gjere) Melaas ’52 °John and Marcia Metzger Edward and Ilse Meyer °Todd ’93 and Nicole Michaels °Pauline (Amundson) ’72 and Les Miller David and Bridgette Mitchell Martin Mohr and Mary Lou Hull Mohr Luther ’51 and IvaNell (Mundt) Monson ’51 Katherine Moody ’01 Benjamin Moore ’02 and Sarah Frydenlund ’05 †Lennis ’72 and Sandra (Sabin) Moore ’74 Andrew ’94 and Beth (Keller) Mork ’96 °Michael ’74 and Janice (Gjesvold) Mostrom ’74 Carolyn Mottley Jeffrey and Janet Mozena °Kimberly (Gass) ’92 and John Mueller Mark Muggli and Carol Gilbertson Paul ’79 and Catherine Elise (Barton) Mullen ’80 °Eric ’91 and Kimberly (Latzke) Muller ’93 Dale ’64 and Helen Mundahl °Michael Musgrave ’86 James and Ramona Myott Roselle (Olson) Naeseth ’44 Robert ’65 and Ann (Aaker) Naslund ’66 °A.P. ’43 and Borghild (Teigland) Nassen ’43 °Carolyn (Nuttall) ’62 and James Nelson
°Connie (Jolstad) Nelson ’60 Dean ’69 and Barbara Nelson Doug Nelson ’82 Gerald ’62 and Andrea (Cowles) Nelson ’63 Corinne and Harland Nelson Jeffrey Nelson and Susan Anderson-Nelson °Lloyd Nelson ’51 °Millard and LaVonne Nelson Luther ’64 and Marilyn Nervig °Lori (Adelmund) ’86 and Joseph Nettleton °Peter ’97 and Jennifer (Larsen) Newburg ’99 °David ’77 and Mary Kay Nichols °Jared Nichols ’02 °Robert ’64 and Ann Niedringhaus °Bradley and Laura Nielsen Dale and Sunny Nimrod Weston Noble ’43 Deborah Norland ’75 and James Bovee Sylvia (Schey) Norland ’47 °Chip ’82 and Jari Norris °Andrew Nottleson ’90 and Lizabeth Diekema ’90 °Jonathan Nowland ’83 and Christi Munson Nowland ’80 °Ronald ’54 and Frieda (Mindrum) Nowland ’54 °Susan Oberman Smith ’83 and Douglas Smith °Eloise (Mosbo) ’64 and Richard Obman °Eileen O’Brien Denner ’84 and Keith Denner Francis ’59 and Miriam (Strum) Odden ’62 Jackson Ode ’93 and Cara Kennedy-Ode ’94 Paul ’97 and Melissa Odenbach
Ordean and Carol Oen Angela (Spartz) ’00 and Patrick O’Keefe °Patrick O’Leary and Amaria Najem O’Leary °Kristen (Kollmorgen) ’88 and Lon Olejniczak Jeffrey Olinger ’85 and Heidi Miller-Olinger °Christine Olsen ’78 and Tom Roth Jeremy Olsen ’02 and Katie Murphy-Olsen °A. Richard ’59 and Martha (Smith) Olson ’59 °Carole Olson °Dale ’74 and Anne (Kruse) Olson ’74 °David ’79 and Siobhan Olson °Donald ’48 and Dorie Olson °Eric ’85 and Virginie Olson °Helen (Stuepfert) ’69 and John Olson °O. Rolf ’53 and Gertrude (Kolstad) Olson ’54 °Richard ’59 and Vicki Olson Timothy O’Neill ’74 and Cynthia Linder O’Neill ’76 James ’77 and Mary (Stoneman) Oppermann ’77 Kevin ’06 and Keely Oppermann George ’67 and Carole (Rust) Orness ’69 °Michael Osterholm ’75 and Barbara Colombo Thelma Overholt °Dan ’89 and Theresa (Anderson) Owens ’89 Jeffrey ’81 and Nancy Paulson Martha (Hovde) Paulson Bergsrud ’64 and Fred Bergsrud Allen ’69 and Karen (Anderson) Peckham ’69
“
As parents of a Luther graduate, we are glad to be part of the Luther family. The combination of academic excellence and musical opportunities made Luther College the perfect choice for our daughter. We want to help ensure that other students can have the Luther experience. When a college community is this remarkable, it is important to give back. We are proud to support a school that has made such a difference in our lives.” —Patrick O’Leary and Amaria Najem O’Leary
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council
“
We give back to Luther because it equipped us with critical thinking, communication, and people skills, so we can live and work in a rapidly changing world. Catching the first glimpse of the old cottonwood tree and walking past the bell on campus makes us feel part of Luther’s past, present, and future. We want to make sure that new generations of students can call Luther home too.” —Dave ’80 and Wendy (Hillesland) Coe ’80
Mark ’82 and Catherine (Eichmann) Penning ’83 °Dale and Judy Peter Roger Petersen and Susan SandholmPetersen °Colleen (Voehl) Peterson ’58 Gregory Peterson ’83 and Ann Sponberg Peterson °Karen (Nilsestuen) Peterson ’65 Steven ’77 and Marcia (Hoff) Pitzenberger ’78 Connie Plaehn ’75 Steven ’78 and Solveig (Storvick) Pollei ’79 James ’78 and Sandra Potter °Penelope (Smith) ’77 and David Pratt David ’43 and Ann Preus °Jonathan ’61 and Mary Preus ’63 °Mark ’81 and Mary Pribbenow °Paul Pribbenow ’78 and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow Vance Prigge ’93 °Marit (Running) ’58 and M. Franklin Pudas °David ’83 and Karen Quinby Craig ’92 and Renee (Lysne) Rabe ’95 °Brian ’64 and Gloria (Evans) Rainer ’65 °Janice Rambow Beatty ’77 Judith (Miller) ’62 and David Ranheim Jeff and Brenda Rasmussen °Ann Rathe ’87 Richard and Jill Reed Brett Reese ’81 °Scot Reisinger ’96 and Heather Schacht Reisinger ’96 °Curtis Reiso ’54 Phillip and Ruth Reitan Brian ’98 and April (Johnson) Remfrey ’98 Mary Lynn (Swenson) ’79 and David Rettig Kathleen (Fjone) Richardson ’60
Ron ’02 and Dana (Meinders) Robinson ’02 Waldron ’58 and Arlene (Riegel) Rosheim ’59 °L. Darlene Rosholt °Robert ’51 and Lucille Rosholt Hans ’90 and Mary (Mathews) Rotto ’90 Kathryn (Hermanson) Rotto ’57 Alma Rotto-Morgan ’61 °Richard ’61 and Julaine Rud Steven Runde ’97 Kevin ’72 and Leslie (Smith) Sand ’74 Harlan ’82 and Sonja Satrom °Gina Sauer ’86 and Troy Bader Joyce (Reynolds) ’65 and Al Saul °Paul ’73 and Nancy (Fredrickson) Savre ’73 °Russell Savre ’68 Kristen Schlauderaff ’78 and Larry Lindmark Sylvia (Nervig) ’66 and Donald Schmid °Darrell Schmidt ’80 and Julie Mall °J. Stephen ’68 and Lin (Mathieu) Schmidt ’70 °Brad Schmugge ’93 Peter and Diane Scholl Paul ’43 and Camille Schroeder Paul ’98 and Jody (Daubendiek) Schulte ’98 °David ’77 and Dawn (Hovden) Schweizer ’78 Helen Schweizer Scott Searl ’94 °Robert Seaver ’57 °Thomas ’67 and Mary Severson °Bruce ’82 and Kari (Nottleson) Shatzer ’82 Stephen ’71 and Katie (Kvale) Sheppard ’71 Anjela Shutts ’93 and Peter Kitundu °Lisa Small Steinbauer ’88 and Mark Steinbauer °Mark Smeby ’70 and Joanie Sheahan
Steven ’95 and Maria (Bringer) Smith ’95 °Eugene ’58 and Wanda Soland Arlen ’58 and Carole Solie °Allan ’60 and LaVonne (Leng) Solomonson ’61 °Larry ’63 and Aniko Solomonson °Allen ’63 and Judith Soltow Ryan Sommers ’04 †Barbara (Knutson) ’62 and Nyle Spalding °C. Robert ’66 and Sondra Sperati Richard Staff ’69 °John Stalbaum ’67 David ’77 and Lori (Van Gerpen) Stanley ’80 °Gwen Hamilton Starr ’81 and Steven Starr Richard ’74 and Mary (Edwards) Steinberg ’76 °Jon and Rebecca Stellmacher °Jessica (Turall) ’01 and Andrew Stenz Bill and Meredyth Stern °Carter ’83 and Michele (Mertens) Stevens ’83 Wendy (Tessman) ’69 and James Stevens Kent ’85 and Laurel Stock Carol (Barth) ’75 and Timothy Stoddard John ’83 and Jane Stoneman °Paul ’66 and Linda (Knutson) Strand ’66 Jonathan ’74 and Jeanette (Bialas) Strandjord ’74 °Clarie (Renslo) Streng Broste ’55 and Dennis Broste Ryan Stroschein ’99 °Adam Syverson ’02 Diane and James Tacke °Eugene ’66 and Miriam (Nelson) Takle ’66 Rick ’94 and Jenny (Olson) Thiery ’94 °Aaron ’00 and Heidi Thiese °Myron ’80 and Diane Thiese Denise (Wills) ’86 and David Thoen
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council Joe and Rhonda Thompson Ryan ’00 and Lindsey (Anderson) Thompson ’00 Jack Thomson Robert Thomson Ronald ’73 and Chris Throndsen Daniel ’66 and Mary Ann (Skifton) Thurmer ’68 °Charles ’72 and Noreen Thurston Daniel ’79 and Kristin (Skoglund) Tjornehoj ’80 °John and Karen Tjostem Paul ’69 and Elizabeth (Tenold) Tokheim ’70 °Dean ’57 and Jo Marie Tollefson Robert ’58 and Janet (Purmort) Tollund ’73 °Richard and Judith Torgerson Daniel ’96 and Kelley Trewin Terry Trimpe ’70 °Geoffrey ’94 and Dalia Trullinger °Anita (Buss) Turck ’61 Jerry ’57 and Barbara Twedt °Chinyere and Onyebuchi Ukabiala °Harold ’69 and Lynette (Ellingson) Usgaard ’70 Sara Uthe Holm ’99 and Eric Holm °Thomas ’62 and Juanita Vaaler Lee ’78 and Maggie Valenta Joann (Hove) Voltmer ’73 Rachel (Schutte) ’09 and Rod Vsetecka °Norris Waalen ’72 and Hollis Krug Waalen Marilyn Wahlberg °George ’63 and Joyce (Behrens) Wallman ’65 °Solveig (Johnson) Walstrom ’70 Ruth Ward Schraeder ’88 and Neil Schraeder °Mark Wardell ’68 Caroline (Hjerleid) ’62 and James Weis °Lucas ’07 and Sarah (Nesheim) Westby ’07 Cheryl Westrum Bressler ’79 and Richard Bressler Roger ’79 and Mary (Devoe) Wetlaufer ’79 †Joy (Andresen) ’65 and John Wetzel Marjorie (Running) ’66 and George Wharton Carolyn (Forde) White ’61 °James ’70 and Irene Whittington °Kyle ’92 and Kristine (Hukey) Wiese ’91 °Genevieve (Fosdahl) Wilberg ’56 °Debra Wilson ’71 and Peggy Brenden ’76
°Robert Wilson ’75 °Rolland ’60 and Sharon (Jacobson) Wilson ’60 °Warren Wind ’58 Michael ’70 and Rosann Wold Amy (Mueller) Wrightsman ’01 Richard ’50 and Joanne Ylvisaker Jamison Young ’99 °Judy (Henriksen) Zetterberg ’72 ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Ruth Maclay Flatt Estate of Bernice Rise Estate of Henrietta Torgerson ’39 CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS A&J Petersburg Agency Alliant Energy Foundation Inc. American Legion of Iowa Foundation °Archer Daniels Midland Co. Arlin C. Falck Foundation Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation °Capital Group Companies Inc. °Cargill Inc. Deere & Company °EY Foundation Friest & Associates Realtors The General Electric Foundation General Mills Foundation Hacker Nelson & Company P.C. Hawkeye Stages Inc. Hormel Foods Corporation °Kimberly Clark Foundation Luther College Woman’s Club °Madison Community Foundation °The Merck Company Foundation Midwest Group Benefits °Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Foundation Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company The Presser Foundation °Principal Financial Group Foundation Inc. Subway Wicks Construction Inc. Winneshiek County Community Foundation
President’s First-Decade society Recognizes alumni in their first decade after graduation whose gifts given from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014, total $750 or more.
Anonymous Charles Banta ’13 Christina (Gaard) ’07 and Jamie Baumgart Jonathan ’04 and Sarah (Spaete) Bunge ’04 Adam ’06 and Molly (Sheppard) Burk ’07 Jonathan ’04 and Miranda Butler Addison Choi ’11 Samuel Drong ’04 and Rebecca Franklin ’05 Adam Ettestad ’09 Ryan Fordice ’08 John ’05 and Stephanie (Bohmer) Fretham ’05 Joshua ’10 and Kathryn (Dolan) Gerber ’10 Kelsey Hake ’10 Ryan Hanke ’06 and Heidi Christian ’99 Emily (Walk) ’09 and Brett Harris Daniel ’06 and Allison (Kruger) Herman ’07 Aaron Hoffland ’12 Timothy ’05 and Chelsey (Dempster) Holcomb ’06 Katie (Chambers) ’05 and Zachary Kaduce Carl Lottman ’11 Joshua Moe ’05 and Chris Schuster Michelle Monson ’06 Benjamin Moore ’02 and Sarah Frydenlund ’05 Kevin ’06 and Keely Oppermann Thomas Orser ’09 Bradley Paulsrud ’05 and Kirsten (Sparks) Paulsrud ’04 Matthew ’04 and Rebecca (Bellin) Richardson ’04 Robert ’07 and Keshar (Nadkarni) Sheridan ’07 Frederic ’07 and Kaitlyn (Myers) Smith ’08 Ryan Sommers ’04 Rachel (Schutte) ’09 and Rod Vsetecka Lucas ’07 and Sarah (Nesheim) Westby ’07 Maria Woo Ching ’10
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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President’s Council President’s Visionaries Recognizes those who have established planned gifts from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014 Anonymous Beverly (Burkum) Allert ’65 Barbara (Hughes) ’91 and Paul Anderson Joel ’99 and Kelli (Punt) Bacon ’00 John ’83 and Karla (Nelson) Balk ’83 Cindee Engquist Beck ’74 James ’64 and Sharon Boyce John ’61 and Julie (Seegmiller) Braaten ’67 Dennis ’63 and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ ’66 David ’80 and Wendy (Hillesland) Coe ’80 Thomas ’76 and Rhonda Coon Donald ’68 and Joanne Davidson Phillip ’63 and Karen (Harr) Davidson ’63 Rebecca Dohrn ’79 Shannon (Miller) ’95 and DeLane Duval Karen Erickson Malinda (Moklebust) ’59 and Neil Evans John Evenstad ’88 Kent ’57 and Mitzi Evenstad Mimi Fields ’74 Nancy (Barrett) ’79 and Ross Fisher ’78 Luther ’49 and Ilene (Knutson) Forde ’46 John ’68 and Deborah (Lynam) Franke ’69 Chris ’86 and Marne Gade Paul ’84 and Sonja (Shatzer) Gibbs ’84 Leon and Linda Gregg James ’62 and Karen (Woinowsky) Griffin ’64
Eugene ’59 and Naomi (Borreson) Hanson ’61 James Hesseltine Andrew Holman ’77 †Irma (Orth) Hopkins ’59 Louise (Naeseth) Hubbard ’39 Curtis ’84 and Lisa (Villarreal) Johnson ’86 Jennifer (Reisberg) ’87 and Lars Johnson Georgann Johnson-Tenner ’48 Haldis (Solem) Kaasa ’81 Mohamed Karim ’90 Lawrence ’54 and Mary (Buchholz) Kipfer ’55 William ’70 and Carolyn (Peterson) Kobler ’70 Scott Kramer ’81 and Minjing Wu John ’72 and Suzanne (Hammer) Larson ’74 Lisa Laxson ’91 and Curt Clifton Ann Leon ’75 Matthew ’96 and Laura Loos Lisa Manzey Adelmann ’87 and Steve Adelmann Edward ’77 and Rebecca Matthiesen Anne (Mattson) ’84 and Mitch McAnallen Kathy (Butterbrodt) ’91 and Steve Metcalf Lloyd Nelson ’51 Virginia Nelson Luther ’64 and Marilyn Nervig Michael Ostermeyer ’83 and †Cynthia Zautcke ’85 Dan ’89 and Theresa (Anderson) Owens ’89 Lynn ’76 and Ruth (Hanna) Paulson ’78
Paul Peterson Jonathan ’61 and Mary Preus ’63 Paul Pribbenow ’78 and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow Ann Rathe ’87 Mary Lynn (Swenson) ’79 and David Rettig Benjamin ’03 and Meghan Rosholt Gregory ’73 and Susan (Teig) Rosholt ’73 Kristen Schlauderaff ’78 and Larry Lindmark Brad Schmugge ’93 Richard ’74 and Mary (Edwards) Steinberg ’76 Bradley ’77 and Elvira Stene Stacy ’01 and Amy Sundet Deborah Svec-Carstens ’92 and Michael Carstens Daniel ’68 and Diane Waarvik Cassandra Warner ’85 Michael Waschevski ’89 Wallace ’57 and Coletta (Hahn) Wierson ’57
Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If an error has been made, please accept our apology and contact the Luther Development Office at 800-2 ALUMNI or email giving@luther.edu so we may correct our records.
“
I can say with confidence that I graduated from Luther with more than a bachelor’s degree. The interdisciplinary nature of the liberal arts forced me to examine issues from different perspectives, appreciate the sense of community, and understand the critical role teamwork plays, both on and off the court. We give back to Luther in gratitude and to ensure that future students will embark on their own Luther adventures.” —Christina (Gaard) Baumgart ’07 and Jamie Baumgart
NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 53–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2014. All other lists (pp. 55–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2014—ONLY.
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KATE KNEPPRATH ’17
LUTHER COLLEGE ARCHIVES
Endpage
Top, Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Choir, Nordic Choir, and Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Allen Hightower, perform Handel’s Messiah in the Center for Faith and Life on March 27. Above right, Emily Clay ’16 was among the soloists. Above left, Mona May (Goulson) Ayer ’47 sings a solo in Luther’s 1946 Messiah performance. The director was Sigvart A. Hoffland, composer and Luther professor of music. The performance took place in C.K. Preus Gymnasium.
125 years of oratorio performances at Luther Imagine you’re walking across campus and someone asks you what the word “oratorio” means to you. Most Luther students and alumni would answer something about Handel’s Messiah. This year marks the 125th anniversary of oratorios performed and presented by Luther’s Music Department. Back in 1890, Haydn’s Creation was the first oratorio performed on the Luther campus. Many other oratorios have been part of the tradition, including Brahms’s German Requiem, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Bach’s St. John Passion, Stephen Paulus’s Luther Mass commissioned for the college’s sesquicentennial, and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. But the star of them all is Handel’s Messiah. As a student, I remember making the walk to Valders 117 (now Valders 206) for the weekly rehearsals with Weston Noble and hundreds of my closest friends. Even faculty and staff would join in the “come one, come all” mentality of the Messiah tradition. During one rehearsal, Professor Noble had me model a melisma from “For Unto Us” in front of the entire room. I sang the entire melisma and Weston turned to me and tweaked my nose, as only he could. The Messiah was performed almost every year from 1921 until 2004. Since then, the Music Department has presented an oratorio every other year in the spring semester. This year we continued the oratorio tradition by performing Handel’s Messiah again in Decorah and Minneapolis. Student soloists auditioned during the fall semester, and this spring you could hear a Messiah chorus during almost every choir and orchestra rehearsal in Jenson-Noble Hall of Music. —Eric Ellingsen ’99
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Calendar Commencement
Des Moines Area Lunch Connection
Sunday, May 24 Luther College
Friday, November 20 Windsor Heights (Iowa) Community Center
Nordic Choir Companion Tour to Italy
Christmas at Luther COURTESY OF SHERRY (BRAUN) ALCOCK ’82
Monday, May 25– Friday, June 5 Hosted by Paula J. Carlson and Thomas H. Schattauer
Decorah NAA Benefit Golf Tournament Monday, June 8 Oneota Golf and Country Club Decorah
Bach and Bonhoeffer Tour to Germany and Czech Republic
Former presiding bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson, left, spoke at the Twin Cities Lunch Connection event in Minneapolis on Friday, March 27. With him here are JIM BOYCE ’64 and CAROL TOMER ’79.
Sunday, June 14– Saturday, June 27 Hosted by Jim and Karen Martin-Schramm and Gregory Peterson ’83 and Ann Sponberg Peterson
Luther Comes to the Heartland Picnic
Portuguese Camino Adventure Tour Friday, June 19– Tuesday, June 30 Hosted by Luisa and Peter Forsgren ’82
Chicago Area Gathering Saturday, June 20 White Sox vs. Rangers Pregame picnic at Reggie’s Chicago
Twin Cities NAA Benefit Golf Tournament Monday, July 6 Medina Golf and Country Club Medina, Minnesota
Des Moines Metro Golf Outing Wednesday, July 15 Tournament Club Polk City, Iowa
Sunday, July 19 Heartland Park Park Rapids, Minn.
Friends of Luther Wrestling Golf Tournament Friday, August 7 Jackson Heights Golf Club Jackson Junction, Iowa
Luther Booth at Iowa State Fair Thursday, August 13– Sunday, August 23 Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines Area Lunch Connection Friday, September 11 Windsor Heights (Iowa) Community Center
Class Reunion Committee Launch Saturday, September 19 Luther College
Family Weekend Friday, September 25– Sunday, September 27 Luther College
Alumni Council Meeting Friday, October 16 Luther College
Homecoming
Thursday, December 3– Sunday, December 6 Luther College
Vietnam and Cambodia: A Cultural Adventure Tour Friday, January 22– Sunday, February 7, 2016 Hosted by Ann Highum, vice president and dean for student life emerita, and Jerry Freund
Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic Saturday, March 19, 2016 Tuscany Falls Golf Club at Pebble Creek Goodyear, Arizona
Board of Regents Meetings Friday, May 13– Saturday, May 14, 2016 Luther College
Friday, October 16– Sunday, October 18 Luther College
Commencement
Alumni Veterans’ Luncheon
Family Weekend
Saturday, November 7 Luther College
Iowa Alumni Directors’ Conference* Thursday, November 12– Friday, November 13 Luther College
Sunday, May 22, 2016 Luther College
Friday, September 16– Sunday, September 18, 2016 Luther College
Homecoming Friday, September 30– Sunday, October 2, 2016 Luther College
* Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Luther alumni events are open to all alumni and friends of the college, including parents and other family members of graduates and students. Please note that some dates listed are tentative; specific information about upcoming events will be mailed or emailed to alumni, friends, and parents who live near the event sites. If you need more information or if you’re interested in planning an event in your area, call the Alumni Office at (800) 225-8664. We’d love to hear from you!
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cedar Rapids, IA Permit No. 214
MICHAEL HAGSTROM ’17
Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045
Come back this fall!
Homecoming 2015 Oct. 16–18 Rediscover what you loved about Luther Details: www.luther.edu/homecoming