Luther Magazine Fall 2026

FALL 2026

A NEW ERA

of Luther athletics

Luther magazine Volume 60, number 1, fall 2026 © Luther College 2026

Biology majors (from left) Henry Akers ’29, Ava Johnson ’27, and Logan Chaney ’28 conducted research on birds and insects over the summer with biology professor Cody Kent. Read more on page 6.

Editor Kate Frentzel Art director/designer Michael Bartels Contributors Laura Barlament Daina (Hollnagel) Bond ’93 Michelle Cotant Sara Friedl-Putnam Armando Jenkins-Vazquez ’21 Jay Raabe Bill Smith Michelle Volkmann Rachel (Schutte) Vsetecka ’09 Luther College Photo Bureau Luther magazine feedback, inquiries, and ideas may be sent to the Editor, Luther Magazine, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 521011045; magazine@luther.edu; phone (563) 387-1483. Class Notes submissions, changes of address, and alumni news may be sent to the Advancement Office, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045; alumni@luther.edu; 563-387-1861; 800-2-ALUMNI. Find us online at luther.edu/ magazine.

Cover photo: Athletic director Megan Wilson (third from right) shows students some highlights of the lobby of the Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness. Photo by Jay Raabe.

Contents A Redstarts Summer

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New student-faculty research helps budding biologists gain field experience.

Senior Snapshots

Eight members of the class of 2026 share their special Luther experiences.

A New Era

8

14

A renovated athletics facility and conference change signal great things ahead.

A Helping Hand

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Nurtured in Nottingham

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The All Wrestlers Crew benefits Decorah and student-athletes.

A tightknit cohort from a study-away program starts an annual reunion.

Departments President’s letter

1

Campus news

2

Alumni news

Class Notes Marriages Births/Adoptions In Memoriam

30 35 35 36

Calendar inside back cover

LE T’S STAY IN TOUCH Update your contact information to hear about class reunions, events in your area, and college and alumni news. You can also update your personal and professional news or submit a birth/adoption or marriage announcement. Scan the code, email alumni@luther.edu, or call 563-387-1861.

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Volleyball players enjoyed practicing in the new Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness, which was officially unveiled in May.

A new era

OF NORSE ATHLE TICS excellence in athletics when choos-

Gerdin Fieldhouse, the Midwest

ing their educational partner.

Conference, and the success of our student-athletes and our teams,

President Brad Chamberlain Dear Luther Community,

All of Luther College—students,

inside and outside the classroom. It

faculty, staff, and alumni—benefit

also explores how the investments

from a thriving athletics program,

we have made and the changes they

as does our local community in

represent stand to benefit students

Decorah. Over the past two years,

not just athletically but also socially

we have made several investments

and academically. In reading them,

to secure a strong future for Norse

I hope you see how these changes

athletics—a future that honors the

signal great things ahead not only

leadership and achievement of past

for Norse athletics but for the entire

conference champions, All-

college, as well as the Decorah

Americans, and NCAA Postgradu-

community. In reading them, I hope

ate Scholars. In July 2025, we hired

you deepen your appreciation for

Athletics at Luther is about commu-

our first full-time athletic director.

how these changes will enhance

nity, character, and competition.

This past May, we dedicated the

Luther’s reputation for drawing

It is an essential element of the

Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and

excellence in every way from its

Luther experience, with almost

Wellness, the new home for Norse

students. For building paths to both

600 students competing as part

Athletics and one of the largest

a good job and a meaningful life.

of Luther’s 24 NCAA teams this

capital projects in Luther’s history.

And for creating a sense of commu-

academic year (that figure rises to

And on July 1, Luther joined the

nity that develops a focus on others

just under 700 total participants

Midwest Conference, in which we

and produces graduates who make everyone around them better.

when considering multiple-sport

find partner institutions that share

athletes). And it is vital to achieving

our philosophy toward athletics

our institutional goals for enroll-

and that match the academic profile

ment, with nearly 50 percent of

and geographical diversity of our

incoming first-year students iden-

student body.

Soli Deo Gloria,

tifying as student-athletes this fall. Increasingly, prospective students

This issue of the Luther maga-

Bradley M. Chamberlain

and their families are considering

zine features articles about the

President

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COMMENCEMENT

Luther celebrated Commencement on May 24. Of the spring 2026 graduating class, 110 students earned Latin honors and 22 percent were double majors. About 20 percent were first-generation college students, 17 percent were international students, and 6 percent were transfer students. Gideon Armah-Amissah ’26 received the Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal. An economics major and two-sport athlete who competed in basketball and track and field, Gideon was an officer of the Norse Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and president of the American Rivers Conference SAAC. He served as a leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as vice president of the Black Student Union. Gideon was also a Sorenson Scholar, an active participant in TRIO programs, and recipient of the Krahn Family Student Life Service Award in 2025. David Hecht ’11 received the Young Alumni Award and was the Commencement speaker. He has spent his entire career in service to conservation, including roles with the National Park Service’s Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nature Conservancy, the International Crane Foundation, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature in Bhutan. He currently works with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant at the University of Georgia. While David was in Decorah for Commencement, he was able to connect with previous generations of Luther anthropologists. Back row: David Hecht, Colin Betts ’93. Front row: Lori Stanley ‘80, Harvey Klevar.

Meet Gideon Armah-Amissah ’26

Watch Commencement highlights

C O N G R AT S T O L U T H E R P R O F S ! Congratulations to faculty members who were granted emeriti status last spring: Ruth Berger, professor of mathematics; Joe Breitenstein, professor of psychology; and Kathy Reed, instructor in music (effective February 2027). Congratulations also to Aaron Lurth ’08, art, who received tenure and promotion to associate professor, and the following faculty who were promoted to full professor: Rachel Brummel, environmental studies; John Cord, music; Stephanie (Bohmer) Fretham ’05, biology; Mike Johnson, mathematics; Richard Mtisi, Africana studies and history; Lindsey Row-Heyveld, English; and Justin Sprung, psychology.

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LO S I N G A L E G E N D This summer, Luther lost a legend when Kent Finanger ’54—professor emeritus, head coach, and Athletics Hall of Famer—died on June 12, at age 93. Along with his teaching duties at Luther, he was head or assistant coach for 93 individual seasons of sports at Luther, including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, and track and field. He led teams to conference, regional, and national championships, including a historic win at the 1985 NCAA Division III Men’s National Cross Country Championship. Finanger was especially gifted at coaching runners. His cross country teams won 23 Iowa Conference championships. He led 17 teams to the NCAA national cross country championship, where his teams finished 10 times in the top-10, including a national championship in 1985. He also coached the 1965 men’s track and field team to a national runner-up finish at an NCAA College Division meet. While Finanger was dedicated to Luther athletics, what mattered most to him were the hundreds of students he mentored. “I loved them for

Watch President Chamberlain’s remarks at Kent’s memorial service.

where they came from, for who their families were, what major they were taking, and what they wanted for their future,” he said. “And it was inspiring to me to be helpful in the molding of that future for them.”

FA M I L I A R FA C E S JOIN THE MUSIC FA C U LT Y Tim Peter ’86 will serve as interim director of choral activities, Christmas at Luther, and Nordic Choir for the 2026–27 academic year. Many recall his tenure at Luther from 1991 until 2012, including as head of the music department from 2007 to 2012. We welcome him back to Luther following his retirement in May as director of choral activities at Stetson University. Charles Baldwin joins Luther this fall as assistant professor of music and director of orchestral activities for the Luther College Symphony Orchestra. He was conductor of the Emory University Chamber Orchestra and assistant conductor of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra in Decatur, Georgia, as well as artistic director of the Carolina Youth Symphony and conductor of its Symphony Orchestra in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the son of Dan Baldwin, Luther’s director of orchestral activities from 1997 to 2025.

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PROJECT FOR PEACE WINNER Luther College sophomore Phonnaphat “QQ” Khamphinit ’28 was recently selected to receive a $10,000 Projects for Peace grant to launch Growing Seeds for Peace, a community farming initiative in Thailand. QQ’s proposal was to spend five weeks over the summer working with villagers and school children in Ban Prue Yai, Thailand, to establish a demonstration farm designed to address food insecurity and reconnect a community pulled apart by economic migration. An international studies and political science major, QQ hopes to work as a policy analyst with the United Nations.

NEW FULBRIGHTERS Sophia Chadima ’26 of Swisher, Iowa, was selected by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as an English teaching assistant in the Czech Republic for the 2026–27 academic year. An environmental studies major, Sophia’s Czech heritage and visit to the country in 2023 inspired her to apply for the award. After her year of teaching, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in environmental studies, soil science, or environmental policy. Orçun Selçuk, associate professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program, was selected for a Fulbright Global Scholar Award. He plans to research social and political cleavages in Colombia, Ecuador, and Turkey during his sabbatical leave in the spring 2027 semester.

K W L C T U R N S 100 Congratulations to KWLC, Luther’s campus radio station, which celebrates a century of campus broadcasting in 2026. KWLC’s inaugural broadcast was on December 18, 1926, when Luther President Oscar L. Olson, class of 1893, read Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. In 2025, KWLC Bob Nus ’70 and Jon Nelson ’70 await their cue from the control room at KWLC. Photo courtesy of Luther College Archives.

was restructured as a student organization, with student leaders not only providing the programming but also operating and maintaining the station.

NEW AND EMERITI REGENTS Five Luther alumni join the Board of Regents this fall. Welcome to Ann Bentdahl ’85, Michael Gerdin ’92, Mark Jensen ’07, Lee Valenta ’78, and Cassandra Warner ’85. The board also unanimously elected Shannon Duval ’95 to serve as chairperson and Mark Larson ’78 to serve as vice chairperson. The board approved regent emeritus status for Bob Paulson ’78 and for Connie Plaehn ’75. Thank you, all, for your service to Luther College!

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A-R-C WINNERS

Congratulations to men’s baseball, who won their first outright American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) regular season title since 1985 and the 14th in Luther history. They also set new team records this season in stolen bases (113), home runs (46), strikeouts (436), and hits by pitch (112). Men’s and women’s tennis also clinched A-R-C titles this season. The men’s team finished the season with an overall record of 22-4, and the women’s team finished 16-9. Go Norse!

STEEPLECHASE RECORD-SETTER Congratulations to Jacob Bruns ’28, who advanced to the NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Championship in May. Jacob set a Luther record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase last season with a time of 9:05.57, breaking a 39-year-old record.

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A SUMMER WITH

Redstarts Luther students gain valuable research experience through a new biology professor’s ecological niche diversity project. by Kate Frentzel

C

ody Kent, assistant professor of biology, lucked into his area of research through

working with a mentor. As an undergrad at Ohio Wesleyan University—which, like Luther, has a culture of student-centered research— he worked with Jed Burtt on feather-degrading bacteria in bird plumage. It sparked Kent’s interest in species interactions, which he went on to study through a PhD at Tulane University, a postdoc at the University of Maryland– College Park, and three years of teaching at Frostburg State University in Maryland. It didn’t take Kent long in the academic

Luther students gain valuable research experience a new biology pipelinethrough to realize that he wanted to endproup back at a liberal arts college, leading underfessor’s ecological niche diversity project. graduate research. “I like working with

undergrads,” he says. “They ask interesting questions, and it’s fun having them navigate by Kate Frentzel finding novel things that interest them.”

Kent joined the Luther faculty last year, bringing his background in student-centered research with him. Over the summer, Ava Johnson ’27, Logan Chaney ’28, and Henry Akers ’29 joined Kent in researching species interactions and niche diversity among American redstarts and yellow warblers, as well as a related project on turtle ants. A species’ niche, Kent says, is “its role in its community and ecosystem. One of the biggest aspects of that is the resources a species is consuming.”

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The Driftless area is one of the densest population areas in the country for the American redstart, and Chaney and Akers spent their field time identifying foraging maneuvers these birds use to catch insects in Luther’s natural areas. Chaney became interested in looking at how weather and time of day affect foraging maneuvers, specifically the height at which redstarts forage in the tree canopy. Akers looked at whether foraging maneuvers shift toward behaviors that require more energy during times of food scarcity. Johnson surveyed insect abundance in the same areas, while using the related turtle ant project to explore shifts in the fundamental niche—all of the resources a species could use (in this case, consume)—and realized niche—what it actually uses across a large number of species at once. One thing that excites Kent about the research his team is doing is that it takes a multispecies approach. “Traditional competition and niche research has focused largely on pairwise interactions between two species, and there’s usually a lot more going on,” he says. He expects that taking a wider look at things, rather than focusing on only two species at a time, will require novel ways of analyzing data that may benefit other fields. But regardless of how much they change or grow the field of ecological niche diversity, the summer was a valuable learning experience for Kent’s students. Chaney, a biology major from St. Charles, Minn., says, “Originally, I wasn’t sure how interested I’d be, but field research is in the cards [for my future career] now. During the summer, I developed a love for it.” Kent’s student researchers were funded through a National Science Foundation grant, but you can help support student-faculty research at Luther by making a gift at givenow.luther.edu.

Watch a video of other studentfaculty research on campus over the summer.

Professor Cody Kent's research group spent mornings last summer observing wildlife in Luther's natural areas. Opposite: Henry Akers '29. Top: Ava Johnson '27. Middle (from left): Kent, Johnson, Akers, and Logan Chaney '28. Bottom: Chaney. Photos courtesy Kiara Ahlstrom and Luther College Photo Bureau.

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spotlights

SENIOR

Portraits by Armando Jenkins-Vazquez ’21

Meet eight graduates from the class of 2026 who illustrate something special about a Luther experience. A Social Work Major with a Positive Ripple Effect

an experience, but I would not have traded it for the

Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Malachi McElroy

good about whatever legacy I’m leaving is how many

was a kid who loved people, school, and football—

athletes within the football program are involved in

maybe in that order. When Luther coaches started to

different things compared to my freshman year. I can

recruit him, he and his parents visited campus and

point to an abundance of students who are Admis-

quickly fell in love. “From the moment I arrived, there

sions ambassadors, who are in TRIO, who are tutors,

was a sense that people genuinely cared about one

who are on Student Senate or SAAC, who are involved

another. I ultimately chose to attend because my mom

in multiple student orgs because I advocated for that.”

loved Luther so much it was honestly a bit of a nonnegotiable,” he laughs. As a first-generation college student who’d always

This fall, Malachi started a graduate program in social work at Albany State University. He’s aware that the percentage of Black male social workers in the U.S.

done well in school, Malachi initially struggled to

is astonishingly low, and he hopes to be a resource for

adjust to new expectations in a new environment,

people who need him, saying, “I just want to go where

fresh out of the pandemic. “It was a shock cultur-

I can have the most impact and really change lives.”

ally, emotionally, and physically,” he says. He credits sociology professor Char Kunkel with pulling him out of the hole. “She gave me the courage and wisdom to navigate one of the hardest periods of my life,” he says. “She taught me to advocate for myself and propel myself to the next level.” On Professor Kunkel’s advice, Malachi connected with resources like TRIO, a program that specifically supports first-gen, income-eligible, and other students. After that, he was like a bird taking flight. “When I started to find resources, I thought, Luther has given to me. I need to give back to Luther. So I started to get involved with everything,” he says. Malachi made a mark as an Admissions ambassador and as a member of Student Senate, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Athletic DEI Committee, and the Black Student Union. He studied off campus in Costa Rica. He interned at Easterseals Iowa and, through the Washington Semester, at Capital Hill Consortium for Counseling and Consultation in D.C. “My time at Luther has been such a roller coaster of FA L L 2 0 2 6

world,” he says. “One of the things that makes me feel

8

—Kate Frentzel

model improved efficiency by using a highvoltage wire to create forces to suck water to the mesh. “I’m a big proponent of clean energy and renewable resources, so it’s been really valuable to see how I can apply my engineering to green energy and issues like water shortages,” he says. During his time at Luther, Kieran worked in the cafeteria for three years, as a physics tutor, and at Toppling Goliath, in its quality control lab—and he still managed to graduate cum laude. This fall, he started a dual degree program at the University of Colorado Boulder in engineering management and electrical engineering, with a focus in next generation power and energy systems. —Kate Frentzel

A Sophisticated Researcher Helping Others Flourish A Future Engineer with Diverse Campus Involvement A graduate of the Minnesota Boychoir and of his high school band, Kieran Ulbee moved headlong from the Minneapolis music scene into Luther’s. In Nordic

Harrison Arnold, a neuroscience major from Marion, Iowa, has long been drawn to the field. “There’s still so much unexplored territory in it,” he says. “Every neuroscientist is a pioneer, to a degree.” He was interested in Luther because of its growing neuroscience program and high matriculation

Choir for three years and Concert Band for four, he’s been on six domestic tours. “They’ve allowed me to travel all over the U.S. and perform in spaces such as little churches in Arkansas, where we outnumber the people watching us, or for the American Choral Directors Association in Texas two years ago for an audience of thousands,” Kieran says. His ensembles have also toured in Norway and Japan. As co-president of Luther Bike Council, Kieran managed the annual Decoride bike fundraiser, which supports regional nonprofits. Through that organization, he also secured more bike storage and other other improvements for bicyclists on campus. When the engineering science major was announced his sophomore year, it was an easy decision for Kieran to switch over from physics. Last spring, he and his two fellow seniors in the major—

rates into medical school. An avid mountain and now

the first three students to graduate with engineering

gravel biker, he was also thrilled about Decorah’s

science majors—completed an impressive senior proj-

trails. During his time in Decorah, he became close

ect together by designing and 3-D printing an electro-

riding buddies with biology professor Mark Eichinger

static fog collector. Traditional fog collectors, which

and psychology professor Joe Breitenstein.

can be used in desert and coastal areas to create clean

As student director of professor Loren Toussaint’s

water, use mesh or net to collect fog, which then

Forgiveness Lab, Harrison pioneered what Toussaint

drains down when drops get big enough. Kieran’s

calls “one of the most sophisticated and insightful

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studies of stress and relaxation in the history of my lab.” Harrison’s study gathered physiological data related to different meditation techniques and then connected that data to psychometric measures, like levels of forgiveness and excitement. “The study fit an interest of mine—the brain, its mechanisms and connections and connectivity—but it also gave me the ability to do work that’s meaningful and impactful at an immediate level,” Harrison says. “In the end, I gained more questions than answers, which is completely fine—it just means I have more to learn.” Harrison will continue that learning as a medical student this fall at Washington University in St. Louis, consistently ranked as a top-ten medical school with one of the largest research budgets in the country. Harrison chose it in part because its professors felt as readily available as Luther’s. “I really wanted to transition to a place that had the kind of connectivity

tion (AMTA) invitational. She’s proud that the Luther

between students and faculty that we have at Luther,”

team has nearly doubled since she started, and she

he says.

feels that the camaraderie has grown. In the spring,

A highlight of Harrison’s time as director of the

of AMTA Award. “Being the captain of a team that’s

as they journeyed from newbie to experienced

singled out for encouraging other people and showing

researcher. Similarly, he says he ultimately wants to

kindness? There’s no better feeling than being recog-

“find a role that allows me to watch patients flourish

nized for that,” she says.

while also being in that position to facilitate growth.

Junior year, during the Washington Semester, Anna

I want a practice that allows me to have direct patient

interned at the DC Bar Foundation, a nonprofit that

care, longitudinal relationships, and the ability to

funds civil legal aid programs in the area. There, she

apply my expertise in an ongoing situation.”

worked with the team on diverse projects. It solidified

—Kate Frentzel

Bound for Law School, Centering Kindness

her interest in law school, which she plans to start in 2027. First, she’ll spend the next year in Minneapolis, in a fellowship through the Lutheran Volunteer Corps

Anna Tauscher remembers visiting Luther as a high

with an organization called the Advocates for Human

school student from Rochester, Minn. When her tour

Rights, in its women’s rights division.

guide’s key didn’t unlock the residence hall show-

“Being at Luther and also interning at the DC Bar

room, a random student offered to let the group into

Foundation, seeing the impact that you can have

her room. Anna thought, These are the kind of people

on the lives of people, is what really drew me to the

who come to Luther. It swung her college decision and

Lutheran Volunteer Corps,” Anna says.

underpinned her decision to work as an Admissions ambassador during her four years at Luther. A political science and economics double major,

“This work is really impactful and worth doing,” she says. “I’m at a point in my life where that’s what’s next for me. I’ve been at Luther learning about all the

Anna had no background in mock trial when she

problems in the world and about so much that needs

joined Luther’s team as a first-year. By senior year,

to be done. Now I’m going to go do it.”

she was co-captain. She also won an Outstanding Attorney Award at an American Mock Trial Associa-

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her team won an honorable mention for the Spirit

Forgiveness Lab was supporting other students

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—Kate Frentzel

Strong Career Prep for a Vis-Comm Major

Her interest in social media marketing led Thea to

Thea Bentley of River Falls, Wisconsin, knew that she

focus her classes on graphic design and photography,

would spend her college years at Luther long before

skills she further developed through internships with

she ever took an official campus visit.

Pulpit Rock Brewery and Deco Products Company in

The daughter of Serina (Norvold) Hallquist ’94

Decorah. Her many cocurricular activities—especially

and David Hallquist ’81, Thea got to know campus

serving as Chips advertising manager and Student

intimately as a child while participating in Luther-

Activities Council president and concert co-chair—

lag, an annual family summer camp then held at the

helped her build an even more impressive resume and portfolio. “I didn’t think that my classes and activities would overlap as much as they did, but I got to design a lot of posters, T-shirts, and logos—and had a lot of fun doing it,” she says. Thea so enjoyed the campus setting that she sought work at another college after graduation. In July, she moved to Tacoma, Washington, to begin a position as the social media manager at Pacific Lutheran University. She says, “I owe a great deal of my preparation for this role to my time at Luther and the many experiences and opportunities I had there.” —Sara Friedl-Putnam

The “Wikipedia Kid” Digs into Land Stewardship Bao Nguyen’s smile is quick, his answers thoughtful, his demeanor enthusiastic, and his quest for knowledge both fearless and seemingly endless. “I was known as the ‘Wikipedia kid’ in my hometown because I have always loved to read and learn more about the world around me,” he says. His diligent curiosity earned him a scholarship to an international boarding high school in Hanoi, Vietnam, about a 12-hour train ride from his hometown, Quang Tri. While researching colleges, he connected with Tai Nguyen ’24, an alumnus of the boarding college. “We never missed a Lutherlag,” Thea says,

school who was then attending Luther, and decided to

“and I always really wanted to be there.”

take a closer look at both Luther and Decorah.

She was equally enthusiastic about the classes she took as a student, declaring majors in Nordic studies and, a bit unexpectedly, visual communi-

“I knew I wanted a liberal arts education because I’m interested in so many things,” he reflects. Bao’s longstanding interest in global politics and

cation. Her first vis-comm class—taught by Richard

international affairs led him to declare a major in

Merritt, professor of art—forced her to “dig deep into

international studies almost immediately. It took a

creative problem-solving,” an area that so fascinated

bit longer to settle on his second major, environmen-

her growing up that she participated in Destination

tal studies, but classes like Biology 151 (taught by

Imagination for many years. Getting to display what

professor Eric Baack, with whom he later conducted

she created at Ultra Mega Mega, a pop-up art show at

research on invasive species) helped him realize that

semester’s end, was the icing on the cake. “It was just

he enjoyed the purpose-driven work of learning how

so cool to see my art up on the wall,” she says.

to help communities become more resilient to climate change.

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The time of the interview wasn’t ideal, but its result most certainly was. Niamh received emails soon after notifying her that not only had she been admitted to the Erasmus Mundus master’s program in journalism, media, and globalization but she had also received a highly competitive scholarship to cover all program expenses. She will spend the first year of the two-year program at the University of Aarhus and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and the second at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. “The degree is all about the ways that people engage with the world, with truth, and with story,” says Niamh. “It’s an excellent opportunity that keeps me on a path to either become a journalist or head back to academia.” The program also builds on a strong foundation Niamh has laid. Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, she read the print newspaper with her breakfast every morning. At Luther, she declared an English major He chose his cocurricular activities (Chips writer,

as writer and managing editor for Chips. “It was

mock trial participant), his internships (Raptor

often an exercise in teamwork and tenacity, because

Resource Project in Decorah, Dalberg in Vietnam, and

nothing ever went quite as smoothly as we wished

University of Nottingham in England), and his study-

it would,” she says of her Chips work. (Niamh also

abroad experiences (Nottingham, England, and Oslo,

served as president of the Performing Arts Committee

Norway) with equal purpose. Bao singles out his expe-

and sang in campus choirs.)

rience in Oslo—six weeks in the summer of 2024 as a

Niamh’s academic writing required a healthy dose

Peace Scholar—as being “everything that I could have

of teamwork and tenacity, too. Working closely with

imagined and more.” While keeping his long-term plans open, Bao is tapping into his environmental studies major in his first post-Luther job. In June, he started work at Restore Native Plants, a nonprofit in New Jersey focused on land stewardship and ecological restoration. “A lot of the work mirrors what I did in Decorah with invasive species and land management,” he says. “It’s really cool to get further into the field of conservation and know that Luther has set me up for success here.” —Sara Friedl-Putnam

A Full Scholarship to Pursue Global Journalism It was 3:45 on a cold March morning, and Niamh Mee understood the assignment: “I had 15 minutes to present my best self to an admissions panel in Denmark and Germany,” she says.

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(and music and education studies minors) and served

Asian Students Association and Allies president,

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Amy Weldon, professor of English—and tapping into her own Irish heritage—Niamh conducted independent research on writing by Irish women. One of her papers was published in the Midwest Journal of Undergraduate Research, while another, her senior honors project, tallied 141 pages upon completion. “It was definitely a passion project, and I did significantly more work than anybody but myself asked me to do,” Niamh says of her honors paper. “But I also learned a lot about doing academic research and constructing an argument, which will be so helpful for my master’s work.” —Sara Friedl-Putnam

Learning How to Better Help Others As Antonia Laker neared graduation from United World College–East Africa, she celebrated her friends’ college acceptances one after another but shared little about her own future plans. “I didn’t want to go to college,” she says candidly. “My mother had recently died, and my plan was to go back home to Uganda and take care of my three younger brothers.” After some prompting, Antonia finally opened up to her friends, and they pushed back—hard. “One told me that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever

tant and at Choice Employment as a job coach. “It was

heard,” she says. “I’m so grateful now that she was so

important to me to work with people who were in need

honest with me then.”

or living in the margins of society,” she says of those

Attending Luther, Antonia continues, prepared her to care for her brothers—and others—in ways she

experiences. Antonia also spent a semester interning in D.C.,

never expected. “I learned how to lead, advocate

through the Washington Semester, and she hopes to

for others, and build connections with people from

return to the capital city one day, perhaps for graduate

different backgrounds and cultures,” she says. “I also

school.

confirmed that my greatest passion is helping others.”

“I’m thinking about graduate studies in global

Antonia credits her desire to pursue human-

health or epidemiology or both, because why not?”

service work to her late mother, a gender specialist

she says. “I like having a lot of different skills under

with the International Rescue Committee in Uganda

my belt, and I like learning a lot.”

whom she calls her “greatest role model and inspira-

—Sara Friedl-Putnam

tion.” While at Luther, Antonia intentionally sought out an academic major (global health), cocurricular activities, and employment that would help her develop the skills she needed to follow in her mother’s footsteps. On campus, she served as a resident assistant, Black Student Union activities coordinator, Beta Theta Omega president, and the Student Senate representa-

For video features on some of these students and others, visit our Senior Spotlights playlist on YouTube.

tive for race and ethnicity. Off campus, she worked at Aase Haugen Senior Services as an activities assis-

LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

A NEW ERA OF L U T H E R AT H L E T I C S by Kate Frentzel

A deeply renovated facility and a conference change signal great things ahead for the college. In May, Luther officially unveiled the Gerdin Field-

forward in a competitive college landscape. A recogni-

house for Athletics and Wellness.

tion of our athletic legacy and opportunity for future

The $24 million renovation of the former Regents Center was made possible through the generosity of 774—and counting—people. A $10 million gift, the

cally, academically, emotionally, and socially.

largest in college history, from Michael Gerdin ’92 and

A Place to Build Community

Nicole Gerdin and the Gerdin Charitable Foundation

Whether or not a student is one of Luther’s more than

jumpstarted the project and inspired the facility’s new

550 student-athletes, the Gerdin Fieldhouse will have

name.

a place in their life, as well as in lives of faculty, staff,

The fieldhouse is one of the biggest capital improvement projects in Luther history. As a building, it’s

and the Decorah community. With an abundance of gathering spaces, the field-

both modern and comfortable, high-tech and inviting,

house is a welcoming place to exercise, study, or

powerful and friendly. Soaring ceilings feel expansive.

socialize. It’s also available to student orgs. In April,

Crisp blue and white show pride. Giant windows give

the Student Activities Council hosted their annual

a sense of place, with breathtaking views of the lush

concert on the Birkestrand Family Court, the field-

Oneota Valley. And the facilities are state-of-the-art.

house’s main arena, made possible by a $2 million gift

But the fieldhouse is more than a building. It’s a

from Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand and named

gathering space and community-builder. A best foot

FA L L 2 0 2 6

greatness. And an invitation to students to grow physi-

14

in their honor.

A gathering place for students to study or relax, the Sather Student Lounge—generously given by Marc Sather ’71, †Allan Sather ’77, and Britt Sather ’78—also features the fieldhouse donor wall. The main lounge connects to a quiet study lounge, also given by the Sathers, behind transparent walls where students can focus at individual laptop spots or convene for group projects. Like many of the changes to the fieldhouse, the lounge is designed to make it easier for students to excel academically.

Part of Luther’s commitment to athletics is reflected in the hiring last year of a fulltime athletic director, Megan Wilson (pictured here with President Chamberlain), previously associate dean of student engagement and intercollegiate athletics at the University of Dubuque (Iowa). As the Gerdin Fieldhouse project has unfolded, one of the highlights for Wilson has been giving tours of the space to alumni. “People have an affinity for Luther unlike anywhere else. The way our alumni and donors support the college is unreal,” she says. “I love seeing them encounter this building and appreciate what it could mean for future generations. There’s a lot of historical success in Luther athletics, and we want to continue that.”

lessons, club swim, and Legends Fitness Center

A Stunning Testament to a Strong Athletic Legacy

passes for the Decorah community. Recently, Luther

When you enter the Gerdin Fieldhouse from the north,

also rented the venue out for a regional youth dance

get ready for your jaw to drop. The Hall of Fame Lobby

competition and Decorah Parks and Rec camps.

features a giant wall that highlights two floors’ worth

The building continues to host things like swim

A bigger event footprint for the building gives more

of athletic success (note: this doesn’t even include ALL

people, including more prospective students and their

of Luther’s trophies). A digitized touchscreen version

parents, exposure to Luther.

of the Hall of Fame allows for searches by sport, year,

An Impressive Recruitment Tool This summer, Luther welcomed 1,621 pre-college

or name. The Norse Hall of Fame area was generously funded by Doug ’82 and Shelly Kintzinger. This grand entrance immediately makes a visitor

students to campus for sports camps and another 108

aware of the winning history of Luther athletics and

high school students for an Athletics Showcase Day.

sets the tone for the rest of what they’ll encounter in

This is in addition to individual visits by prospective

the building: people working together toward continu-

student-athletes.

ing the storied Norse legacy.

In its first few months, the fieldhouse is already

Athletics director Megan Wilson says, “In 2025–26,

making a strong impression on kids who are deciding

we had send-offs for seven teams to NCAA champion-

where to spend their college years.

ships, and we were able to hold some of them in this

Eli Evans ’30, an incoming basketball player from

space. To take a team’s picture in front of this wall was

Waterloo, Iowa, saw the fieldhouse during a recruit-

just really special for our students to realize they’re

ment visit. “It definitely stood out to me when I was

now a part of Luther history.”

looking at Luther,” he says, “and now I’m excited to play in the new facility!”

Gideon Armah-Amissah ’26, a dual athlete in basketball and track and field, says, “Future students

Steve Brandenburg ’30, an Iowa high school

are going to walk into this building and immediately

two-time finalist and state wrestling champion from

feel the pride, energy, and community that fills it.”

Lake Mills, saw the new wrestling facility earlier this year and says, “I was astonished walking into it for the first time, because I’ve never seen a DIII training facility of that caliber.” The fieldhouse also swung the decision for Adalyn Long ’30, an incoming basketball player from Washington, Iowa. She says, “Seeing the Gerdin Fieldhouse for the first time made me realize Luther was where I wanted to call home for the next four years. From the amazing new locker rooms to the brand-new arena, it showed me how much Luther cares about investing in its student-athletes. Along with an incredible coaching staff, I knew this was the place for me.” LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

Shaping the New Life of a New Building

of this building. Because just as the students who

When people enter the Birkestrand Family Court, they

train, compete, and connect in the fieldhouse will be

ask if there’s a student section. “We’re not going to put

changed by it, so too will the building change because

any signage up yet,” Wilson says. “You want students

of who comes through its doors.

to be able to decide some of these things, not for us to decide for them.” The Birkestrand Family Court creates an arena

Offering More The Gerdin Fieldhouse for Athletics and Wellness is

atmosphere, with seating on all sides of the primary

exciting for what it is and also for what it represents. At

court. “The environment is electric compared to what

a time when the story for so many colleges like Luther

it was before,” Wilson says.

is one of contracting and shrinking, it’s a huge win for

During basketball season, Luther students would

us that—owing to the generosity of our community—we

sit behind the visiting team’s hoop at the start of the

get to expand and to offer more. We get to celebrate a

game, then move to the other end of the court at half-

beautiful new facility that both honors our impressive

time to continue to create—ahem—hoopla as Luther

legacy and helps train for future greatness.

rivals tried to score. This is one example of the ways students are building new traditions and shaping the new life

Mike Gerdin ’92 said it best when the project was announced three years ago, in a phrase that’s already become college lore: “It’s time for Luther.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 9, 2026, marked the fieldhouse’s official opening. President Brad Chamberlain remarked, “Athletics is a key component of Luther’s institutional identity and one of our loadbearing walls. The space that we dedicate today will enable Norse Athletics to continue a long tradition of fostering excellence in competition, building character, and sustaining community for generations to come.”

FA L L 2 0 2 6

16

LOCKER ROOMS One major change in the new facility is that every Luther team now has its own designated locker room. Students get a keycode at the beginning of their season and can keep things in a long-term locker. Large screens in every room allow coaches to go over footage without dragging a whole team up to Valders. Comfortable seating gives the team a cozy place to hang out. The new fieldhouse also has designated visiting team locker rooms, so no team is displaced when Luther hosts. “It just elevates the overall experience,” Wilson says.

CONFERENCE ROOM/SUITE Likely to be a favorite game-day space among donors, alumni, special groups, and Norse fans, this box suite overlooks the action on the Birkestrand Family Court and can also be a livestream viewing spot for away games. The space is customizable, flexing from conference room to pub-table hangout. It also hearkens back to Luther history with a drinks rail crafted from bleacher boards from the old gym.

TRAINING ROOM The renovation moved Luther’s athletic training room from the end of a hallway to the middle of the building, so it’s easily accessible for all teams. The space has taping tables, treatment tables for specialized therapies, a hydro room with state-ofthe-art tubs, and a rehab area. Luther has five fulltime athletic trainers through its partnership with WinnMed.

TEAM MEETING ROOM The Edsel Schweizer Team Meeting Room, a 106-seat high-tech space, is like a classroom for athletics. It’s large enough for any team’s full roster or for the entire athletics staff to meet. It’s already hosted Hall of Fame induction ceremonies and will be a great asset during athletics recruiting days. The meeting room was generously given by Russ Bruemmer ’74, Terry ’80 and Charis (Johnson) Hovden ’80, Lee ’78 and Maggie Valenta, Joe ’80 and Greer Whitters, and friends.

WRESTLING FACILITY “There are Division I programs that don’t have a space this nice,” Wilson says. The four-mat facility is an exciting build-out that coincides with the expansion of the wrestling program into a women’s team. A built-in conditioning and weightlifting area takes stress off of Legends during hours of high use. The wrestling facilities also include a wrestling student lounge with its own kitchen that attends to that program’s specific nutritional and weight requirements. The lounge will also be utilized for students who stay on campus during breaks when the cafeteria is closed.

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MAGAZINE

H E L L O, M I D W E S T CONFERENCE!

A new conference, aligned with Luther’s values, offers new opportunities.

The fieldhouse is one signal of an exciting new era for Luther athletics. Our conference change, starting this school year, from the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) to the Midwest Conference (MWC) is another. The MWC is a group of liberal arts schools in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin that shares Luther’s vision, philosophy, and goals for athletics. The schools in the conference, President Chamberlain says, “give primary attention to the educational purposes of athletics and maintain that academic and athletic achievement are not mutually exclusive.” St. Norbert

Wilson says, “Just like we expect a lot from our musicians at Luther, we expect a lot from our athletes.

Lawrence

We expect extra time and practice and events. So we want to do whatever we can to alleviate some of that and not put them in a position where they have to

Ripon

make tough choices between academics or athletics. This conference change will help.”

Luther

MSOE

Wilson offers an example: in the A-R-C, basketball teams always play games on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the Midwest Conference, midweek games

Beloit

Cornell

Lake Forest Chicago

Grinnell

alternate between Wednesdays and Tuesdays to ensure that students aren’t consistently missing the same class. In addition to a better student-athlete experience in the new conference, Wilson is excited for new

Knox

rivalries. She’s excited for recruitment opportuni-

Monmouth

ties in new geographic areas. And she’s excited for new opportunities for Norse athletes: “They should

Illinois

Core member Affiliate member

FA L L 2 0 2 6

18

be competing for something meaningful these four years—a championship opportunity, access to the NCAA tournament, a kind of a pinnacle of their career. In this new conference, I think our student-athletes will have many opportunities for that.”

MEET THE MWC BELOIT COLLEGE

LAKE FOREST COLLEGE

Location: Beloit, Wis.

Location: Lake Forest, Ill.

Founded: 1846

Founded: 1857

Enrollment: 1,004

Enrollment: 1,837

Nickname: Buccaneers

Nickname: Foresters

Mascot: the Buccaneer

Mascot: Boomer the Black Bear

CORNELL COLLEGE Location: Mount Vernon, Iowa

LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY

Founded: 1853

Location: Appleton, Wis.

Enrollment: 1,094

Founded: 1847

Nickname: Rams

Enrollment: 1,417

Mascot: Ulysses the Ram

(undergraduate) Nickname: Vikings

GRINNELL COLLEGE

Mascot: Blu the Antelope

Location: Grinnell, Iowa Founded: 1846

MONMOUTH COLLEGE

Enrollment: 1,788

Location: Monmouth, Ill.

Nickname: Pioneers

Founded: 1853

Mascot: no official mascot

Enrollment: 713 Nickname: Fighting Scots

ILLINOIS COLLEGE

Mascot: Big Red

Location: Jacksonville, Ill. Founded: 1829

RIPON COLLEGE

Enrollment: 942

Location: Ripon, Wis.

Nickname: Blueboys (men)

Founded: 1851

and Lady Blues (women)

Enrollment: 709

Mascot: the Blueboy

Nickname: Red Hawks Mascot: Rally the Red Hawk

KNOX COLLEGE Location: Galesburg, Ill. Founded: 1837 Enrollment: 1,136 Nickname: Prairie Fire Mascot: Blaze the Fox

Note: affiliate MWC members include the Milwaukee School of Engineering (men’s and women’s swimming and diving), St. Norbert College (men’s and women’s swimming and diving), and the University of Chicago (football). Luther’s men’s and women’s wrestling and bowling programs are not sponsored by the Midwest Conference and will compete independently.

LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

MORE THAN A HELPING HAND Luther student-athletes on the All Wrestlers Crew provide an invaluable Decorah-area service. by Kate Frentzel

If the All Wrestlers Crew (AWC) were on Yelp or Google

walls, clean out basements, and dozens of other jobs.

Reviews, they’d have five stars. But these odd jobbers

In a town like Decorah, with no professional movers

don’t need online ratings. People are already so

and few handymen, the AWC is an invaluable resource.

delighted with their services that they operate entirely

On the flip side, odd jobs from the Decorah community

by word of mouth.

allow Luther wrestlers to stay in town for the summer

For nearly 25 years, the Decorah region has relied

camps. It’s a clever arrangement that benefits every-

wrestling team to move households, paint houses,

one.

tear down structures, take down trees, build retaining

FA L L 2 0 2 6

to squeeze in extra training and work Luther wrestling

on this rotating roster of guys from the Luther men’s

20

Happy Wrestlers

of the crew. “One time when we

The AWC was started in the

didn’t have the right tools with

summer of 2002 by Jesse Reyerson

us,” he says, “I had 125-pounder

’03, Mike Knipper ’03, and Ryan

Nate Evans ’06 on my shoulders so

Thompson ’03, who were hoping

that he could clean the windows

to stay in Decorah for the summer

on a higher one-story.”

to train. With the help of wrestling

These days, Lonnie coaches

coach Dave Mitchell, they put out

young wrestlers in Minnesota with

the word that they were looking

Ryan LeBeau ’05, also a former

for odd jobs. The Decorah commu-

AWC member.

nity was ready for it.

Ryan remembers the glorious

That first summer, Jesse recalls

flexibility that being on the crew

booking work to help realtors clear

allowed: “If you didn’t have work

out houses, homeowners take

for the day, you could go fishing or

down trees, and residents move

tubing or canoeing, and it gave us

house. One of their first jobs was

the opportunity to wrestle over the

stripping and repainting a big

summer. It was a pretty awesome

old barn north of town on Locust

deal.”

enough that Jesse,

“It’s especially rewarding to help elderly people with these jobs. Seeing how much of an impact the work made on them, and how much joy it brought them, was a great experience.”

Mike, and Ryan

—David Lyons ’29

Road. Jesse recalls the leap of faith they made when they invested in ladders, scraping tools, and electric sprayers for the job. The experiment that summer was successful

were able to hand

Last fall, the AWC helped the Winneshiek Historical Society relocate its extensive archives in a complex three-phase move. Photos courtesy of Janelle Halverson.

Current AWC members David Lyons ’29 and Chace Tankson ’29, who did around 30 AWC jobs this summer, agree. While Chace says the best part has been the people, he also enjoys how quiet and peaceful Decorah is over the summer.

down the AWC to the next batch of

“Especially since I’m from a big

Luther wrestlers hoping to stay in

city, I’m used to always hearing

Decorah.

something,” he says, “but out here

Lonnie Welsh ’06 remembers renting a house in summer 2003

it’s so quiet you can really take it all in and enjoy it.”

with five other wrestlers—includ-

David particularly remembers a

ing Wyatt Reyerson ’05, Jesse’s

job where they rebuilt a pond in an

brother—behind what is now

older woman’s backyard. He says,

Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. They

“It’s especially rewarding to help

took up the AWC mantle, digging

elderly people with these jobs.

ditches, building retaining walls,

Seeing how much of an impact

painting houses, and helping with

the work made on them, and how

moves. In addition to the general

much joy it brought them, was a

positivity from the community,

great experience.”

Lonnie remembers the ingenuity

LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

Happy Customers

“I don’t miss out on a chance to

The AWC fills an important gap

sing the praises of this outstand-

in the Decorah area, and they

ing program! These fellas not only

also help customers during some

helped with the enormous physi-

intense periods in life, such as

cal task of moving a TON of mate-

moving someone into assisted

rial; they also kept us all enter-

living or helping in the aftermath

tained and running on full tanks

of a disaster. Ellen Macdonald

the entirety of the project. It’s

commented on a recent Facebook

impressive to see how well they

post: “In the flood of 2008, we had

work together and how easily they

three feet of water in our base-

adapt to working with the groups

ment. After it receded, a wrestler

they help. Luther College Wres-

single-handedly carried a water-

tling has every reason to be proud

logged double mattress up and

of this program and the impressive

out. Invaluable help!”

work they provide in their commu-

On the same post, Kelly Pujol

In January, the Luther men’s

us move a grand piano and a few

wrestling team received the 2026

other pieces when my mom passed

Excellence in Collaboration

away. They were so appreciated!”

Award, overseen by both Luther

Megan Rachuy ’17 has hired the

and Decorah leaders, in recogni-

AWC three times, most recently for

tion of the critical help they’ve

moving house over the summer.

provided Decorah-area residents

“Each time they’ve been timely,

over the years. In addition to their

professional, kind, and eager to

AWC work, Luther wrestlers regu-

help,” she says. “Dave [Mitchell]

larly volunteer with Habitat for

and [assistant coach] Jeff [O’Gara]

Humanity, community meals, and

should be proud of them for repre-

Adopt-a-Highway.

senting Luther and their team well.” Janelle Halverson, who serves In July, AWC members Chace Tankson '29 (left) and David Lyons '29 (right) helped Luther staff member Megan Rachuy '17 move house. It was the third time Megan hired the AWC. Photos courtesy of Megan Rachuy '17.

nity.”

’90 commented, “They helped

“I’m happy to see that the crew’s still going,” Jesse, who lives in Decorah, says. “I’ve heard great

on the board of directors of the

things through the years about

Winneshiek County Historical

how the guys can be relied on. I’m

Society, worked with the AWC last

really happy that the AWC is still

fall when the society relocated its

an option for people, and I think it

archive in a complex three-phase

speaks to the work ethic of a lot of

move. About the crew, she says,

wrestlers here.”

The Luther men’s wrestling team received the 2026 Excellence in Collaboration Award, which recognizes an individual or group that has positively impacted quality of life for the Luther campus and the Decorah community.

FA L L 2 0 2 6

22

Nurtured I N N OT T I N G H A M

2007

2022

Ten Luther students forged a tight bond nearly two decades ago as participants in Luther’s Nottingham study-abroad program. Annual reunions with their program directors over the past four years have made that bond unbreakable. by Sara Friedl-Putnam It would be easy enough to walk

voices are those of a tightknit

(Harris) Schmitz clear spent flow-

past the well-kept redbrick house

group of Luther alumni, all 2009

ers from four identical beds made

on Fifth Avenue in Decorah were

graduates, who took part in the

of clipped boxwood hedges, Storm

it not for the long, tall, straight

Nottingham program under the

asks the enthusiastic helpers a

line of striking Japanese barberry

guidance of the couple some 18

simple question: What flower, if

shrubs that provide natural fenc-

years ago.

planted soon, will bloom by late

ing for its front yard.

Since 2023, the group has

July (when the garden will be part

On this particular day in early

gathered with their spouses and

of a tour organized by the Decorah

June, however, it’s not the shrubs

children for a weekend in Decorah

Town and Country Garden Club)?

that cause pause but the laughter

to reconnect, relax, and help

After a bit of back and forth,

and cheerful voices that emanate

plant and maintain the Baileys’

the group delivers a solid answer:

from behind them.

English-style garden. On this

zinnias.

The house belongs to Erin ’97

particular Saturday morning,

The zinnia—quick to bloom

and Storm Bailey (Luther profes-

as Kia Burreson, Erin Makela,

and remarkably resilient—may be

sor emeritus of philosophy),

Siri (Carlson) and Alex McDow-

the perfect symbol for the friend-

directors of the 2007–08 Luther

ell, Andrea Schiefelbein, Kate

ships formed by this Nottingham

Nottingham program. And the

(Klacan) Schilling, and Carrie

cohort, which also includes Katie

LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

2023

(Sackett) Stadheim, Abbi (LaCarte) Strobbe, and

As the then-students, says Kate, “took a

Joy Waughtal, who were unable to make this year’s

crash course in learning how to be respon-

gathering.

sible adults and good global citizens,” the

As Kia recounts it, the group bonded through

FA L L 2 0 2 6

2024

Baileys offered steady guidance, always there

movie nights (featuring films like the animated

if needed yet cognizant that a large part of

Robin Hood) even before boarding the plane to

the study-abroad experience for their young

England. A nearly four-hour bus trip to Hadrian’s

charges was gaining independence.

Wall within a day or two of landing on British soil

Kia recalls a story that illustrates the

solidified that bond. “Storm immediately threw us

couple’s hands-off yet accessible approach:

into a shared experience,” she recalls of that excur-

“One morning, we all took the train from

sion, “and we definitely grew closer as a result.”

Nottingham to London, and when we arrived

Their friendships continued to grow over the

in London, Storm handed us our Oyster cards

following months, as the 10 young adults shared

[for riding the Tube] and said, ‘I’ll see you at 5

living space, cooking duties, and cleaning responsi-

p.m. for dinner.’”

bilities while taking classes, studying, and explor-

Several group members also vividly recall

ing England and other European countries. “We had

Storm leading a trip to a grocery store, a long

fun just hanging out at the flat, trying to figure out

list of fruits and vegetables in hand. “We were

how to live in a different culture together,” Carrie

in charge of making all the meals in our flat,

says. “That year was very much a formative experi-

and he wanted to make sure we didn’t get

ence.”

scurvy,” Kate explains as her onetime profes-

24

2025

2026 Photos courtesy of Kate (Klacan) Schilling '09 and Sara Friedl-Putnam

sor, seated just a few feet away, flashes a grin. It’s clear that the Baileys were, as Kia puts

“They are family, and their families are family. Each one has expanded my world immeasur-

it, “surrogate parents” to the Nottingham

ably,” Storm says. “The year we spent together in

participants during their time across the pond.

Nottingham was my favorite year as a Luther faculty

And that’s one reason why she and all nine of

member.”

her fellow Nottingham flatmates returned to

“It’s been wonderful, just wonderful to have

Decorah to celebrate the program’s 50th anni-

them return to Decorah each summer and help us

versary at Homecoming 2022.

with our garden,” Erin adds. “From the moment I

The group had stayed in touch since gradu-

read The Secret Garden as a child, I’ve dreamed of

ation—attending weddings, chatting on Skype,

creating a special English garden, and they have

and texting regularly—but during that celebra-

helped us do that.”

tion, they made a pledge to reunite in Decorah

The date for the group’s 2027 reunion in Decorah

every summer to help Erin Bailey, who had

has already been set—but there’s a possibility that

been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,

2028 may bring a change of location.

realize her dream of creating an English-style

On the summer solstice of 2008, the day before

garden. “It was a way for us to be there for

they left England, the group took a farewell photo

Storm and Erin in Decorah like they were there

on the steps of the Nottingham Council House. “We

for us in Nottingham,” Kia says.

vowed we would all meet again on those steps in

The gesture has deeply touched their Nottingham mentors.

exactly 20 years,” Kia says. “If we’re all there, it’s going to be magical.”

LUTHER

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MAGAZINE

Ben Feldkamp ’13 (far left) with paramedic students from the class of 2024, who donned false mustaches in his honor.

Meaningful WORK

Ben Feldkamp ’13 saves lives and teaches others how to do the same. As a biology major at Luther, Ben Feldkamp ’13 was

medic to preceptor, overseeing students getting

on a pre-med track but wasn’t sure it was the right

on-the-job experience. “That gave me a real passion

fit. During an anatomy course his senior year, a guest

for explaining things to people and seeing them

speaker suggested testing the waters as an emergency

learn,” Ben says. “It really set a desire in me not only

medical technician (EMT), and this altered the course

to teach but to be a great teacher.” When a faculty

of Ben’s life.

position opened up at Inver Hills, Ben was an easy

After graduating, Ben earned an EMT certifica-

hire.

tion at Inver Hills Community College (Minn.), then

While Ben still works several emergency medical

completed its paramedic program. The field turned

services (EMS) shifts each month, the pivot to teach-

out to be a great match for someone with an active

ing has been rewarding. “When you first get into the

mind and body. Ben’s work took him to wildly diverse

field, you’re attracted to the excitement, to everything

locations to treat wildly diverse medical events. “The first year or two or three of being a paramedic is really about learning how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable, truly expanding your comfort zone for a good long

that’s new,” he says. “And EMS is

“The ability to consider one’s role within the bigger scheme of life was something that Luther really brought out.”

while,” Ben says. In addition to

variety. But as time goes on, you wonder how to make a meaningful career out of it when things aren’t new, because you’ve seen them many times. The last study I saw said that the average career of a paramedic is about four

adapting to constantly new scenarios, he says, “I also

to five years. So people past that point have to kind

had to learn how to be the most senior medical person

of make this mental adjustment to continue to find

on call when I still felt brand-new.”

meaning in this work. One way you can do that is to

Ben learned that the role also requires inhabiting

teach the next generation.”

a fluctuating gray area: one day you might respond to

Ben reflects, “I think about how my four years at

a routine “just to be on the safe side” situation, while

Luther prepared me and moved me into who I am and

the next you might be the critical provider in a true

what I do now. The biology education I had was very,

emergency. “We’re kind of the overlap between public

very solid, and I work with biology in the applied

service and healthcare, and often it’s a field situation

fashion all the time, especially as I teach. But the abil-

that decides which one we are that day,” Ben says.

ity to consider one’s role within the bigger scheme of

“It’s almost like learning two jobs at once.”

life was something that Luther really brought out.”

Over the course of his career, Ben moved from

FA L L 2 0 2 6

a great field for people who crave

26

—Kate Frentzel

N E W W AY S T O

Look

AT L A N D S C A P E S Artist Sarah Nance ’09 draws on diverse techniques to expand how we experience time and place. Originally from Cresco, Iowa, Sarah Nance ’09 remembers deciding between art school and Luther. When she toured Luther, professor emerita of art Kate Martinson told her, “Art school will teach you technique. Luther will do that too, and we will also give you something to say in your

lation, sound, and sculpture—she sees fiber processes as

work.”

a natural way to express geologic time. “Techniques like

“That little hook was enough,” Sarah says. “And when I came to Luther, I found it to be absolutely true.”

knitting, beading, and weaving are repetitive. One unit is repeated many times, resulting in an entirely different

As a Luther student, Sarah created work with found

surface. That feels sedimentary to me. And something like

objects, like seedpods and branches she picked up on local

piecing the top of a quilt brings together a lot of disparate

hikes. An art major and gender studies minor, she was

elements; geologic events such as earthquakes and volca-

involved in the music program and took French and biology courses too. “All of those areas of study filtered into my work in one way or another,” she says. “Especially some of the biology classes, where I started to grasp the extent of human impact on the environment, which has become a primary focus of my work.” Grad school took her to Oregon, a residency took her to Iceland, and faculty positions took her to Richmond, Virginia; Montréal; Dallas;

nic eruptions similarly create patch-

“My interest is in making work that counters the hyper-intensive speed dominating so many aspects of life and instead offers a slower, more reciprocal experience of a landscape. I try to enter a different idea of time.”

works of differing terrains within a landscape. Fiber processes are also extremely time intensive, like a geologic way of working.” Ultimately, she says, “My interest is in making work that counters the hyper-intensive speed dominating so many aspects of life and instead offers a slower, more reciprocal experience of a landscape. I try to enter a different idea of time.” Lately, Sarah has been thinking

and now SUNY-Binghamton in New

about mirages and experiences of

York. Wherever she goes, she says,

disorientation in relation to land-

“The work that I make is responsive to the place I’m in.”

scape. “I look at what benefits there are in allowing

Sarah’s interested in what she calls “archived land-

ourselves to feel disoriented, of being acutely aware of not

scapes”—mountain ranges that have risen out of glacial

having power over a place,” she says. “How might those

silt, for instance, or deserts that were once under an ocean.

experiences change our environmental relationships?”

A related interest is geologic time—time that unfolds on a grand scale—and how, as humans, we can perceive it.

Find Sarah’s work at sarahnance.com. —Kate Frentzel

While she works across media—performance, instal-

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Healing W AT E R S

But the work is ongoing, requiring vigilance and action. Mark has testified at the Capitol for an MNTU joint lawsuit, against the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota Department of Agriculture to compel them to do a better job of monitoring nitrate use and fish kills. Recently, Mark testified before Keith Ellison’s Advisory

Mark Reisetter ’68 gives back to the trout streams that gave so much to him.

Task Force on the Future of Minnesota’s Water about the effects of neonicotinoids—a pesticide used to coat seeds like corn and soybean—in Minnesota coldwater streams. Neonicotinoids that run off into streams have a devastat-

Mark Reisetter ’68 moved to Lewiston, Minnesota, straight

ing effect on aquatic insects like mayflies, an important

out of Luther and spent his entire career as a high school

food source for trout and other fish.

teacher there. In 1970, he was drafted to fight in the Viet-

By this point, nearly 50 years after he started volun-

nam War. He returned two years later and says, “The 50

teering with MNTU, Mark has served as chapter president,

trout streams within a 20-mile radius of Lewiston became my psychiatrist.” In the late 1970s, Mark noticed the work that Minnesota Trout Unlimited (MNTU) was doing to restore trout habitat, and he started volunteering with the organization. “They don’t just talk the talk—they really do the work to protect the streams,” he says. Mark explains that outdated farming practices in southeastern Minnesota starting in the 1930s led to topsoil eroding from the hillsides and into

vice chair of the state council, and

“Today, I’d say over 90 percent of our streams are kept alive with healthy populations by natural reproduction. We’ve impacted for the better over 100 miles of trout stream here in southeastern Minnesota.”

social media guru. For his outstanding dedication to Minnesota coldwater conservation, he recently received an MNTU lifetime achievement award. Beyond volunteering, Mark’s love of Minnesota trout waters runs so deep that for nearly two decades he shared it with others as a flyfishing guide, leading people from six countries and nearly 50 states out on the water. He continues to teach an

critical trout streams, undermining

annual flyfishing class at Whitewa-

fish reproduction. “When I moved

ter State Park.

here in the early seventies, most of our streams were being

“When you step into a cold stream and become part of

stocked with hatchery fish,” he says. “Today, I’d say over 90

nature and hear the babbling brook,” he says, “your mind

percent of our streams are kept alive with healthy popu-

takes you to some marvelously beautiful places.”

lations by natural reproduction. We’ve impacted for the better over 100 miles of trout stream here in southeastern Minnesota.”

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—Kate Frentzel

A Breakthrough Just six years out of Luther, Jorge Chavez ’20 is an international expert.

The research that Jorge Chavez ’20 did as Luther student with biology professors Eric Baack and Jodi Enos-Berlage was high-impact. “Working with them made me realize that I really like microbiology, especially in a public health setting,” he says. “And when I went to grad school, I was

found it growing. He literally jumped up in joy and started

already ahead of the curve in looking for lab positions

running around the whole lab telling people that we finally

because of that experience.”

did it,” Jorge says.

A J-Term about sustainability in the Southwest had

Jorge’s breakthrough opened up the field—and got the

piqued Jorge’s interest in Colorado, so after Luther, he

attention of the CDC, his dream employer. He moved into

attended Colorado State’s renowned master’s program in

a CDC mycotic research fellowship, where, he says, “I was

microbiology. His resume got him into not one but two labs,

working with molds inside of soil, which I actually also

which no one else in his program was doing.

learned how to do at Luther and was able to develop the

He quickly found himself in an epicenter of public

protocols for that lab because of what I did at Luther.” Then

health during a worldwide public health crisis: one of his

he moved into his current position as a biologist in the

labs was testing for COVID through saliva samples, the

CDC’s Clinical Environmental Microbiology Branch, where

other was testing for it through wastewater samples. “Because I already knew water sampling techniques and methodologies from working with Dr. Baack, they pretty much instantly hired me,” he says. After Colorado, Jorge took a fellowship funded through the CDC at the Utah Public Health Laboratory, where he accomplished a worldwide “first” when he was able to cultivate a yeast pathogen called Candida auris in

he specializes in wastewater surveil-

“I remember telling my supervisor that I found it growing. He literally jumped up in joy and started running around the whole lab telling people that we finally did it. ”

wastewater. C. auris has high mortality

lance of biofilms, particularly looking for multidrug-resistant organisms. Alongside this work, Jorge continues to present to labs around the world, offering guidance on C. auris surveillance. He also keeps up a rigorous publication schedule—seven papers so far—and the international community notices when he puts out new work. His latest paper looks at whether seasonal changes affect how we understand wastewater data and whether

rates, it’s hard to get rid of, and it’s increasingly preva-

certain pathogenic organisms survive or grow better in

lent in clinical settings like hospitals. Knowing that it can

wastewater at different times of the year.

survive in wastewater gives scientists a new way to monitor

As multidrug-resistant organisms become a bigger threat

its levels. At the time of Jorge’s discovery, no one knew

to human health, these are the kinds of discoveries—and

if the pathogen could be recovered in a wastewater

Jorge is the kind of researcher—that will lead the way

environment.

forward in an increasingly important field.

When he identified C. auris, Jorge experienced a true

—Kate Frentzel

eureka moment. “I remember telling my supervisor that I

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Class Notes Notices as of July 3, 2026

’56 Marilyn Bohl of Long

Beach, Calif., received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from California State University–Long Beach’s Hung Family College of Engineering.

’63 Phyllis (Dankers) Yes of Portland, Ore., is currently featured in an exhibit, Nine Women Artists, at the Portland Art Museum. She was also included in a group show at the Portland Art Collective in September and will be included in an exhibit at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem, Ore., in 2027.

’64 David Senjem of

Rochester, Minn., is a member of the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners and serves as board chair.

’69 Dale Houck of Enola,

Pa., designed, constructed, and installed a stained-glass window at Grace Lutheran Church in Camp Hill, Pa. Nearly three feet wide and five feet high, it took four people to move it from his studio to the church.

’71 Fred Hedberg of Eden Prairie, Minn., is retired.

’76 Geri (Grimm) Dirth of

Lakeville, Minn., was inducted into the National Coaches Athletic Association Hall of Fame in Coralville, Iowa.

’79 Beth (Robey) Wilson

of Madison, Wis., retired from Edgewood University, where she served as staff accompanist and adjunct professor.

’80 Mary (Christianson)

Hansen of Rochester, Minn., was honored with Finance and Commerce’s C-Level and Leadership Award in May in Minneapolis. Mary is CEO of Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union.

’81 Pete Nelson of Omaha,

Neb., is online systems engineer at Fiserv.

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Deb (Hoover) Short of Kingsport, Tenn., retired from Eastman Credit Union after 30 years in financial counseling and loss mitigation.

’82 John Eide of Fargo,

N.D., retired as plant physiologist from the USDA Agricultural Research Service after more than 36 years of service.

’85 Leigh Monhardt of

Lancaster, Wis., received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the College of Liberal Arts and Education, University of Wisconsin–Platteville.

’86 Maree Hampton of

Minneapolis is supervisor for health promotion and planning at Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services. Susan Rockey of Shakopee, Minn., retired after 32 years of instruction working as an English language development teacher in the Shakopee School District.

’90 Richard Bruxvoort

Colligan of Rochester Minn., published his first book, Dangerous Songs: The Psalms and a Gloriously Disrupted Life. Sandy (Heinemann) Muzzey of Webster City, Iowa, retired after 36 years of teaching music, spending 27 of those years in the Eagle Grove School District.

’91 Derek Vallem of

Plymouth, Mass., retired from Belleville (Ill.) East High School, after 33 years of teaching American history and government.

’93 Kris (Felsman) Freiling

of Inver Grove Heights, Minn., is a physician assistant at Summit Orthopedics in St. Paul, Minn.

’95 Jody Jackson of Dela-

van, Wis., is assistant principal for the School District of Beloit, Wis.

’96 Tonya Moe of Urban-

dale, Iowa, is assistant director at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union in West Des Moines, Iowa. Jennifer (Nielsen) Snow of Spring Green, Wis., is a vocal teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai. Matt Snow of Spring Green, Wis., is an instrumental music teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai.

’97 Jill (Monis) Schwanz

of Shelby, N.C., is technology innovations director at Domtar in Fort Mill, S.C.

’98 Joel Zylstra of St. Paul,

Minn., is senior vice president and chief claims officer at Berkley Technology Underwriters in Minneapolis.

’99 Amy (Hinshaw) Nyren

’07 Amanda (Hannemann) Maxwell of Hopkins, Minn., is a research and development manager for Boston Scientific in Maple Grove, Minn. Amanda was also appointed to the Minnetonka City Council.

Melissa (Biermann) Schulz of Waseca, Minn., is a full-time solo live music act, performing throughout southcentral Minnesota and northern Iowa.

’08 Amber (Holzl) Sorenson of St. Paul, Minn., earned an EdD in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas. Amber is working as an adjunct professor at St. Thomas.

’09 Erin Makela of Worth-

ington, Minn., published her second book, Enterprising and Dangerous, which is the sequel to her first book, Worthy of Trust.

of Milwaukee earned an DNP in educational leadership from Alverno College and was the recipient of the inaugural Excellence in Teaching Award from the Carthage College School of Health.

Andrea (Johnson) Mierau of Andover, Minn., is associate professor of physical therapy and director of student affairs at Augustana University. Andrea was appointed to the Clara Lea Olson Professorship in Christian Values for the 2026–29 term.

’00 Katie Green of Solon,

’12 John Stender of Kasson,

Iowa, is executive director of advancement at Wartburg College.

’01 Heather (Ciernia) Nelson of Athenry, Ireland, is artistic director for the Cois Cladaigh Chamber Choir.

’03 Ann (Dehning) Hintz

of Hortonville, Wis., earned a PhD in counseling and student development, leadership in academic advising, and is registrar at Lawrence University.

’05 Irene (Erkenbrack)

Green of Minnetonka, Minn., is director of external relations at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Annie (Hendrickson) Hoffman of Lennox, S.D., is circuit court judge for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System. Andrea Nimmo of Minneapolis was promoted to vice president of events at Travel Leaders Network.

Minn., is director of worship and music at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, Minn.

’13 Sara Ernster of Maquo-

keta, Iowa, earned an MPA and a JD from the University of Iowa. Matt Key of Virginia Beach, Va., is an intelligence officer with the U.S. Navy.

’14 Allison Gieswein of

Coralville, Iowa, earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa and started a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. J.T. Rustad of Silver Springs, Md., is office administrator at Kaplan Financial Group. Maria (Ellingson) Thom of Windom, Minn., is growth marketer at Bushel in Fargo, N.D.

’16 Ryan Goos of Middleton, Wis., is faculty affairs manager at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Maryanne McNutt of Bunessan, Scotland, earned a master of letters in history and is an Iona Abbey steward for Historical Environment Scotland.

’17 Kayla (Ingvalson) Frisbie of Overland Park, Kan., is a talent manager at Cardamom Health in Madison, Wis.

Sylvia Kaare of Sartell, Minn., earned an MA in music education from the University of St. Thomas and teaches high school and fifth-grade orchestras.

’18 Erik Floden of St. Paul,

Minn., earned a PhD in physics from the University of Minnesota and works as a senior analyst at Seagate Technology in Bloomington, Minn.

Justine Heinitz of Minneapolis is senior SEO strategist at Bold Orange. Delaney Schurer of Raleigh, N.C., is a digitization archivist for the State Archives of North Carolina.

’19 Wyatt Anians of Minneapolis earned an MS in clinical research management (regulatory science) from Arizona State University and is a senior program coordinator at Mayo Clinic.

’20 Chloe (Beck) Moel of

Iowa City, Iowa, earned a PhD in genetics with a specialization in computational genetics from the University of Iowa.

’21 Courtney Graves of

Mabel, Minn., received the 2026 Fillmore County Teacher of the Year Award.

’22 Matt Benson of North

Liberty, Iowa, earned an MD from the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and is an orthopedic surgical resident at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Matt was also inducted into the Gold Humanitarian Honor Society and received the Michael Bonfiglio Award of Orthopedic Surgery. Faye Duster of Duluth, Minn., earned a master of elementary education degree from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

’23 Anne Sedlacek of

’24 Kaitlyn Bebensee of

West Des Moines, Iowa, earned a master’s degree in biology and a geospatial information sciences graduate certificate from Missouri State University. Kaitlyn is a wildlife research specialist at the Wildlife Management Institute in Chariton, Iowa.

’25 Olivia Gustafson of

Edina, Minn., is a high school science teacher at Rochester Public Schools. Piper Kellner of Rochester, Minn., is a clinical laboratory technologist at Mayo Clinic.

Oconomowoc, Wis., earned a master of music in vocal performance from Georgia State University.

Luther College Book Shop

lutherbookshop.com 563-387-1036 Your source for Norse apparel

Claire Mayo, Book Shop course materials and customer service coordinator, and daughter Lily

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Mona (Henriksen) Mitchell ‘89, Joni (Ross) Moore ‘89, and Leisa (Mechling) Wyman ‘89 were roommates in Brandt in fall 1985 and have been friends ever since. They met up in San Diego to hike Torrey Pines, take in city highlights, and celebrate 40 years of friendship!

Class of 1978 Luther alumni (from left) Nancy (Hawbaker) Harms, Karen (Faldet) Duff, and Randeen Torvik Ragan connected in Alicante, Spain, in celebration of their 48th anniversary of graduating from Luther.

Zara Zanussi ’10 sent in this great photo from visiting Koji Hayakawa ’10 in Tokyo.

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Enjoy the next few pages of photos, some of which were sent in response to President Chamberlain’s appeal to show Luther pride by taking a group photo with Luther gear. Please continue to send these photos and others to alumni@luther.edu. We love to hear from you!

Kari (Morken) Strandell ’81 (left) and her husband, Doug, traveled to Scotland in May. “While visiting the abbey on the Isle of Iona,” Kari says, “we started talking to one of the employees only to discover she was a fellow Luther grad,” Maryanne McNutt ‘16!

But wait, there’s more! When Joanna (Nelson) Meehan ‘95 (right) and her husband, Jamie Meehan ‘95, vacationed in Scotland last summer, they went to the Isle of Iona to tour the famous abbey, where they ALSO encountered Maryanne McNutt ‘16, who, it turns out, went to graduate school at St. Andrews and has been living in Scotland for the last few years, meeting Luther alumni with increasing frequency.

From left: Thomas Dahle ‘75, Barb (Cox) Peterson ‘74, and Stephen Dahle ‘13 attended a fundraiser in March for the New Richmond Fine Arts Council at the 45th Parallel Distillery in New Richmond, Wis. Barb and Stephen, NRFAC members, provided music for the evening.

Luther alumni who work at Crestwood Middle School in Cresco, Iowa, showed their Luther spirit on the school’s College and Career Day! From left: Tyler Wedemeier ’13, Marnie (Price) Carlson ’04, Scott Wiley ’93, and Becky (Butikofer) Bohr ’07.

Allison Gieswein ’14 and Ochain Okey ’22, classmates at the University of Iowa, earned doctor of pharmacy degrees in May. Congratulations to both!

Jesse Hitz Graff ’16 and Annie Harriman ’19 were married in Decorah in May, among lots of Luther love.

Kirk Larsen, professor of biology, met up with five Luther alumni at the North Central Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Des Moines, Iowa. From left: Gwen Coleman ‘24, Bee Miller ‘22, Kirk Larsen, Emmelyn Cullen ‘24, Rory Wisgerhof ‘24, and Brian McCornack ‘98.

The Luther College “Sugar Shakers,” a group of friends from the class of 1967, have been meeting every year since 2005, when they reunited in Decorah to celebrate their 60th birthdays. Since then, they’ve gathered in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Nevada, and Michigan, where they celebrated their 80th birthdays in 2025. Front row (from left): Linda (Johnson) Haerter, Paulette (Lutz) Kutschat, Diane (Schultz) Kinneberg, Suzanne (Williams) Howard, LaVonne (Forland) Welch. Back row: Lilah (Estrem) Aas, Sonja (Anderson) Bennett, Anita (Larson) Meyer, Carol (Wright) Hayford, Jo (Kurtz) Stensaas.

Chloe (Gumpert) Douglas ’14 and Peter Douglas ’14 attended the Luther presidential gathering in Portland, Ore., in June. As Luther students, they both worked in Dr. Chamberlain’s lab. They were happy to introduce him to their new baby, Rose Douglas, who was born in March.

After retiring from teaching English as a second language, Pam (Christensen) Nelson ’84 (right) moved to the north shore of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minn., with her husband, Armand. They frequently host Luther friends, including Sean Taylor ‘84 and Anne (Lysne) Taylor ‘88.

Jon Lund, retired Luther staff member, sent in this photo of Luther alumni in Tbilisi, Georgia, celebrating the wedding of Beka Beriashvili ’19 to Keti Beriashvili. From left: Kotiko Akhvlediani ’23, Beka Abesadze ’28, Beka Beriashvili ’19, Jon Lund, Saba Abesadze ’28.

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At her new job last year at Winsted (Minn.) Elementary, Katie (Kennedy) Dodge ’20 discovered fellow Luther grad Laura (Olson) Heuer ’92. They took this photo on the last day of school to show their Luther pride. As Katie says, “New friends, Luther forever!”

Cecilia (Mitchell) Voss ’18 and Ben Voss ’17 got married in May 2025 and followed in the Luther wedding tradition of a proud Luther flag and L-U chant!

Loretta Dooley Wetzel ’80 and her husband, Perran Wetzel ’79, brought the Luther love with them to Grand Cayman!

Friends from the class of 1988 gathered at the house of Jane (Hammond) Steffen in Sioux Falls, S.D., to go to a Journey concert and celebrate a 60th birthday—with a “Luther blue” cake, of course. From left: Kim (Caylor) Kuborn, Suzanne (Wellman) Alberts, Jane (Hammond) Steffen, Gene Alberts.

Darcy Hendriks ’00 and Jenn (Potter) Walker ’00 saw The Odyssey together in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They remember reading the book 30 years ago, preparing for Paideia as incoming first-year Luther students. In commemoration, they wore Luther gear to pose with the Trojan horse popcorn bucket!

Kris Klein ‘08 (left) and Amy (Schmeidel) Klein ‘07 (center) had just finished hiking in the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho. Allie Rogers ‘21 (right) was just getting started. “After sharing backpacking advice,” Amy says, “we realized we were Luther grads and shared a photo.”

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Josie (Lange) Morrison ’20 and Logan Morrison ’20 met as first-year soccer players living in Ylvisaker. Eight years later, they were married and ready to welcome a puppy to the family. They couldn’t help but name her Ylvi, in honor of their first home together. Ylvi is now two years old, and the family has also added baby Micah to the family!

Sixteen Luther folks celebrated July 4 at Fish Lake in northwestern Wisconsin. Front row (from left): Andy Dybvig ’98, Ann (Blado) Dybvig ’00, Jordan Kahl ’28, Kari (Larson) Kahl ’87, David Kahl ’91, Adam Benson ’93, Grace Johnson ’29, Annika Benson ’26, Isaiah Kahl ’26, Jill (Lindeman) Seidelmann ’95, Dave Seidelman ’94. Back row: Curtis Johnson ’84, Suzanne Gunderson O’Brien ’85, Lisa (Villarreal) Johnson ’86, Linnea (West) Benson ’95. Not pictured: Amy Kahl Turnbull ’93.

Marriages Notices as of July 22, 2026

’13 Sarah Lemon and Zach

’16 Jesse Hitz Graff and An-

’19 Beka Beriashvili and Keti ’22 Faye Duster and Justin Beriashvili, July 2026

Stewart ’23, May 2026

’15 Emma Hartmann and

’18 Justine Heinitz and Lex

’21 Andrea Blocker and Dan-

Kristen Flathers and Christian Teigum ’23, May 2026

Manthe, June 2026

Collin Jones, June 2026

nie Harriman ’19, May 2026

Smith, Oct. 2024

iel Hawley, June 2026

Owen Neubauer and Caroline Krause, Jan. 2026

’23 Savannah Deters and Quentin Wildeman, Oct. 2025

Births & Adoptions Notices as of July 22, 2026

’07 Leo Patrick James,

’13 Evelyn, May 2026, child

’20 Edmund, May 2026, child

Louis, Nov. 2025, child of Kendra (Swanson) and Eric Masters

Luca James, Feb. 2025, child of Meredith (Hoyland) and Greg Palm

Georgia, Jan. 2026, child of Hallie (Simon) and John Miller ’21

March 2026, child of Annalise (Conaway) and Joe Nelson ’09

’08 Alma, March 2026,

child of Joey Corbin and Helga Kaasin

’10 Noah Isaac, March 2026, child of Carson Christen and Kathryn Christen

’11 Fritz, March 2026, child of Vaughn Tackmann and Kayla (Uphoff) ’14

of Monica (Barron) and Blake Naylor

of Ashley (Wright) and Kevin Shannon

Phoebe, Jan. 2026, child of Daniel Suhr and Carly Suhr

Ryan, April 2026, child of Sarah Lemon and Zach Manthe

’14 Ellis (photo), Jan. 2026,

child of Kaitlin (Heikkinen) and Sam Matheson Rose, March 2026, child of Chloe (Gumpert) and Peter Douglas

’17 Isabella Sophia, June

2026, child of Victoria Torrillas and Tim Spencer

’22 Misael, Oct. 2025, child of Kimberlyn (Perez-Salazar) and Hugo Crisanto-Valencia

’18 Arlo, May 2026, child of Sofie (Wallock) and Wesley Walz

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In Memoriam Notices as of July 22, 2026

Emeriti Faculty Kenton “Kent” Finanger of Plymouth, Minn., died June 12, 2026, age 93. Marjorie (Running) Wharton ’66 of Decorah died June 9, 2026, age 81.

Retired Staff Jennifer Cantine of Decorah died March 25, 2026, age 77.

’44 Lillian (Stadsvold) McConnell of Boerne, Texas, died Jan. 23, 2025, age 102.

’50 Richard “Dick” Grin-

deland of Cupertino, Calif., died Dec. 23, 2025, age 96. Yvonne “Vonnie” (Scharberg) Jondal of Austin, Minn., died April 2, 2026, age 95. Elizabeth “Betty” (Hillesland) Nelson of Woodbury, Minn., died Nov. 10, 2025, age 97.

’51 Marilyn (Myrah) Bunge

of Preston, Minn., died May 29, 2026, age 96. Warren Schoenecker of Mitchell, Ind., died April 4, 2024, age 94. Cleetta (Fardal) Schrimper of Columbia, Va., died Dec. 9, 2025, age 95. Audrey (Hanson) Surface of Florence, Colo., died Jan. 25, 2026, age 94. Shirley (Peterson) Swenson of Bentonville, Ark., died March 14, 2026, age 95.

’52 Roald Knutson of

Plymouth, Minn., died April 26, 2025, age 94. Ruth (Tollefsrud) Sherry of Muskego, Wis., died June 14, 2025, age 95. Marjorie (Brunsvold) Wilkins of Marion, Iowa, died March 23, 2026, age 94.

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’53 Roger Amundson of

Clermont, Iowa, died June 19, 2026, age 94. Mary (McClure) Ersland of Menominee, Mich., died June 22, 2026, age 92. Bonnie (Braa) Warrington of Decorah died March 24, 2026, age 94.

’54 Clifford “Cliff” Bruber

of Eagan, Minn., died March 24, 2024, age 92. Maynard “Barney” Penning of Grand Rapids, Minn., died May 27, 2026, age 94.

’55 Clarence Baalson of

Clear Lake, Iowa, died June 6, 2026, age 92. Eugene “Gene” Ersland of Menominee, Mich., died July 4, 2026, age 92. Marlys (Braaten) Johnson of Eagan, Minn., died Sept. 28, 2024, age 89. Janelle “Jan” (Rovang) Melenich of Long Lake, Minn., died Dec. 14, 2025, age 91.

’56 Ronald “Ron” Brandt

of Waukon, Iowa, died Dec. 18, 2024, age 94. Richard “Dick” Hansen of Black Diamond, Wash., died Feb. 6, 2025, age 94. Kathleen “Kathy” (Anderson) Theige of Iola, Wis., died June 24, 2026, age 91.

’57 Lydell Hove of Princeton, Ill., died June 16, 2026, age 93.

Robert Knutson of Janesville, Wis., died March 12, 2026, age 92. Marguretta “Gretta” (Ness) Yaeger of Ortonville, Minn., died May 12, 2025, age 94.

’58 Craig Anderson of

Shoreview, Minn., died Dec. 31, 2025, age 87.

Ronald “Ron” Barribeau of Baraboo, Wis., died Feb. 6, 2025, age 93.

Gerald “Jerry” Peterson of Hastings, Minn., died Dec. 9, 2025, age 79.

Joseph “Joe” Lee of Marshalltown, Iowa, died June 13, 2026, age 91.

’70 Barbara “Barb” Lueder

’59 Paul Bertram of O’Fallon, Mo., died April 20, 2026, age 93.

Judith “Judy” (Reinecke) Torney of Keene, N.H., died June 21, 2026, age 89.

’61 Charles “Chuck” Kaiser of Silver Bay, Minn., died March 6, 2026, age 88.

of Coralville, Iowa, died July 11, 2026, age 78.

’71 Julie Schubert of Ames, Iowa, died March 6, 2026, age 77.

’73 Karen Davidson of New York died May 26, 2026, age 75. Dietrich Fabricius of Hendersonville, N.C., died June 24, 2025, age 74.

William “Clay” Lyon of Glendale, Ariz., died March 15, 2026, age 88.

Terry Teppen of White Bear Lake, Minn., died June 27, 2026, age 74.

Bruce Moe of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died May 28, 2026, age 87.

son of Eden Prairie, Minn., died April 22, 2026, age 73.

Eleanor (Hanson) Sukkestad of Savannah, Ga., died Dec. 11, 2025, age 86.

’62 Richard “Dick” Bakka

of Apple Valley, Minn., died June 18, 2026, age 86. Janice “Jan” (Engle) Gray of Excelsior, Minn., died May 10, 2026, age 86. John Hibbard of Andover, Minn., died June 27, 2025, age 88. Donald “Don” Mills of DeWitt, N.Y., died April 18, 2026, age 86.

’63 Harvey Estebo of Waukon, Iowa, died April 5, 2026, age 90.

’64 Robert “Bob” Nied-

ringhaus of St. Paul, Minn., died July 3, 2026, age 83.

’66 Adrian Olson of How-

ard Lake, Minn., died March 25, 2026, age 82.

’67 Leland “Lee” Blom of

Green Bay, Wis., died Sept. 25, 2025, age 80.

’69 Donald “Don” Bach-

man of Columbia, Md., died July 6, 2026, age 78. Janet “Jan” (Hefti) Knutson of Beloit, Wis., died April 4, 2026, age 79.

’74 Richard “Dick” AmundScott Barnett of Decorah died May 20, 2026, age 74. Sandra “Sandy” (Sabin) Moore of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, died June 18, 2026, age 74.

’76 Linda (Schaffer) Brokish of Fairfax, Va., died March 26, 2026, age 71.

John Mullen of Harmony, Minn., died June 7, 2026, age 71. Greg Wymore of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died March 27, 2026, age 71.

’77 James “Jim” Clausen

of Sumner, Iowa, died April 30, 2025, age 70. James “Jim” Schlimmer of Savannah, Ga., died March 26, 2026, age 71.

’87 Marshall “Marty”

Kottke of Arden Hills, Minn., died April 23, 2026, age 61.

’91 Spencer “Spence” Ver

Meer of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, died June 24, 2026, age 57.

’95 Joshua “Josh” Peterson of Green Bay, Wis., died Feb. 27, 2026, age 52.

Calendar HOMECOMING

C H R I S T M A S AT L U T H E R

Friday, October 2–

Thursday, December 3–

Sunday, October 4, 2026

Sunday, December 6, 2026

Luther College

Luther College

O N E T E A M D AY

G I V I N G D AY

Thursday, November 19, 2026

Thursday, March 4, 2027

Luther College

Luther College

Estate Planning AWARENESS WEEK

October 19–25

Visit luther.edu/events for more information and to see all campus events.

Consider the legacy you'd like to leave by including Luther College in your estate plans. Your future gift will help inspire and equip generations of Luther students, creating a lasting impact for years to come.

During Estate Planning Awareness Week, take time to review your current plans. 1. Create or review your will or trust. 2. Update beneficiary designations for all of your accounts. 3. Ensure your plans still reflect your intentions and wishes. For Luther College’s tax identification number or more information about including Luther in your estate plans, visit legacygiving.luther.edu or contact Kelly Sorenson at 563-387-1066 or kelly.sorenson@luther.edu.

Download Luther’s FREE estate planning guide

Create your will

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID DECORAH, IA PERMIT NO. 148

LUTHER COLLEGE 700 COLLEGE DRIVE DECORAH, IOWA 52101-1045

Every gift on One Team Day supports the grit, spirit, and tradition of Norse athletics—in competition, as student-athletes train, and for generations to come. Visit luther.edu/one-team-day to make an early gift and to learn more. Go Norse!

Thursday, November 19, 2026