Luther alumni magazine spring 2017 by Luther College

SPRING 2017

Students explore Hmong refugee stories through textiles

Editor Ellen Modersohn Luther Alumni Magazine Volume 50, Number 3, Spring 2017

Managing Editor Kate Frentzel

Published by Luther College

Designer Michael Bartels

Contributors Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82 Dave Blanchard Sue (Franzen) Drilling ’78 Lori Ferguson Annalise Johnson ’18 Kirk Johnson ’82 Aaron Lurth ’08 Judy Riha Rachel Schunder ’20

Luther Alumni Magazine welcomes articles and signed letters to the editor; submissions may be edited for style, clarity, or length. Inquiries and submissions may be sent to the Editor, Luther Alumni Magazine, Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 521011045; magazine@luther.edu; phone (563) 387-1350. Class Notes submissions and changes of address may be sent to the Alumni Office at the address above. Alumni news may be emailed to the Alumni Office at alumni@luther.edu. Questions and concerns about the magazine may be emailed to magazine@ luther.edu.

Contents Features 13 Advocating for action on the front lines of a potential crisis

Q&A with Mike Osterholm ’75, author of the new book Deadliest Enemy, about what every informed global citizen should know about infectious disease

16 Stunning textiles, primary papers provide hands-on learning

Students in Luther’s Anthropology Lab learn about history, culture, methodology, and current events by working with a new collection.

20 The Ultimate attraction

Current students and alumni share how Ultimate Frisbee helped them form friendships for life. “I don’t know if any one of us knew what we were getting into the first time we stepped out onto the practice field together, but I know that we’re all thankful that we did,” says Colin Berry ’15.

24 Expanded views

Luther students share beauty, curiosities, and human connections from their study-away experiences around the world. View photos from the Chilean desert, the Maltese coast, the Tanzanian bush, and more.

Departments

WILL HELLER ’16

2 President’s Letter The alumni magazine is online at luther.edu/magazine in a mobile and shareable format. Share your favorite stories through email, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

3 Campus 30 Alumni

36 46 47 48

Class Notes Marriages Births/Adoptions In Memoriam

52 President’s Council Alumni Office (800) 225-8664; (800) 2 ALUMNI Admissions Office (800) 458-8437; (800) 4 LUTHER Web luther.edu luther.edu/magazine Copyright Luther College 2017

64 Endpage Calendar (inside back cover) Left: Sarah Forsyth ’15, field and farm fellow/environmental services, prepares a high tunnel greenhouse for the new growing season in April. During the 2016 season, Luther students grew and sold 6,300 pounds of produce worth more than $11,000 to Luther’s Dining Services for use in the cafeteria, catering events, and Oneota Market. At the same time, the Luther Gardens became the first liberal arts college garden in the country to be USDA Good Agricultural Practices–certified for food safety practices.

President’s Letter

Campus News A yearlong exploration of who we are,

and how the Reformation still shapes us today

“

Speakers this spring have delved into topics as wideranging as how the charge to serve our neighbors relates to current debates over immigration and what structure the church needs—or doesn't—to fulfill its duties to its congregations.”

It’s hard to believe, but we’re nearly halfway through 2017 and Luther College’s year of commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The exciting and innovative speakers and artists we’ve invited to campus this spring have been helping us think about our namesake Martin Luther’s intent when he nailed his 95 theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517. Through their engaging talks and panel discussions we have been exploring the relevance the theses have both for the world at large and for us at Luther. Part of that relevance is that we continue to honor our tradition at Luther by bringing together a diversity of voices, culture, and art. Our yearlong series, The Reformation of Everything, 1517–2017: Exploring a Movement That Changed the World, focuses on three areas of impact: the religious and spiritual dimensions of the Reformation, its historical influence on Western thought and attitudes, and its effect on art, music, and culture. Exhibits of art and artifacts across campus are contributing to our dialogue as we think about the Reformation’s continuing impact. Speakers this spring have delved into topics as wide-ranging as how the charge to serve our neighbors relates to current debates over immigration and what structure the church needs—or doesn’t—to fulfill its duties to its congregations. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the ELCA, began our year of exploration by giving the spring Convocation address. Nadia Bolz-Weber, best-selling author and ordained ELCA pastor, delivered the Farwell Distinguished Lecture on the first evening of our spring conference, Liberating Grace: The Power of the Reformation in the World Today, March 31–April 1. And Ralston Deffenbaugh, Lutheran World Federation assistant general secretary for international affairs and human rights, gave the conference plenary address on the church’s role in welcoming refugees. A panel discussion that weekend focused specifically on how the Reformation informs the work of Luther graduates. Carol Birkland ’67, April Ulring Larson ’72, Sue Rothmeyer ’81, and Heidi Torgerson ’00 talked about how Luther College shaped their early sense of vocation, how that vocation has changed over time, and how the Reformation is still alive in their work. The Liberating Grace conference culminated in performances of J. S. Bach’s B-minor mass by Nordic Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and faculty, alumni, and guest artists. Bach, a Lutheran who is sometimes called “the fifth evangelist,” is widely regarded as having created one of the greatest artistic achievements in Western music. The musicians gave wonderful performances of this transcendent and profoundly spiritual work at Luther on Saturday evening and at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Sunday. I’m equally excited about what is to come during the rest of the year. Later this month, John Nunes, theologian and former president of Lutheran World Relief, will add to our commemoration as he delivers the address for Luther’s 151st Commencement ceremony. This fall, on Oct. 29, Marty Haugen ’73 will lead a Reformation hymn festival. On the big anniversary day itself, Oct. 31, the college will host a daylong symposium featuring keynote speaker Brad Gregory, from the University of Notre Dame, who will share his views on the Reformation’s historical legacy in Western culture. A Luther Music Department concert will premiere the Reformation Cantata, composed by four Luther alumni and four current students. We are pleased also to present a Center Stage Series performance on Nov. 18 by the St. Thomas Boys Choir of Leipzig, Germany. One of the world’s premier boys choirs, the group was founded in 1212 and boasts J. S. Bach as its most famous conductor. Events in the second half of this commemorative year promise to be as inspiring as those we enjoyed this spring. If you would like to join us, and I hope you can, the schedule of events is on the Luther website at luther.edu/reformation-2017. Soli Deo Gloria,

Paula J. Carlson, President

Luther Alumni Magazine

Campus News

Presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Elizabeth Eaton gave Luther’s spring Convocation lecture on Feb. 2 in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. Her address marked the start of the college’s yearlong commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Eaton reflected on the church’s ongoing call to reformation and the role of Lutheran higher education in the call to service for the sake of the world. During the service, the Luther College Woman’s Club was honored with the Spirit of Luther Award, recognizing the members’ service to the college. For more than 60 years, the club has provided treats for Luther students for birthdays and other special occasions. Not only does this service assist parents, but the proceeds are returned to the college in the form of scholarships. Also, Juan Tony Guzmán ’90 was installed as the Weston Noble Endowed Chair in

LUTHER COLLEGE PHOTO BUREAU

Bishop Eaton gives Convocation address

As part of her visit to the college, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton participated in the blessing of a tree recently planted on campus as part of the Luthergarten project. Luthergarten is a Reformation commemoration initiative that links the college to Wittenberg, Germany, by dedicating newly planted trees in both locations. Shown here are (left to right) Sthela Holly Hanitrinirina ’18, Eaton, college pastor Mike Blair, Gifty Arthur ’17, and Derek Barnhouse ’18.

Music. A conductor, composer, arranger, and music educator, Guzmán is director of the jazz program and a professor of music. He is a

BREANNE PIERCE ’16 sought-after conductor of all-state and honor choirs, concert bands, jazz bands, and symphony orchestras across the United States.

PHOTO COURTESY BETH RAY WESTLUND '89

Quote/Unquote

In conjunction with Luther’s symposium, Liberating Grace: The Power of the Reformation in the World Today, March 31–April 1, Nordic Choir and Symphony Orchestra performed J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor on campus and in Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Kenneth Fulton was guest conductor of Nordic Choir, and Daniel Baldwin conducted Symphony Orchestra. The performance included guest faculty and alumni artists as well, several of whom gathered for this photograph with the Judisches. Front row (left to right): Ed Andereck, professor of music; Gail Judisch, Luther Health Service nurse; Laura Krumm ’09; Kelly Holst ’00; Dave Judisch, professor emeritus of music. Back row (left to right): Matt Stump ’12, Aaron Sheehan ’98, Beth Ray Westlund ’89, associate professor of music. Guest artists not pictured included Stacie Mickens ’02; Adam Gordon; Gregory Peterson ’83, associate professor of music and college organist; Carol Hester, professor of music; Heather Armstrong, associate professor of music; John Cord, assistant professor of music; Kathy Reed, instructor in music; Igor Kalnin, visiting assistant professor of music; and Philip Borter, assistant professor of music.

“I suggest that forgiveness of sin—this thing that Jesus talked about all the time—is not only something we need in order to live in freedom, I think it's central to our relationship to God because . . . sin is a force in the world that robs us of the abundant life that God wants for us.” —NADIA BOLZ-WEBER, best-selling author and Lutheran pastor, from her Farwell Distinguished Lecture, “What Is Worth Reforming?” part of Luther’s commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Campus News

Faculty tenure grants At its February meeting, the Luther Board of Regents approved tenure for Anita Carrasco, anthropology; Dan Davis, classics; Kyle Fey, mathematics; Andrew Hageman, English; Thomas C. Johnson, communication studies; Angela (Oldenburg) Kueny ’02, nursing; and Jodi Meyer-Mork, education. All were promoted to associate professor.

Anita Carrasco, anthropology, has taught at Luther since 2011. She teaches courses in cultural anthropology, environmental anthropology, consumerism and sustainability, capitalism and culture, writing ethnography, and anthropological theory. Her research focuses on extractive industries, corporate social responsibility, environmental impacts, mining company–indigenous community relations, power and inequality, and consumer culture. Carrasco is working on a book manuscript, The Embrace of the Serpent: A Chronicle of Atacameño Life in the Face of Mining. Dan Davis has served in Luther’s Classics Department since 2011. His research interests focus on marine archaeology, ship technology, ancient harbors, classical archaeology, maritime trade, and seafaring. He teaches courses in the archaeology of ancient Rome and ancient Greece, Greek, Latin, mythology, and classical history. An active scholar and leader of archaeological projects, Davis is the author of many peer-reviewed articles and is writing two books. Kyle Fey began teaching in the Mathematics Department in 2011. His research interests include the calculus of variations, partial differential equations, the intersection of mathematics and biological problems, and mathematical epidemiology. His recent student research collaboration projects include “The effect of population structure on vaccination thresholds for herd immunity” and “B-cell chronic lymphocytic—a model with immune response of genetically modified anticd19 CAR-targeted T cells.” Andrew Hageman has been a professor in the English Department since 2011. His research focuses on techno-culture and machines in the social imaginary, ecological narratives and images in writing and film, convergences of science and fiction in science fiction, and the history of the novel. He teaches courses in American literature, film, ecomedia, science fiction, and Paideia.

Luther Alumni Magazine

Thomas C. Johnson has served in the Communication Studies Department since 2011, regularly teaching courses in critical media studies, media production, and Paideia. His research interests include pedagogy, sports media, television studies, gender studies, and documentary film. A writer, editor, director, and producer of documentary films, Johnson’s most recent release, Ironhead, has been accepted into 15 festivals and was selected for Iowa Public Television’s The Film Lounge. Angela (Oldenburg) Kueny ’02 has taught in Luther's Nursing Department since 2010. Her research interests focus on cultural and diverse perspectives in health care and forgiveness in early and middle childhood. Kueny’s doctoral dissertation used ethnographic methodology to describe Amish practices for healing chronic childhood disease and how Amish families can work with providers to find collaborative and community-centered care for children. She is an active researcher and presenter at conferences around the United States and abroad. Jodi Meyer-Mork joined the Luther Education Department in 2011. She teaches courses in instructional strategies, diverse and exceptional learning, home school and community, early childhood education, and literary assessment. Before moving to higher education, she taught students in kindergarten through eighth grade identified for special education. Much of her professional focus has centered around opportunity and access for children with disabilities.

Campus News

In new research post, Beth Lynch to study human-caused environmental change, disease

Elizabeth Steding receives Fulbright grant to conduct research and teach in Germany

Beth Lynch, Luther associate professor of biology, is the new faculty research fellow in the college’s Center for Ethics and Public Engagement. The CEPE will support Lynch during the 2017– 18 and 2018–19 academic years as she conducts research on how human-caused environmental changes affect the emergence and spread of disease. Her project will culminate in a new course, the Ecology of Emerging Zoonotic Diseases. Her appointment is the first of an ongoing series of two-year appointments that will be made in this new iteration of the faculty research fellow program. The center’s goal is to sponsor research that directly supports the mission of the CEPE. Next year, the CEPE plans to host a series of events on science and public policy, a topic supported directly by Lynch’s research. She plans to use the fellowship to gain a deeper understanding of the connections between human health, environmental destruction, and development policies.

Associate professor of German Elizabeth Steding has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant to do research and teach in Münster, Germany, during spring 2018. Steding’s research examines the portrayal of East German literature in curricula and textbooks used in German secondary schools from 1985 to 2015. She will also teach a course at the University of Münster on incorporating East German literature into the classroom. The German Democratic Republic and West Germany developed marked differences over their 40 years of separation, and the reunification of Germany in 1990 raised questions about the past and Germany’s identity. “While literature textbooks might not seem political, they reveal a lot about society,” Steding says. “Which authors are included, which texts are chosen, even which questions are asked about them all provide clues about what a society values and what they want to ignore or forget. My research explores how these attitudes change—or don’t change–over time.”

Mark Johns and John Moeller to retire from teaching at Luther this spring

Mark Johns

John Moeller

This spring, Mark D. Johns, professor of communication studies, will retire after 18 years of teaching. John Moeller, professor of politcal science, will retire after 36 on the Luther faculty. Johns taught a number of media courses at Luther, and his students have appreciated his dry wit and eye-opening lessons, citing in particular an exercise in which he challenges them to leave their cell phones in the dorm for an afternoon or—gasp!—an entire day. In another assignment, at the beginning of his Intro to Mass Media course, he has students write down their every encounter with media over the course of three days. Before teaching at Luther, Johns served as a parish pastor for 19 years. He paid his way through seminary by working at Twin Cities television stations. The Lutheran Church of America (later the ELCA) heard of Johns’s expertise and commissioned him for a number of media-related projects. While at a parish in Cedar Falls, he earned an M.A. in communications studies at the University of Northern Iowa. He then obtained a Ph.D. in mass com-

munications at the University of Iowa. Johns joined the Luther faculty in 1999. He split residency for a while so that his daughters could graduate high school in Cedar Falls, where his wife, Mary, also worked as a teacher. When their daughters graduated, Johns and Mary moved overseas, where Johns directed Luther’s Nottingham program for a year before the couple settled permanently in Decorah. Johns began studies in media communication at the dawn of the World Wide Web, so, as a researcher, he was in at the ground floor. In 2004 he coedited the book Online Social Research: Methods, Issues, and Ethics, which was considered groundbreaking. Since then, he has edited or coedited two additional books, the most recent being Information Technologies and Social Orders, which was published in April. As an ordained minister, Johns has a special interest in the intersection of media and religion, and he’s focused recent attention on how people express religious beliefs and practices on Facebook and other online meeting spaces. Johns says he will miss the high energy of Luther’s campus, where “lots of young people are very excited about life.” He and his wife plan to travel and visit kids and grandkids, and he also expects to keep up his interests in amateur radio, and space communication through amateur satellites. Making connections has been at the heart of John Moeller’s teaching and career at Luther. He has encouraged students and the rest

of the campus community to think about how classroom learning relates to larger issues in the world by leading interdisciplinary programs and centers. Moeller was a director of the Environmental Studies Program and was the first director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement. He has served as a professor of political science and overseen Luther’s participation in the Lutheran College Washington Semester Consortium. Moeller came to Luther College in 1981 after teaching at Texas Tech, Livingston University (Alabama), and Pan-American University (Texas). He earned a B.A. from Lawrence University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Duke University. Joining Luther’s faculty in 1981, he taught courses such as Civil Rights and Liberties, Political Theory, and Environmental Politics. His research and writing has focused on the role of the Supreme Court, political themes in the popular Western novel, the ideas of Alexander Bickel, and the jurisprudence of Justice John M. Harlan II. Most recently, Moeller has taught philosophy courses and Paideia 450 study-abroad courses, leading courses in London, Western Europe, Tanzania, Vietnam, and New Zealand. He has been a consistent presence at campus events wherever students are gathered. As for retirement, he told Luther’s Chips newspaper, “I haven’t given it a second of thought. But I will miss the students a lot. That is the most valuable and most exciting part [of Luther].”

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Luther Alumni Magazine

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY WILL HELLER '16

Campus News

Q &A

with Nordic’s new conductor

Andrew Last ’97, Luther assistant professor of music, was named Luther’s Nordic Choir conductor and director of choral activities at Luther, effective fall semester 2017. Founded in 1946 by Sigvart Steen ’23, Nordic Choir gained international recognition for its musical excellence during the storied 57-year tenure of the late Weston Noble ’43, who retired in 2005 and passed away Dec. 21, 2016. Craig Arnold then led the choir until 2010. Last will succeed Allen Hightower, who served Luther from 2010 to 2016. LUTHER ALUMNI MAGAZINE: NORDIC CHOIR HAS A LONG AND QUALITY TRADITION AT LUTHER. WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE CHOIR AS ITS FIFTH CONDUCTOR? AL: I think, first and foremost, I’m going to need to find a balance between maintaining the traditions of the past and yet having a vision for the future. It wouldn’t be wise for someone to come into this position and think that they’re going to change the whole dynamic. We are rooted in that Lutheran choral tradition. But I also think we have to adapt to what is going on in the current choral climate. There needs to be music in our repertoire that celebrates our heritage, but there also needs to be a celebration of new composers and music. Many of the great choral organizations that are thriving right now are commissioning composers, and young composers for that matter. And so there is the challenge of finding a path that incorporates both of them. I also think in our Lutheran choral climate right now there needs to be a celebration of diversity and programming of world music. I think that will make some people really happy and make some people a little bit nervous as well. HOW WILL YOUR DIRECTION INFLUENCE NORDIC’S SOUND? AL: Nordic has had that traditional Lutheran warm sound with attention to unification of vowels, and students have asked me if that will change under my direction. What they don’t realize is that the current Nordic is not the same sound that Nordic had when I was in the choir. It changes over the years and with different conductors. The amount of spin that is allowed changes, the sizes of the voices change, the number of singers in the choir changes. Since the retirement of Weston Noble, the sound has evolved over the past 10–15 years. Nordic has always been beautiful, but a conductor’s sound is a bit like their fingerprint. Nordic’s sound under my direction will celebrate the traits that I value in a choir. HOW WILL YOU APPROACH THE JOB OF CHORAL DIRECTOR? AL: I love the Luther model. We have four choral directors, and my job is not to dictate to them, but to enable them to conduct their own ensembles and to collaborate with them. I will oversee choral scheduling—especially the Christmas at Luther event and serve as the production’s artistic director. I will also oversee student recruitment and choral auditions. The choir directors will continue to have autonomy with their groups. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO OUTSIDE OF WORK? AL: This will be surprising, but I don’t. I do have an iPod with really heart-pumping music to listen to when I run in the morning, but people are always really amazed when they get into my car and I don’t have music playing. I hear so much music during the course of the day that my ears need a break. I enjoy the silence. WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU SINCE ACCEPTING THIS POSITION? AL: All the alumni reaching out to say they’re rooting for me. I’ve always felt supported here, but the outpouring of encouragement now is really gratifying. Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Campus News

Seniors Fawcett and Larson receive Fulbright grants to teach in Ukraine and Bulgaria

Betsy Fawcett ’17

Patrick Larson ’17

The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board has selected Luther seniors Betsy Fawcett and Patrick Larson to receive Fulbright awards for the 2017–18 academic year. Fawcett and Larson received Fulbright grants for English teaching assistantships in Ukraine and Bulgaria, respectively. Recipients of the highly competitive Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and profes-

sional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields. Fawcett, from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, will graduate from Luther in May with majors in political science and psychology. As a 2016 Peace Scholar, she spent seven weeks studying peace and conflict resolution in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway. “While studying in Norway, I was fortunate to interact with several Ukrainian students who described fascinating aspects of the country’s politics,” Fawcett says. “That drew my interest to Ukraine as a place to examine politics, language, and culture.” After her Fulbright experience, she plans to attend graduate school in international relations or peace studies to prepare for a position with an embassy or nongovernmental organization.

Larson, from Decorah, will graduate from Luther in May with a major in economics. “I hope to promote productive intercultural dialogue with my students and serve as a positive cultural ambassador in the classroom,” he says. “I also hope to start a running club with my students and use this as a way to strengthen our relationships.” A January Term study-abroad experience in Vietnam sparked Larson’s interest in how economic and political institutions can be used to serve the common good. After his Fulbright experience, he plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in public policy, focusing on global and national affairs and working with marginalized groups of people.

Honz ’18 named Rossing Physics Scholar and Goldwater Scholar Luther College junior Kevin Honz ’18 of Barnhart, Missouri, has been awarded a $10,000 Rossing Physics Scholarship for the 2017–18 academic year. The Rossing scholarship, made possible through gifts from Thomas D. Rossing ’50, is awarded annually to physics students of exceptional merit. Honz was selected for the award from a pool of applicants from the 26 ELCA

colleges across the United States. Honz was also awarded a $7,500 Goldwater Scholarship for the 2017–18 academic year. The Goldwater Scholarship is designed to support outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering. This year, from a pool of approximately 1,200 applicants, 240 students were awarded scholarships. Upon graduation from Luther, Honz, a mathematics and physics double major, plans to pursue a doctoral degree in condensed matter physics.

Honz says, “I can’t thank Dr. Jeff Wilkerson enough for his guidance. I’m indebted to all the physics and math faculty for their continual support, and these scholarships are a testament to their dedication as professors. I wouldn’t be who I am today, as a student and as a person, without them.” In addition to his academic activities, Honz is a member of the Luther College Nordic Choir.

Two Luther students selected as Peace Scholars Luther juniors Bakhita Gonçalves Soares and William Jeide were selected as Peace Scholars for the 2016–17 academic year. Soares is a Davis United World Colleges Scholar. The pair will spend seven weeks this summer studying peace and conflict resolution in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway. Luther is one of six colleges founded by Norwegian-American immigrants in the 19th century that sponsor the annual summer Peace Scholars program in Norway. The program is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the central issues and theories regarding conflict, war, and peace. Bakhita Gonçalves Soares

William Jeide

Luther Alumni Magazine

Anno XIV - n.40 - Edizione quadrimestrale - Dicembre 2016 - Edizione della Associazione Italiana Sommelier Marche - Direttore Responsabile: Gualberto Compagnucci - Redazione: Via Spadoni 8 - 60131 Ancona - Sped. in abb. post. 70% - Aut. Trib. Ancona n.19 - 9/9/2003

Campus News

I SAPORI DEL FREDDO Memorie di convivio della tavola scandinava

QUALE SOPRAVVIVERÀ? La cucina tra il modernismo e la tradizione

ORANGE WINE Il vino di una volta ritorna di moda

IL PECCATO FINALE Difficile resistergli

TRENTO DOC Pregiate bollicine di montagna

SAINT ÉMILION Grandi vini mondiali

On the cover of Marche Sommeliers Young Americans and Verdicchio

Luther students were featured on the cover of Marche Sommeliers magazine last year. They were part of the Earth and Environment in Italy class through the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. The photo captured a unit of the program in which students study the influence of various soils on the terroir of local Italian wines. The 12-week program is based at the Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco beginning in early August and ending in late October. That’s Andrew Carlson ’17 in the Luther shirt holding a dried cod. It turns out that a sommelier the students worked with was also an expert in the preparation of stoccafisso (stockfish), a speciality with Norwegian roots.

DEVELOPMENT

Moorcroft Scholarship established for psychology, accounting, management students with need After the death of Christina Moorcroft ’78 last fall, her family established the William and Christina Moorcroft Scholarship to support Luther students with financial need studying psychology, accounting, management, or a combination of these majors, with preference given to Decorah students, and to recognize the careers of the two former Luther faculty members. Bill began teaching in the Psychology Department in 1971 and retired as an emeritus professor in 2002. Chris taught accounting courses in the economics and business department for 19 years, leaving a lasting imprint on the department as a result. The Luther community was saddened to learn of Chris’s death on Sept. 19, 2016, at age 72, and mourns this loss of a great teacher, staff member, and mentor. Memorial gifts in her honor may be made to Luther, and gifts designated to the scholarship are especially welcomed. Born in Kansas City, Chris grew up in Omaha, Neb., and graduated from Central High School in 1962. She majored in English at the University of Nebraska and graduated

with Phi Beta Kappa honors before becoming Northwestern Bell Telephone’s first female management trainee. Chris and Bill married in 1971 and moved to Decorah after Bill accepted a teaching position at Luther. The Moorcrofts later retired to Fort Collins, Colo. In the mid-1970s, Chris took accounting courses at Luther and passed the CPA exam on her first try. She worked briefly as a public accountant before becoming an accountant for Luther. She also earned an M.B.A. at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and began teaching accounting at Luther at a time when men dominated the field of business in industry and academia. While an accounting instructor, Chris passed the managerial accounting certification exam. Her research interest was in international health care systems, and she traveled to many health care facilities outside of the United States to conduct research. Chris also served as Luther’s faculty representative to the Iowa Athletic Conference, one of the first women to do so, and was instrumental in es-

tablishing Luther’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter. During her tenure at Luther, Chris played an important role in recruiting women—professors and students—to the business department and was instrumental in developing Luther’s arts management program. She had a keen sense for the future of healthcare and in the 1990s helped create courses for healthcare management at Luther. Active as a member and in the vestry of Episcopal churches in Decorah and Fort Collins, Chris also served as a bookkeeper for Sunflower Daycare Center and, together with Bill, was a founding member of the original food co-op in Decorah. Chris is survived by her husband, Bill; daughter, Marcy (Greg) Capell; two sons, Pat (Natalie) Moorcroft and Drew (Jodi) Moorcroft ’94; eight grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, MaryDell; and brother, Jim.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Campus News ATHLETICS

Greg Lonning ’84, Jeff O’Gara ’05 inducted into national wrestling coaches hall of fame

Greg Lonning ’84

Jeff O’Gara ’05

Greg Lonning ’84 and Luther assistant wrestling coach Jeff O’Gara ’05 were inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame March 9. Lonning was inducted as a coach and O’Gara for his efforts on the wrestling mat. Lonning served as head coach at UW– La Crosse from 1992 to 1998 and Central College from 1987 to 1989. At UW–La Crosse, he compiled a dual meet record of 77-19 and led the Eagles to

their first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) title in school history in 1993, and again in 1998. He coached 19 NCAA III All-Americans, including three national champions, including O’Gara. He also coached 19 WIAC champions. At Central, he led the Dutch to a 23-10 dual meet record and the 1989 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) title. That same year he was named the league’s Coach of the Year. He coached 10 All-Americans, including the school's first national champion. Lonning, who was inducted into Luther’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994, was a three-year letter winner for the Norse. He was a twotime NCAA III All-American at 118 pounds and earned a national title in 1983. He also won two IIAC titles and was named the Most Valuable Wrestler at the 1982 All-Lutheran Tournament. O’Gara wrestled at UW–La Crosse from 1992 to 1996, finishing with a career record

of 111-14 that included 58 wins by fall. He ranks tied for 10th on UW–La Cross’s all-time win list. O’Gara earned three NCAA III AllAmerica awards at 118 pounds, capturing the title in 1996 with an overall record of 34-0. He is the only wrestler in school history to win the national title at 118. In 2012, O’Gara was named to the WIAC all-time wrestling team, in conjunction with the league’s centennial celebration. O’Gara won the 118-pound title at the 1994 and 1996 WIAC Championship. O’Gara has been Luther’s assistant wrestling coach for the past 21 years, during which time Luther has had 56 All-Americans, nine national champions, five national runner-ups, 50 Scholar All-Americans, two NCAA Postgraduate Scholars, four CoSIDA Scholar AllAmericans, and two Iowa Conference Male Scholar Athletes of the Year.

Isaac Jensen ’17 receives Luther’s 40th NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Luther cross country athlete Isaac Jensen ’17 was awarded a 2017 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in March. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) awards a one-time, nonrenewable educational grant of $7,500 to 58 student-athletes—29 men and 29 women—who competed in fall sports. Jensen, an environmental studies and biology double major, will graduate this month magna cum laude. Afterward, he plans to apply to graduate schools. During the 2016 cross-country season, Jen-

sen earned All-America honors at the NCAA III National Championships, finishing 10th overall from the field of 278 runners. Before the national championships, he was named the Iowa Conference MVP after winning the individual title at the IIAC Championships. His all-conference honor (top-15) was the third of his career. He also joined an elite group of Luther runners to earn all-region honors (top-35) for a third time, finishing second from the field of 207 competitors at the Central Regional. Academically, Jensen is a three-time Iowa Conference Fall Sports Teams Academic honoree (3.50 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale). He is Luther’s 40th postgraduate scholar and the 16th in the past 16 years to receive this award. To qualify for an NCAA Postgraduate Schol-

arship, a student-athlete must be nominated by his or her athletic department, have an overall grade point average of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution, and intercollegiate athletics. The studentathlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a fulltime or part-time graduate student. The NCAA awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.

• Follow Luther athletics results at luther.edu/sports. • Stream events live and on-demand at portal.stretchinternet.com/luther. • Sign up for eScores, a free Norse athletics results program at luther.edu/sports-information.

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Campus News

Winter sports recaps WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Iowa Conference Champions Luther’s string of 10 consecutive team titles came to an end at the final meet of the year, the Liberal Arts Championships. The Norse posted a four-day total of 540 points and finished second to Franklin College (Ind.), which posted 635 points. Sam Kraft ’18 established an individual school record in the 1,650 freestyle (17:37.44) and placed second. Also posting runner-up finishes were Emily Anderson ’17 in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle and Megan Broadbent ’18 in one-meter diving, 11 dives. The 400 freestyle relay of Anderson, Jackie Hughes ’17, Alix Sharp ’20, and Kraft placed second, as did the 800 freestyle relay of Anderson, Kraft, Sofie Wallock ’18, and Hughes. The Iowa Conference also decides its league champion at this event, and the Norse cruised to their 13th conference title in a row. MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Iowa Conference 4th place The men’s swimming and diving team completed its season at the Liberal Arts Championships with a fourth-place finish. The Norse posted 422.5 points. Franklin College (Ind.) won the team title for the fourth year in a row with a total of 750. Nebraska Wesleyan University was second with 548, and Illinois Tech was third with 463.5. Individually, Matt Staver ’20 recorded the highest finishes during the four days of competition. Staver placed third in both the 400 IM and 1,650 freestyle. In the prelims of the 400 IM he set a new school record (4:09.71). During the 1,650 he set a school record in the

1,000 freestyle (9:46.06). His third-place time in this event was the second fastest in school history (16:20.54). The Iowa Conference also decides its league champion at this event, and the Norse finished second. Nebraska Wesleyan University won the team title with 556.5 points, followed by Luther with 465. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Iowa Conference 2nd place For the third year in a row, the women’s basketball team advanced to the championship game of the six-team Iowa Conference Tournament. The Norse earned the no. 2 seed of the tournament after finishing second during the regular season with a league mark of 12-4. Luther defeated Loras College 65-62 in the semifinals and traveled to Wartburg College for the tournament title game. The Knights defeated the Norse 81-68. Luther finished its season with an overall record of 17-10. Katie Waller ’18, Anna Madrigal ’17, and Laura Hamilton ’20 were recognized on the all-conference team. Waller was a first-team selection, Madrigal was a second-team honoree, and Hamilton was named honorable mention. Madrigal completed her career with 937 points. She also finished second all-time with 174 three-point baskets and ranks seventh alltime with a three-point field goal percentage of 36.3 percent. As a sophomore, she set the single-season record for three-point baskets with 61. MEN’S BASKETBALL

Iowa Conference 9th place With only four seniors on the 16-man varsity roster, Luther finished ninth in the Iowa Conference with a record of 2-14, 4-19 overall. The leading scorer for the Norse was Jared

Nicolaisen ’19, who tallied 267 points for an average of 11.6 points per game. Kevin Stafford ’17 and Markell Lucas ’17 were next, producing 206 and 184 points, respectively. WRESTLING

Iowa Conference 5th place The Luther wrestling team finished the Iowa Conference dual meet schedule with a record of 4-4 and finished in fifth place in the league standings. The Norse placed fifth at the NCAA III Central Regional and qualified three individuals for the National Championships. Qualifying for a second consecutive year were Tristan Zurfluh ’17 at 165, Javier Reyes ’17 at 174, and Justin Kreiter ’17 at 184. Kreiter earned All-America honors (top-8), finishing as the national runner-up. With his national runner-up finish, he became the 25th Luther wrestler to advance to an NCAA III title match and the 11th to finish as a national runner-up. Kreiter, the no. 5 seed for the tournament, posted a record of 3-1. He defeated Ryan Shank of Waynesburg University by fall (2:25) in his opening match. He went on to defeat no. 4 seed Jordan Bushey of Oswego State (7-1) in the quarterfinals and then defeated the no. 1 seed Owen Webster of Augsburg College (6-4) in the semifinal round. Webster entered the semifinal match with a record of 31-1 and a 28-match win streak that included a 22-0 record versus Division III wrestlers. In the championship match, no. 3 seed Jordan Newman of UW-Whitewater won by fall at 4:03. Kreiter completed his senior campaign with a record of 30-4 and a career mark of 95-35 and a two-time All-American. Kreiter was also named a National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American for the second time.

Iowa Conference Winter Sports All-Academic Team

Luther SAAC wins February NCAA III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll

Eighteen Luther College student-athletes were named to the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Winter Sports AllAcademic Team. From men’s basketball, Joshua Peters ’19; from women’s basketball, Britta Erie ’19, Stephanie Kletscher ’19, Bhrett Zahnle ’19, Lauren Resner ’18, Katie Waller ’18, Brenna Hafner ’17, and Anna Madrigal ’17; from women’s swimming and diving, Gabrielle Blair ’19, Michelle Finger ’19, Allison Peters ’19, Martha Stelter ’19, and Elizabeth Bonin ’18; from men’s swimming and diving, Zach Martin ’19, Ian Christopherson ’18, and Jacob Sund ’17; from wrestling, Spencer Davies ’18 and Justin Kreiter ’17.

For the second time in as many years, the Luther College Student Athlete Activity Council (SAAC) Unity Bowl for Special Olympics event was named a winner for the NCAA III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll. The article on the event can be found at luther.edu/sports. The NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll is a storytelling initiative at ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics. It features three new stories per month, each highlighting a Division III and Special Olympics joint activity or event conducted by colleges or universities throughout the year. Each month NCAA III fans are asked to vote on three Special Olympics stories that are selected by the NCAA. The winner of the vote receives $500 toward that school’s next Special Olympics activity. Luther received 45 percent (2.038) of the 4,517 votes cast to win the February Spotlight Poll. Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Campus News

GIFTS AT WORK

Bigger, better stadiums now hosting games Luther’s new softball and baseball stadiums, funded through generous gifts, were dedicated on April 29.

Stadium features • Bleacher seating for 171 • Standing area on first- and third-base side of stadium with a railing • Deck viewing area next to press box • Best-in-conference video and radio capabilities Minneapolis Metrodome seats: softball 74, baseball 88 Minneapolis Metrodome handicap seating: softball 8, baseball 16

(

“We’ve been to a lot of games this season, and this is by far the best stadium the Luther team has played.” —Ann Meyer, mother of Norse softball player Stephanie Meyer ’20, at an early April home game

)

ou!

Donors Softball stadium—105 donors Baseball stadium—153 donors

ky han

Betty A. Hoff Field The softball field has been named for Betty Hoff ’60, in honor of her longtime service to Luther College. • Professor, coach, and athletic trainer, 1961–2004 • Head softball coach, 1969–2001 • First Divison III coach inducted into National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, 1992 • Four Iowa AIAW state softball championships • Four consecutive Iowa Intercollegiate Athletics Conference titles (1985–88) • Eight consecutive National Collegiate Athletics Association III Regional appearances (1985–92) • Three national tournament appearances, finishing fourth in 1985 and 1990, and fifth in 1991 • Career record 544-343-1 • First Nena Amundson Distinguished Professor, 2001–4 • Inducted into Luther’s Athletic Hall of Fame, 2004

How your gifts work • Bleachers no longer have to be moved from the football stadium, which increases flexibility as to when softball and baseball teams can host games. • Permanent stadium seating will help with recruiting. • Stadiums can be rented out more often, increasing recruiting opportunities and enjoyment by area residents. • Norse Athletic Association funds purchased new sound systems and windscreens. Learn about ways to support Luther at giving.luther.edu.

Luther Alumni Magazine

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION FROM COVER OF DEADLIEST ENEMY

Osterholm ’75 discusses the world’s biggest threat

n March, Michael Osterholm ’75 pub-

Administration, the Department of Defense,

lished his second book, Deadliest Enemy:

and the Centers for Disease Control and

Our War against Killer Germs. If anyone is

Prevention (CDC). He’s served as an adviser

qualified to write about potential pandemics in

on bioterrorism to the late King Hussein of

the 21st century and what we can do to protect

Jordan and as special adviser to Health and

ourselves, it’s Osterholm. His credentials are

Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson

staggering. He’s Regent Professor, McKnight

following the 2001 anthrax attacks. He’s a

Presidential Endowed Chair, and the founding

founding member of the National Science

director of the Center for Infectious Disease

Advisory Board on Biosecurity and a member

Research and Policy at the University of Min-

of the National Academy of Medicine and the

nesota. He was the state epidemiologist at

Council of Foreign Affairs. This spring, Fortune

the Minnesota Department of Health for 24

magazine named him one of 34 leaders who

years, and he’s served in various public health

are changing health care.

Michael Osterholm ’75

advisory capacities for the last four presidential administrations. He’s a frequent consultant to

We sat down in April to ask Osterholm about

the World Health Organization, the National

Deadliest Enemy and what every informed global

Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug

citizen should know about infectious disease.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Q A Luther Alumni Magazine: Why is infectious disease potentially the biggest threat to humanity in the 21st century? Michael Osterholm: If people want to understand the global impact of an infectious disease, they should look no further than the influenza pandemic of 1918. Over 100 million people died in 18 months—more than from all the major wars in the 20th century combined. An influenza pandemic like that could happen tomorrow, particularly in light of the fact that right now, we have an influenza pandemic in birds—in Asia, Africa, Europe, even the Americas. Every time one of these viruses is transmitted between birds, it’s a throw at the genetic roulette table for one of them to change such that it can become a virus transmitted to and by humans. That could happen tomorrow.Today, with three times as many people living in the world than lived in 1918, we could easily see hundreds of millions of influenza-related deaths worldwide in just months. There is no other calamity that we know of that would essentially put us at this level of risk.

You make the point too that we’ve become a truly global society with complicated supply chains that would be really vulnerable in the event of a pandemic. MO: People don’t realize how dependent we are on the entire world for the goods and services we use every day, including some that are lifesaving. There are no walls tall enough, wide enough, or deep enough to eliminate infectious disease moving across borders, but there are major deterrents for things that must move across borders for us to live our lives every day. For example, as we detail in the book, we did a study several years ago where we interviewed an internationally renowned group of doctors of pharmacy and asked what lifesaving drugs they have to have every day or people die. Not cancer drugs, not most antibiotics, surely not all the lifestyle drugs, but what’s actually on the crash cart in the emergency room? What

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are the drugs that if we don’t have this morning, we’ll have a death on our hands? We came up with 30 different drug categories. One hundred percent of them were generic, 100 percent were made offshore, 100 percent have no stockpiling anywhere—it’s a just-in-time manufacturing and delivery system. And if there were some hiccup anywhere in the world with regard to manufacturing, raw product availability, shipping, or delivery, we would see deaths. We actually today teeter on that. We’ve gone through periods with major shortages of these products, such as IV bags, when we don’t have a crisis. Another global vulnerability we’re seeing relates to food supply. Today, to support the 7.4 billion people on the face of the earth, we obviously need protein. The fastest way to convert energy to protein and by far the most efficient is poultry. We’ve become a very poultry–dependent world. For example, in any given month in Shanghai, about 125 million chickens are hatched just to feed the citizens of Shanghai. Each one of these chickens is a virus test tube waiting to get infected. And so we now have a global issue with poultry where we need them badly to feed the world but they also amplify and potentially accelerate the risk of avian influenza like we’ve never seen before. Again, all of these modern-world situations in and of themselves are a problem, but when you put them together with an infectious disease, they become a life-defining issue.

Why is infectious disease a matter of national security? MO: When Ebola was a major challenge for us in West Africa, I did a number of briefings for various congressional committees. And it was interesting: the committees that had the most concern about the crisis were not the public health committees; they were the intelligence and military-related committees. Their concern was that if this epidemic continued to sweep eastward across central Africa and particularly into areas that were held by any number of dissident groups including ISIL, Boko Haram, etc., it would only further destabilize efforts that were being undertaken to try to neutralize these terrorist groups. They saw this as a huge threat.

Another major concern you address in the book is the rise of antibiotic resistance, for example with things like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Can you walk us through this threat? MO: The evolution of microbial resistance dates back to the very first microorganisms. They competed for space and food, and they did that by producing chemicals called antibiotics that would kill or compete with other bacteria. When we brought about the advent of the antibiotic era with new antibiotics for humans and animals, it was a godsend to infectious disease medicine and public health because now no longer did a routine cut or puncture necessarily potentially result in a life-threatening infection. The challenge is that what we’ve done is put our microbes on a hyperevolutionary course over the last 40 or 50 years by the tons of antibiotics we use each year. And today so much of that is unneeded and is just driving the evolution of this resistance. A bacteria, on average, reproduces every 20 minutes. When it does that, it often makes mistakes in copying its genetic material, and many of those mistakes or mutations are harmful to the bacteria and they die. But there are some new mistakes that end up being wonderful gifts to that bacteria because now they no longer need to have a certain chemical that an antibiotic attacks, so now they’re no longer vulnerable to that antibiotic. And so we really have to understand that this is not one that’s a maybe; this is one that’s a yes. It’s happening. There was a comprehensive study completed last year in England called the AMR—we talk about it in the book. It concluded that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant infection deaths will surpass those from cancer and diabetes combined.

What can be done about it? MO: First, we need to reign in the use of antibiotics. Second, we need new antibiotics, but the easy ones are all gone. And today, what pharmaceutical company is going to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into what may not be a fruitful effort? And even if it is, we’re

going to tell them: Don’t sell this thing unless you absolutely need to. And when you do sell it, make sure people take the least amount possible so they don’t develop resistance. And so we don’t have the economic engine to drive new research and development of antibiotics, which we need. It comes down to government. Just as we strategically buy missiles and bullets, we should be funding this research. The third thing we need to do is look hard at novel ways to address antibiotic resistance. We need new vaccines for pathogens that right now are resistant; we have some in the pneumonia category, some in the diarrhea category. And we need new ways of looking at how to treat infections. This is work the Russians have been doing for some time, what we call phages—viruses that attack bacteria. There are other ways to look at this; we are just taking a long, slow time to really understand it. In the book we highlight that and what can be done. This is not to scare people out of their wits—it’s to scare them into their wits. There’s a lot we can do about antibiotic resistance that we’re not doing.

How can politics support or undermine public health? MO: I’ve been in this business now for 43 years. I have had advisory roles in the last four presidential administrations. As state epidemiologist in Minnesota, I worked for two Democratic governors, two Republican governors, and one independent wrestler, Jesse Ventura. And no one can tell you my partisan politics— I’m just another private in the army of public health, so take my comments in that context. Public health and infectious diseases have not been partisan issues until now. What happened last summer in Washington, where funding for our emergency response to Zika was held hostage to politics, was unprecedented. I’d never seen that before—what happened with Zika was so politicized. And ironically the primary area hit is largely Republican, with a Republican governor, and it was a Republican Congress that refused to act. I recently wrote a New York Times op-ed [“The Real Threat to National Security: Deadly Disease,” March 24, 2017] in which I

talked about how the Trump administration is proposing major budget cuts to the NIH and the CDC as well as to groups like the USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development]— part of the State Department that has been a very important vehicle for us in dealing with international outbreaks. Tomorrow we could be sitting on top of an infectious disease right here in our own backyard, and we won’t be prepared in the way that we could and should be. I know we need to defend our country from a military and terrorism perspective, and I take that very seriously. But most people don’t ask the question: Why is it that we have spent more on military than the next seven countries of the world combined? So the question becomes how much is enough spending for the military, and how important is adding 54 billion new dollars to the military budget if you’re taking that away from public health preparedness? That’s when I make the argument that we’re penny wise and pound foolish. It will come back to bite us badly.

How do you stay encouraged? MO: When I look at the future for my kids and grandkids, I don’t have any challenge at all in getting up in the morning and doing what I do. It’s their world. In the book, I talk about how my son was seriously ill with La Crosse encephalitis due to my own stupidity of watering my new lawn and not realizing I was also watering tree holes and creating an ideal breeding site for the virus-carrying mosquito. My kids and grandkids are just as vulnerable to these infectious diseases as anyone else. I guess I also learned not to take no for an answer. I learned that at Luther. This is where my liberal arts education and scientific activism roots were first planted. I learned that right is right even if nobody’s right, and wrong is wrong even if everybody’s wrong. I look at the world as a place that my kids inhabit, your kids inhabit, the next generation inhabits, so we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to make the world a safer and healthier place.

Osterholm gives first lecture in Roslien series Osterholm was at Luther in April to deliver the inaugural lecture in the newly endowed Dr. David J. Roslien ’59 Distinguished Lecture in Science and Leadership. The lecture series, named for “Doc” Roslien, Luther professor of biology, vice president for college advancement, and interim president, brings to campus individuals who are internationally recognized for their contributions to science or for global leadership in policy. “To date, there’s never been a time when we more needed science and leadership in combination,” Osterholm says. “Science without good policy is just a bunch of people sitting around a table talking about their publications. Policy without science is often dangerous. What’s important is the merging of the two—and Doc’s career was all about that.”

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

From left to right, Thomas Specht ’19, Anthropology Lab manager Destiny Crider, Deanna Grelecki ’19, Laura Christensen ’18, and Elizabeth Wiebke ’19 compare notes on Hmong textiles.

Students explore an immigrant path through Decorah by Kate Frentzel

photos by Will Heller ’16

Because of a recent donation of documents and textiles related to Hmong refugees in Decorah, student workers in Luther’s Anthropology Lab are getting hands-on experience cataloging a brandnew collection. And as they come to understand the donated materials and what they mean, they’re gaining context about events unfolding across the world today.

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n the twentieth century, the Hmong were a subsistence-farming ethnic minority living in the mountainous regions of Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, the CIA recruited them as soldiers and spies to subvert communist forces in Laos. By the end of the war, tens of thousands of Hmong men and boys had been killed fighting for the U.S., and the Laotian communist government vowed to kill any remaining soldiers and their families. Thousands of Hmong escaped over the Mekong River to refugee camps in Thailand, and many were then spread across the globe in resettlement and asylum programs. Some Hmong refugees faced repatriation to Thailand, often unwillingly, since that country continued to loom as a threat to the displaced Hmong. It is a crisis that continues. Even as recently as 2009, the Thai government threatened to return 4,000 Hmong asylum-seekers to Laos, not allowing any foreign government agents or journalists to interview the refugees. The largest wave of Hmong refugees arrived in the U.S. after the passage of the U.S. Refugee Act of 1980. They came to this country in the midst of a severe global recession, with historically high unemployment— not an easy environment for any newcomer. So as not to pinch state welfare and social support systems, the U.S. scattered them across two dozen states, often breaking up families and frequently moving these tropical immigrants to northern climates. Through enterprise and resilience, the Hmong population in the U.S. has grown to an estimated 200,000-plus, with the largest urban concentration in the Twin Cities.

The Hmong in Decorah Lutheran churches were common sponsors of Hmong refugees, and a lot of Hmong people immigrated to Decorah under the auspices of Good Shepherd Lutheran and other churches in the area. In the thick of these efforts was Marilyn (Miller) Anderson ’62, who worked in a mostly volunteer capacity to provide language and job training to the new immigrants. Over her years of close connection with the Hmong in Decorah, Anderson and her mother amassed a lovely collection of Hmong textiles. Recently, she donated these textiles, along with many boxes of refugee-related archival documents, to Luther’s Ethnography Collection. Professor emeritus of anthropology Harv Klevar and his wife, Georgie, also made donations to the textile collection, as did former Development staffer Lilly Womeldorf ’55. And Geraldine Schwartz and Kenneth A. Root, professor emeritus of sociology, contributed to the paper archives. A few Luther students worked with the materials last year, but efforts to organize and investigate the collection have continued in earnest this year, with four dedicated student workers and an anthropology faculty member—Destiny Crider, Anthropology Lab and collections manager and museum studies instructor—to guide them. One Thursday in November, Anderson showed up at the Anthro Lab like Santa Claus, with a bagful of treasures. She does this periodically, as she uncovers more textiles and documents. She sat down with the students and answered questions while they took notes. She walked them through the new things she had brought, mostly training materials she received as a refugeeservices worker. Toward the end of the visit, she surveyed the files and folders around her. “It’s really wonderful to see it like this,” she said. “This will make it possible to do more.”

A common motif of Hmong story cloths is the wartime experience of the Hmong in Laos and their subsequent crossing of the Mekong River to safety in Vietnam.

In working with the new collection, Specht focuses on genealogy and kinship charts.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Making connections The four students that Crider hired to work with the Hmong collection are academically diverse, with five majors and seven minors among them. “For this project,” Crider says, “it really works, because we have different lenses and different perspectives from all the cross-majors and minors that can contribute to a cultural study.” For the first few weeks, Crider had the students bone up on Hmong culture and history. Then, as they acquainted themselves with the collection, they branched into different parts of it according to their inclinations. As Crider says, “This kind of research is going to be particular to each of us—what we’re getting out of it and what we can put into it.” Elizabeth Wiebke ’19 is organizing new documents and materials within the collection. She’s interested in policy-related questions and connections to current events. Laura Christensen ’18 works with family folders and crossreferences newspaper articles to families; she’s eager to learn about local perceptions of the Hmong immigrants and vice versa. Deanna Grelecki ’19 wants to trace how Hmong cultural traditions, particularly marriage ceremonies, changed as refugees moved from Laos to Thailand to the U.S., and she’s using the textiles to investigate this. Thomas Specht ’19 wants to iron out the relationships among the Decorah immigrants—these make the history for him more narrative, more alive—and so he’s working on genealogy and kinship charts. Asked about the challenges of working with such a new collection, Christensen says, “We have all these different segments of the collection, and the whole point of this work—but also the challenge of it—is to connect them, to connect all these documents and information to the materials and the people, to try to understand their stories. There are a lot of different parts going on right now, and we’re just trying to make sense of all that. We’re asking: What do we do with this collection, and how do we make it meaningful?”

Hmong textiles Traditionally, the Hmong embellished clothing and other textiles with decorative needlework, but in the refugee camps they developed pictorial story cloths. With forced idle time, and unable to farm, Hmong women and girls started producing embroidered pieces, like the story cloths, for sale. While the story cloths were a commercial art

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It’s the slow, meticulous work of anthropologists-in-training, and the task can feel overwhelming. Crider reminds them, “There’s a reason I keep saying we’re not responsible for telling this entire story all at once. This is an ongoing process. We’re each trying to find our own way in the story.” Meanwhile, the students are gaining incredible on-the-job training. They’re problem solving, because, as Crider says, primary sources are messy, and students have to look across multiple sources to make important connections. They’re learning how to work ethically with cultural materials; how to process documents and materials according to the discipline; how to photograph, digitize, and organize a collection; and eventually they’ll learn how to work sensitively and respectfully with anthropological informants. And, of course, they’re constantly connecting this history with current events, particularly as those events involve refugees. Says Wiebke, “In our world today, a lot of people are very closedminded and unaware of a lot of things. I think everyone should have to take a cultural anthropology class. But especially with this collection— this happened in Decorah, Iowa, which is where we’re all living right now, where we go to school, and regardless of whether it directly affects my studies or my future, it impacts me just having the experience of specifically studying this culture and the issues they went through and relating that to the issues of today.” Grelecki agrees: “It broadens your mind to different perspectives and the fact that there are people who are different from you. As a future educator, that’s something that’s really important to me to instill in younger generations from an earlier age rather than waiting until college—and not everybody takes anthropology in college either—so if you can start incorporating it younger, you can start to eliminate problems that can arise from misunderstanding other people and other cultures, and hopefully that will lead people to become more accepting and create a more open society.”

form, it’s likely that they also served another function—helping a traumatized community process its experience. By detailing the atrocities committed against the Hmong, as well as their difficult journey across the Mekong River, the story cloths both provided proof that the atrocities had happened while also, hopefully, allowing their makers to grieve and mourn and bind some of that mourning into the cloth itself.

The story cloths also helped to share Hmong culture and history with the world. Some of the cloths depict creation stories or folktales, others illustrate rituals or ceremonies, and some present a sort of compendium of animals, among other things. Traditional Hmong needlework motifs are usually abstract, and the triangles that edge most of the story cloths represent the moun-

With five majors and seven minors among them, Grelecki, Christensen, Specht, and Wiebke (pictured left to right) bring their multiple disciplines to bear on the way they’re able to process and understand the cultural materials.

Specht rounds out the sentiment. “Broadening cultural understanding is really important today, when many people aren’t taking the initiative to understand other cultures. But that understanding is really important in our increasingly globalized world.”

End of an era—but not the end of the story The refugee-services program in Decorah closed its doors in 1994, and today there is no Hmong population to speak of in town, with almost all of the Hmong who lived in Decorah having moved to Minnesota or Wis-

tains from which the Hmong came. Technique is adaptable, however, as the detailed, figurative story cloths from the refugee camps show. As the Hmong moved to America, they started to borrow from their adopted culture, sometimes using English captions and featuring Western content, such as Bible stories, crosses, cameras, boom boxes, and televisions. Such changes reflected what was happening

consin. But as the students of the Anthro Lab reconstruct and preserve this history, they begin to make it accessible as a campus and community resource from which people will be able to learn about Decorah’s role in this worldwide event and look to it for lessons good and bad. And since these students are juniors and sophomores, this will be a multiyear project for them, which means they’ll be able to learn and contribute to knowledge in progressively meaningful ways.

in their own lives and also showed how they were adapting their craft to American markets. In addition to the story cloths, Hmong craftswomen also started to make and sell embroidered aprons, bookmarks, pillow covers, and Christmas ornaments, all of which are represented in Luther’s collection.

The Luther College Anthropology Laboratory makes collections available for viewing online at anthrodb.luther.edu/ethnographic/ (use the search term “Hmong” to see the entire textile collection). Inquiries about the collection or making donations should be directed to Destiny Crider in the Anthropology Department.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Ultimate

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Kate Frentzel

Luther Alumni Magazine

sk a Luther Ultimate Frisbee player what they do in the off-season and they’ll likely answer, “What’s an off-season?” Luther’s Ultimate teams practice five days a week yearround, including during J-term. In the winter months, when practice outdoors isn’t possible, they grab what time they can—9 to 11 p.m.—in the Regents Center, splitting the space between all three teams. As student organizations and not varsity sports teams, LUFDA (a Division I men’s team), Freya (a Division III women’s team), and Pound (a Division III men’s team) coach themselves, maintain team finances, work with administrators, put in bids for tournaments, arrange travel and lodging, transport themselves to games, fundraise,

Say hello to your new best friends “Freshman year, you come in nervous. You come in worried about if you’re going to fit in, if you’re going to find a home. By joining Pound, I immediately found my home. It was as a part of the team,” explains Jesse Hitz Graff ’16. “As soon as you join, you have 70 new friends, both boys and girls,” says outdoor instructor and Pound grad Adam Winter ’15. Biology major Hanna Doerr ’18 says the camaraderie Ultimate creates has caused her to “think a lot more about fostering mutual growth within a team, rather than competing with teammates for playing time. This can and has been applied to other aspects of my life where I find myself opting to make sure everyone develops to their full potential.” “I mean, we all like the fact that it keeps us in decent shape, but the biggest draw is just how much of a brotherhood it actually is,” says Pounder Mickey Callen ’17. LUFDA grad Colin Berry ’15, choir director for Waterloo East High School in Iowa, agrees: “I loved the challenge, although being the worst player on the team my freshman year was difficult to deal with considering how competitive I am. What kept me on the team was the group of guys. I had no idea that I had just met my new group of best friends. The combination of accountability, genuine friendship, open-mindedness, and infuriating hypothetical arguments made hanging out with the

team as formative personally as it was fun.” Former Pounder Isaac Hitz Graff ’14, who now works at a homeless shelter in Denver, puts a philosophical spin on it: “Ultimate was a driving force in teaching me that college is more than just the classes and the degree, but also about the relationships. Some of the relationships I made on Pound remain the strongest and most important in my life.” Hitz Graff says that he now strives for “Ultimate” relationships in all areas of life. “Both the sport of Ultimate itself and the people I played with taught me to search honestly for what I love, and I hope to always live true to that.”

S-O-T-what? Ultimate Frisbee, explains LUFDA grad Collin Meyer ’12, “incorporates elements of soccer, football, and basketball, but is still entirely unique.” Teams score by catching a disc in their opponent’s end zone. Unlike most sports, however, Ultimate lacks referees and instead relies on something called spirit of the game, or SOTG. SOTG means that players themselves are responsible for calling fouls, out-of-bounds plays, and other rule violations. If teams disagree on a call, they work it out. “The goal is to be as respectful as possible,” says Freya cocaptain Lucia Holte ’17. “You don’t have to be a pushover, but you have to be honest.”

Left: Peter Graffy ’12 makes a stellar catch for LUFDA during a game against the University of Michigan. PHOTO COURTESY ERIC JOHNSON ’12

advertise, and recruit. For the past three years, they’ve also hosted the Luther Invite, which, as LUFDA president Matt Smith ’18 details, involves “a long checklist of tasks that need to be taken care of, like getting our date and field approved by Luther, promoting the tournament and getting other teams to come, making sure fields are painted, getting athletic trainers for the weekend, getting porta-potties for the weekend, collecting entry fees and waivers from each team, putting together a schedule, plus about a thousand little things that pop up along the way.” So why, given full course loads, jobs, and other extracurriculars, do more than 70 Luther students commit to this sport each year? Love of the game and love of each other.

SOTG tends to weed out athletes who play with a win-at-all-costs mentality or those who would put point-scoring ahead of a clean, congenial game. That doesn’t mean that teams aren’t competitive—LUFDA, for example, has made it to Nationals four times, and Freya has made it twice. But most players agree that winning is less important than integrity and community. “A game with a team you really enjoy playing can feel like a victory regardless of the score,” Callen notes. He remembers going up against Virginia Commmonwealth, a top team in the nation, at a tournament last year. “They ran us, but they played such a good, clean game and they were so much fun to be around that we didn’t care that they beat us as bad as they did. We had a ton of fun, we had a dance-off at halftime, we had a group hug session. It was a win for Ultimate, because both teams had a great time.” Chemistry major Ben Oanes ’17, a Pound cocaptain, remembers another game last year that exemplified the spirit of Ultimate. “It was a last-minute tournament, and we brought eight guys, so we had only one sub the entire game. But we were the happiest guys out there.” Their performance so impressed the opposing coach that he complimented them afterward, saying he’d been trying to get that attitude through to his own team all day. “He was responding to the fact that our team could embody the spirit of Ultimate, which is self-officiating, being honest, being relaxed, and also playing good Ultimate and

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

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The combination of accountability, genuine friendship, open-mindedness, and infuriating hypothetical arguments made hanging out with the team as formative personally as it was fun.”

making all these friends,” says music major Ethan Harris ’18, a Pound cocaptain. And of course friendship is part of the reason Luther’s Ultimate teams practice so much—they love hanging out together. But that’s not the only reason. Freya cocaptain Rachel Johnson ’17, a psychology major, says that many players join the team having never encountered the sport before, which means that she and Holte have to start with the basics. “We can do our best to teach it, but it just takes a lot of repetition and a lot of time. When I was learning, people taught me the mechanics of throwing, but in the end . . .” “In the end,” Holte pipes in, “you have to throw a thousand times to learn it.” Paul Fritzell ’18, LUFDA cocaptain, offers a third reason why Ultimate practice is so intense. Luther’s Ultimate teams are self-funded, as are teams at many schools, and generally have to travel far to compete. It doesn’t make financial sense to play just one game per trip, so most teams usually face up to ten teams over a two-day tournament. They end up running around for eight or nine hours per day.

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—LUFDA grad Colin Berry ’15

“It’s pretty stressful and hard on your body,” he says, “so to get ready for that, we really have to practice.”

Are we there yet? “The hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Harris begins, “is find a house to rent for four days for 20 college students.” On the beach. During spring break. It’s not a task most of us would relish, but Harris pulled it off for Pound’s spring break tournament in Georgia this spring. Travel is a big part of Ultimate. Berry recalls, “We probably had over 50 hours of road time every season, and you don’t really know someone until you’re on hour nine together and have exhausted all intelligent conversation.” Johnson agrees that travel is “a good time to get to know everybody and learn weird quirks about people. We try to find a player’s house that can host the team. It’s kind of like

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a sleepover with your 25 best friends, all in the same house.” When staying with family or alumni isn’t possible, teams have been known to get . . . creative. Pound graduate Fred Burdine ’13, who works with refugees at World Relief in Baltimore, remembers the time they crammed 24 guys into two hotel rooms to save money: “I told them all that if anyone causes us to get busted, then they have to pay the difference for the additional rooms. Quietest night of my Ultimate career!” Smith, who’s traveled with LUFDA to Texas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, and other places, recalls a trip to Las Vegas last year, when the team stayed in the tiny town of Searchlight, Nev., pop. 500. “One of my favorite memories from last year,” he says, “was climbing up a small rock hill in Searchlight with several teammates, watching the sunset and talking.”

ANNE GOODROAD ’18

Each spring, Ultimate alumni return to campus for a game against current players. Above, Freya and Pound players pose with alumni from the teams during a reunion weekend this April.

Is there life after Frisbee? Ultimate grads attribute a lot of their character development and post-college success to the sport. “Ultimate has shaped me into the person I am today,” says Freya grad Meg Ostrem ’16. “It taught me to manage my time better and prioritize what is really important to me. It also taught me to stand up for what I believe in. When you are passionate about something, you have to stand up for it.” Ben Nordquist ’15, who played on LUFDA, remembers getting up at 5 a.m. to use the fields before other teams had practice, or practicing indoors until the second the facilities closed. “We were hungry and took whatever time we could find. This experience and mindset has followed me into my professional life. I truly value my time and take advantage of all the moments I have to work toward a goal I desperately want to achieve.” “I learned to be a better loser and a humble winner,” says Pound grad Esteban Rodriguez-Hefty ’14, who now lives in the Twin Cities along with many other Ultimate grads, including Jesse Hitz Graff, a Ph.D. stu-

dent in electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. “All the friendships I’ve developed at the U stem from the social confidence I gained being on Pound,” Hitz Graff says. “Moving to a new area can be daunting, but I’ve adjusted well socially and academically thanks in large part to the skills I developed on and especially off the field as a member of Pound.” Hitz Graff lives with fellow Pound grad Gabriel Eide ’16 and points out that having automatic roommates is another long-term benefit of playing Ultimate. But Ultimate grads don’t need to move to Minnesota to reap the sport’s rewards. Former Pounder Patrick Nyberg ’12 teaches math in Casablanca, Morocco, and says he has been part of Ultimate communities in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Spain as well. “More than anything else, Frisbee is that shot of familiarity for me,” he says. “I feel lucky to have this community no matter where in the world I’m living.” Former LUFDA player Peter Graffy ’12, a grad student and researcher in the School of Medicine and Public Health at UW-Madison, says, “These days I play on a semi-pro team in

Madison called the Radicals, who are pretty well-known around town, so it’s pretty often that I get recognized around the city or on campus, and it’s opened a lot of doors for me.” The sport has also opened doors for LUFDA grad and wealth management advisor Eric Johnson ’12. “I work with clients all over the country, many from my connections as an Ultimate player,” he says, adding that he was able to visit 40–50 states during his time on LUFDA and other Ultimate teams. “Having that network, both personally and professionally, is great,” agrees Meyer, who works in the advisory practice at Deloitte in Minneapolis and who, along with Ben Kofoed ’12, coaches the Apple Valley High School girls Ultimate team. Berry, who still helps out with LUFDA when he can, sums up a common sentiment among players: “I don’t know if any one of us knew what we were getting into the first time we stepped out onto the practice field together, but I know that we’re all thankful that we did, humbled for the depth of relationships we’ve been able to build, and excited to see what crazy stories come next.”

Left to right: Pound and Freya teams at Tybee Island, Ga., spring break 2014 (courtesy Jesse Hitz Graff ’16); LUFDA in Boulder, Colo., for the 2012 Division I National Championships (courtesy Colin Berry ’15); Freya players after practice on Luther’s intramural fields (courtesy Libby Logsden ’15).

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Amazing views Luther students share scenes from their study away around the world during the past year

Luther Alumni Magazine

Below: Emily Alcock ’17, Spanish and international studies major, shot this sunset in Valle de la Luna, San Pedro de Atacama Desert, Chile, in spring 2016. She was studying in Valparaíso, Chile through International Studies Abroad.

Below: Kalie Kampa ’18, a management major, shared a photo of herself, right, with two other students on her USAC Oslo program in fall 2016. “This was taken in Tromsø, Norway, which is above the Arctic Circle,” she says. “I still look at this photo in disbelief that I actually witnessed these amazing northern lights.”

Bottom: International studies major Madison Speer ’17 submitted this photo of students in Luther’s Malta program during spring 2016. She says: “We were in the Sahara Desert in Morocco after staying the night with a Berber tribe in tents in the desert. Having taken the camels to get to the camp the night before, we were returning to the main city in the morning.”

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Above: Daniel Fields ’17, an accounting major, studied in Barcelona, Spain, during J-term 2017 through CIS Abroad. He took this photo in one of the most famous open markets in Barcelona, La Boqueria. Vendors sell fresh vegetables and fruits, a wide variety of meats and fish, cheeses, crafts, and even smoothies. Right: Spanish major Micah Cabbage ’18 studied at La Universidad de Alicante in Spain with the program Spanish Studies Abroad during J-term and spring semester 2016. She says: “I took this photo because La Explanada is one of the main emblems of Alicante. It is a maritime promenade that runs from La Puerta del Mar to Canalejas Park and features many local artists and vendors along its long path. It also takes you to Postiguet Beach and gives you an amazing view of Santa Barbara Castle. Alicante is known for its port and also for its tourism, so I felt that this photo best represented Alicante as a city.”

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Left: History major Johanna Beaupre ’18 spent J-term 2017 in Tanzania with the People and Parks: Pastoralism and Conservation in East Africa course. She submitted this photo of Maasai people dancing with Luther students. Above: Biology major Mikayla Brockmeyer ’17 submitted this shot from a visit to the Maasai Bead and Education Project, which helps local women develop economic independence and stability. A Maasai woman helped Mikayla try on a bracelet the woman had made. Below: Kristen Carlson ’19 says that during the East Africa course “We had many tough discussions about numerous issues in Tanzania revolving around conservation and tourism efforts and effects on native populations. Conversations such as the one depicted here were intellectually challenging and thought provoking, but took place in community and with the beautiful backdrop of Africa.” Carlson is studying communication studies, music, and philosophy.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Right: Biology major Genevieve Ehlers ’19 snapped this photo at Stonehenge in Amesbury, England, where she was touring with the Tolkien and Lewis in Context course during J-term 2017. She says: “This memorable encounter begins with the shadows of new friends that I have gained through this J-term experience on the stones of the past at Stonehenge. This opportunity to travel changed my view on the world and the way the experiences of the two authors we studied inspired their writings.”

Below: Melissa Young ’18 snapped this shot of Manarola, Italy, while traveling in Europe last fall. The sociology major was studying at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, during fall semester through International Studies Abroad.

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Left: Madison Speer ’17 captured this photo of an iconic natural archway, known as the Azure Window, while she was on Luther’s Malta program in spring 2016. About a year later, in March 2017, the formation collapsed into the sea during a powerful storm.

Below: English major Hailey Hansen ’17 studied in Greece with the course Ancient Greece: An Odyssey of Myth and History during J-term 2017. She says she took this picture at Palamidi Castle, an ancient fortress in Nafplio, because she loved how the castle window framed the view.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Hands in the air for the OK Factor

Alumni News

Olivia (Hahn) Diercks ’13 and Karla Dietmeyer ’13 compose unique performance careers

Karla Dietmeyer ’13 looked over her violin at dozens of little hands raised in the air, fingers wiggling, and felt what she calls a “magical moment.” She and her partner in music, cellist Olivia (Hahn) Diercks ’13, had taught a room full of second-graders something about musical sounds—and in a fun way. Diercks and Dietmeyer are the newclassical crossover duo the OK Factor. In March, they wrapped up a year with the Class Notes Artist program, part of a classical Minnesota Public Radio initiative called Music for Learning. The free program brings Minnesota musicians into classrooms to perform and talk about music, instruments, and composers. In an MPR interview in March, Diercks and Dietmeyer described the wiggly fingers as one of the year’s highlights. They had created

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One of us has an idea for a melody or one has an idea for a harmonic or rhythmic aspect and we’ll bring it to the other and just kind of build with each other.” —Olivia (Hahn) Diercks ’13

PHOTO COURTESY OF KARLA DIETMEYER ’13 AND OLIVIA (HAHN) DIERCKS ’13

Alumni News

a lesson based on Béla Bartók’s techniques for composing with traditional folk songs, which they’d learned through doing a project in a 20th-century music history class at Luther. The second-graders started by listening to original folk tunes that Bartók recorded—you can hear a lot of them online—so the kids could hear the difference between recordings then and now. Later in the lesson, the OK Factor performed an original composition based on the folk tune “Wayfaring Stranger.” When the kids recognized the tune on its own, they raised one hand. When they heard an accompaniment to the tune, the other hand went up. And when they could hear bits of the original tune weaving in and out—which the duo dubs “all the pieces mixed up”—there went the wiggling fingers. “Any kind of movement from the kids showed they were enjoying themselves and that, at the end of the day, was what we wanted more than anything—for them to be inspired by music in general,” Diercks says. She and Dietmeyer started composing together in college, but the process, the way they still often work, was relatively unstructured. “One of us has an idea for a melody or one has an idea for a harmonic or rhythmic aspect

and we’ll bring it to the other and just kind of build with each other,” Diercks says. The Bartók project at Luther gave them another tool. They officially formed the OK Factor for a performance in Decorah while still at Luther and were immediately hooked on the idea of making performance a career. Dietmeyer told MPR, “I remember after our first performance in college, I went up to Olivia’s dorm room and stood in the doorway and was like, ‘We have to do this.’ I made her go to a coffee shop with me and we sat down and talked about how we could make this happen.” They did perform together off and on over the next couple of years, spending the summer after graduation together in Minneapolis. But later they lived in different states—Diercks in Tennessee and Dietmeyer in Colorado—which was tough on their collaboration. Eventually, Diercks moved back to Minneapolis with her new husband, University of Northern Iowa grad Jonny Diercks, and Dietmeyer persuaded her fiancé, Gavin Colahan ’13, that they should also move to Minneapolis. Now Diercks and Dietmeyer are well on their way toward full-time music careers, playing mostly their own compositions. They have

enjoyed returning to Luther as instructors for the Dorian Summer Music Festival and are also teaching private instrumental lessons. Diercks teaches at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church and Dietmeyer teaches through the school partnership division of the MacPhail Center for Music. They perform as much as possible, doing their own vocals in addition to violin and cello. Besides inspiring wiggly fingers in schools all over Minnesota, they have provided music for lots of weddings and even a murder mystery party this spring. Club dates have included Minneapolis’s renowned Dakota Jazz Club and Aster Café. The duo has released several albums, including the recent That’s Enough of That, produced by Steve Kaul of the Brass Kings. Fans can follow Diercks and Dietmeyer’s progress and see upcoming performance dates on Facebook and Instagram, TheOKFactor.com, and the Bandcamp app, where people can support their work and get a behind-the-scenes look at their writing process. —Ellen Modersohn

Gathered in Malta. Current Luther students got together with alumni from Malta and emeritus faculty doing research in Malta for a reception in March at Peppi’s Kiosk on the Mediterranean Sea in Sliema. Malta alumni are indicated below by (MA). Back row (left to right): Mauricio Castro ’18, Corinn Schmieg ’18, Brook Anderson ’18, Cassidy Woods ’18, Hayes Durbin ’18, 2017 Malta faculty director Kim Powell, Senia Sikkink ’19, professor emerita Ruth Caldwell, Ranier Fsadni ’87 (MA). Middle row (left to right): Cecelia Mitchell ’18, Madeline Williams ’18, Ed Grima Baldacchino ’89 (MA), Celine Farrugia ’96 (MA), Ella Fackel ’18, Kalinda Kolek ’17, Anna Li Holey ’18. Front row (left to right): professor emeritus Uwe Rudolf, Ian Mizzi ’96 (MA), and Paul Micallef ’89 (MA).

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Alumni News

The Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic has been held each March for the past 12 years at the Tuscany Falls Golf Club at Pebble Creek at Goodyear, Arizona. Alumni and friends enjoy the day while also celebrating Norse athletics. Past recognitions have included 50 years of women’s sports at Luther, IIAC conference champions, the 125th anniversary of the baseball program, and more. This year, the classic celebrated the men’s and women’s track and field program. The next golf classic will be March 23–24, 2018. The event is made possible through contributions from individuals, families, groups of Luther classmates, and businesses. For the first time this year, donations were made to the Norse football uniform fund. Special recognition goes to Lloyd Nelson ’51, who donated the sleeves of golf balls given to each of the 115 golfers at registration. Proceeds from the event benefit the Norse Athletic Association. This year’s event opened with an evening prayer service attended by 84 people. The service was dedicated to the late Weston Noble ’43 and led by the Reverend Charles Paulson ’59, pastor of outreach ministry, American Lutheran Church, Sun City, Arizona. Vocalist Irv Aal ’61 and pianist Glen Henriksen ’74 provided music, and former interim Luther president David Tiede

NATHAN ERSIG ’98

Alumni and friends gather for twelfth Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic

Golfers head to the links at the start of the Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic in March.

delivered a message with a tribute to Noble. Greeting the audience of 165 at the Saturday morning brunch were Jim Jermier, vice president for development; Alex Smith ’03, associate athletic director; Aaron Hafner, head football coach; and Jeff Wettach ’79, head men’s and women’s track and field coach. Luther president Paula Carlson welcomed a gathering of 194 people at the banquet after the golf tournament, and Renae Hartl, director of intercollegiate athletics, gave updates on Norse athletics, including a planned state-of-the-art artificial turf surface for the football field. Steve Messer ’64 delivered a dinner prayer, and Greg Luther ’90 served as master of ceremonies. Finanger gave the closing remarks, reflecting on how he and LaRoy Luther ’60, LaVerne Luther ’60, Clay Lyon ’61, and Tim

Rilley had enjoyed a Concordia College golf event so much, years ago, that they decided to start their own. A committee of twenty-seven members, along with Sherry Alcock ’82, executive director of alumni relations and development services, now plans and executes the event: Lois and Kent Finanger ’54, Karen (Swain) ’62 and Glenn Austad ’62, Barb (Erickson) ’67 and Ron Dodd ’64, Dan Finanger ’87, Amy (Silseth) ’84 and Jay Ganske ’82, Gregg Luther ’90, Lila and LaRoy Luther ’60, Karin (Knutsen) ’61 and Clay Lyon ’61, Linda (Ladd) ’64 and Steve Messer ’64, Diane (Hoveland) ’63 and Loren Moen ’61, Lloyd Nelson ’51, Terry and Armin Pipho ’60, Deb (Dahl) ’81 and Tim Rilley, Jane and Rick Theiler ’72, and Diane (Mallu) ’65 and Bob Thompson ’65.

Golf Classic donates funds for football jerseys Former Norse football players recruited by 2017 Kent Finanger ’54 Golf Classic volunteers helped finance the $25,000 needed to purchase new Luther football uniforms. A number of alumni football captains were recruited by the KFG Classic Committee to contact former players, offering them the opportunity to purchase jerseys in honor of special players, coaches, and friends of Norse football. A gift of $150 purchased a jersey. Approximately 40 former players from the 1960s through the ’90s raised more than $6,000. Those generous former players and their persons of honor were highlighted on a special recognition placard displayed at the golf event’s brunch and dinner banquets on March 4, 2017, in Goodyear, Ariz. View the placard online at magazine.luther.edu. The committee apologizes that a few names, received late, were not included on the placard. Committee members Fay Henning-Bryant ’64, Diane (Mallu) ’65 and Bob Thompson ’65, RuthAnn (Johnson) Atkinson ’65, Steve Messer ’64, and Luther’s Athletic Department and football team are grateful for the participation and generosity of all who made it possible.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

PHOTO BY PARKER DEEN

Alumni News

Women’s March in Decorah. A number of Luther students, alumni, faculty, and staff helped lead the Women’s March on Washington, Driftless Style, in Decorah on Jan. 21, 2017. Nearly 1,000 people showed up to march down Water Street and gather at the Winneshiek County Courthouse. Front row (left to right): Liz Rog ’81, Shirley Vermace, Ruth Jenkins ’14, Ellen Rockne ’81. Second row (left to right): Amalia Vagts ’95, Gloria Wiest, Michelle Boike ’13, Ashalul Aden ’20, Charlie Langton, Cerrisa Snethen. Back row (left to right): Harleigh Boldridge ’18, campus pastor Anne Albright Edison, faculty member Lauren Anderson, Mike Blevins.

10,000 feet up. Five Luther grads and a non-Luther spouse reunited in the Andes of South America this March. The women were roommates in Brandt Hall their sophomore year at Luther. The group was hosted by Ann (Ulrich) ’73 and Johnny Walker ’73, who have lived in Santiago, Chile, for 25 years. From left to right: Bruce Nelson, Karen (Lindgren) Nelson ’73, Darrell Williams ’73, Norma (Steege) Williams ’73, and the Walkers.

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Send us stories of your Norse encounters around the world! Dean Southern ’91 (left) and Nathaniel Koch ’17 met by chance at the Ægir Bryggeri in the tiny town of Flåm on their respective Norwegian Christmas adventures. Southern spotted the Norse logo on Koch’s jacket and they paired up for this photo with the brew pub’s resident wooden Viking. Tell us about your accidental meetings with Luther alumni and how you spotted each other. Email to magazine@luther. edu or snail mail to Luther Alumni Magazine, 700 College Drive., Decorah, IA 52101. Please include a photo, if you shot one.

Outfitted for Luther. Children of Bridget (Scheevel) Hayes ’02, firstgrader Sam, fourth-grader Addy, and sixth-grader Ella, display the Luther gear they received last Christmas from their aunt, Hannah Scheevel ’06.

Alumni News

Visit in Denmark. Former Luther director of development-principal gifts Birgitte (Povelsen) ’73 and John Christianson, professor emeritus of history, shared this photo of a “mini Luther alumni event” at their flat in Copenhagen with Ida (Andersen) Simmonds ’90 and her twin daughters, Katherine and Sophie.

A perfect match. Jessica Ambroz Hahn ’94 (left) and Brenda Case ’94 have been friends since taking an organic chemistry class together their sophomore year. For years they lived just an hour and a half away from each other in Missouri and now they live about the same distance apart in Minnesota, with Case in Mankato and Hahn in Apple Valley. Their friendship has remained strong, so when Case was suddenly diagnosed with kidney failure in early 2016, Hahn got tested to see if she was match to be a donor. The odds were in the women’s favor, and in September Hahn successfully donated one of her healthy kidneys to Case. A month later, when they drove to Decorah to have some fun and eat Mabe’s pizza, they had their photo taken at Dunnings Spring, Decorah. Case does data analysis for a business psychologist, and Hahn is a stay-at-home mom of three boys.

Music for kids. Recognizing the challenge music educators face in finding music to excite and engage young students, Max Lafontant ’13, left, and Kimberly Osberg ’14 cofounded the Libera Composer’s Association Consortium, a group of composers and Luther alumni who write works for different public school ensembles. Five composers are participating in the 2016–17 season: Osberg, Lafontant, Dylan Carlson ’14, Scott Senko ’15, and Neil Quillen ’13. Participating programs include schools around the country and abroad from Iowa to Georgia to Tokyo, Japan.

Women's basketball alumni. Coaches and players from the women's team that made it to the NCAA Division III National Tournament Final Four in 1992 gathered at Luther on Jan. 28, including (left to right): assistant coach Brian Solberg ’88, Andrea Barth ’93, Natalie Hempy ’93, Katie (Anderson) Ness ’93, Kathi (Klink) Anderson ’92, Trisha Harvey ’92, Allison (Walker) Allen ’94, Denise (Lantz) Nerem ’94, and head coach Jane (Greene) Hildebrand ’73. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the 2007 Iowa Conference Championship team were assistant coach Mike Johnson, Ashley TeKippe ’08, Gina Klennert ’10, Jill Eicher ’08, and Christina (Gaard) Baumgart ’07.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Beverly Petersen of Rockford, Ill., retired after working 30 years for the Social Security Administration.

CLASS NOTES

PHOTO BY ANNIKA VANDE KROL ’19

Compiled by Annalise Johnson ’18 and Rachel Schunder ’20

1957 Eli Crogan of Watertown,

Wis., was honored as Luther’s 2017 Alumni Coach of the Year and returned to campus to speak at the Norse Awards Program on Feb. 19. Crogan coached basketball for 40 years, including 22 years at Watertown, before retiring at the end of the 2004 school year. In addition to Watertown, he coached high school ball at Soldiers Grove, Fennimore, and Wayland Academy, as well as some college basketball at the University of Wisconsin– Whitewater. Crogan was a scout for the NBA’s Houston Rockets from 1975 to 1977. He also coached baseball for 20 years.

1962 Marilyn (Miller)

Anderson of Decorah presented the program “Christian Churches in Israel and Palestine: Protectors of the Holy Sites” for the December Lutheran Church Women’s AdventChristmas potluck. Lois (Stole) Berg of St. Anthony, Minn., is retired. Paul Heltne of Chicago was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1963 Sandra (Sellers)

Hanson of Brooklyn, N.Y., received the 2016 Francis Andrew March Award for her work as a teacher and administrator at LaGuardia Community College.

1972 Paul Grabow of

Richardson, Texas, is retired. Gary J. Olson has published a book, All Things through Christ, a memoir of his 50 years of ministry as an ordained pastor. The book is available on Amazon.com.

1966 Dennis Christian of Minneapolis is retired.

1968 Laura (Blackmore)

Bachman is an editor for Frederick Thomas USA from her home in Burlington, Wis.

Francine (Zitterich) Hedberg is an editor/proofreader at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Patricia Holman and Phil Wangberg ’70 are retired in Albuquerque, N.M.

Ele Clay is a pastoral intern at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa.

John Huey Jr. is managing director at MidAmerican Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Renate (Fabricius) Hunter retired after 19 years of teaching social studies full time and 23 years as a substitute teacher with South Winneshiek Schools. She still substitutes once in a while and is a social dance and country-western dance teacher at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar.

Dave Hagemeier of Sioux Falls, S.D., is retired. Alex Rowell of Eden Prairie, Minn., is retired. He is chairman of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, serves on the executive committee of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, and is chair of the program committee for Minnesota Youth Athletic Services. He was invited to join the 2019 NCAA Final Four Advisory Council.

1969 Nel Becker of Plymouth, Minn., is retired.

Michael Fossum of St. Cloud, Minn., retired after 34 years as a financial associate with Thrivent Financial. Karen (Schiesser) Montgomery of Northfield, Minn., is retired.

1975 Aaron Schmidt of

Chandler, Ariz., is a retired teacher.

1977 Jill (Wolding) Osburn 1973 Chuck Beatty is an

otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was elected president of the American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society (a.k.a. the American Triological Society). Pat (Holtorf) Branstad is an instructor of German at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. Jim Froisland is chief financial officer of Titan International in Quincy, Ill.

Gene Whannel of Estes Park, Colo., is a real estate broker for RE/MAX Realty.

1978 Kristin (Wallestad)

Palmer and Keith Northway ’79 live in Wheaton, Ill., and Rochester, Minn. Kristin is retired. Keith works for the Rochester (Minn.) School District.

1979 Steve Buck of Ames, Martha (Gesme) Nielsen of Palatine, Ill., is a key account manager for Scandinavian Airlines. She recently received SAS’s Global Sales Colleague of the Year Award at their Global Sales Days in Stockholm, Sweden.

1970 Diane Alshouse of

Roseville, Minn., is a retired district court judge.

principal broker and owner of Chuck Findley Real Estate in Grants Pass, Ore.

is executive director of external relations at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minn.

Iowa, is temporarily retired.

Meg (Funfar) Nielsen is outreach development director at Triangle Community Ministry in Madison, Wis.

1971 Chuck Findley is

Luther Alumni Magazine

and CEO of Asset One Foundation in Lovejoy, Ga.

David Schroeder is a tax professional for H&R Block in Oconto, Wis.

Pam (Espinosa) McFarland of Fresno, Calif., was recognized as a Lawyer of Distinction within the top 10 percent of lawyers nationwide.

1974 Terry Bizzell is president

Richard Nading retired from the U.S. Army after almost 30 years of service and has worked the last 10 years with Green River District Health Department in Owensboro, Ky., where he develops and presents programs for tobacco/substance abuse prevention and cessation to students from fourth grade through college in seven counties.

1980 Keith Bruening is vice

president and treasurer at Bruening Rock Products in Decorah. He is also the head bowling coach for Decorah High School.

Alumni News

After several years as an activist leader on the Luther campus during the turbulent late 1960s and early ’70s, Celeste Austin ’73 climbed aboard a Greyhound bus bound for San Francisco. The young political science major had recently embraced her homosexuality and was eager to begin the next stage of her life. She thought California held great promise. Austin’s journey through the next decades wasn’t always smooth, but she found her niche dedicating herself to working with the homeless. Today Austin is director of special programs at the Living Room, a day center in California’s Sonoma County dedicated to serving homeless and at-risk women and their children. “San Francisco is a city known for a lot of hills, and it’s a great metaphor for my life—I’ve had a lot of ups and downs,” she says with a quiet chuckle. Yet the challenges have led Austin to a point of peace and happiness and imbued her with a powerful sense of empathy that serves her well in her life’s work. “I’ve always cared about people and I’ve always been a social activist in some way or another.” Her years at Luther played an important role in shaping that personal development, she asserts. Austin grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, and participated in the Department of Education’s Upward Bound program, an initiative that serves students from low-income families as well as those from families where neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. She was selected by local black community members to participate in the first open-enrollment at Malcolm Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a time before returning to Waterloo to graduate from East High School. “When I began thinking about choosing a college, Luther stood out because of my Upward Bound Experience there and what I found—a small, liberal arts college that was gorgeous, serene, and had a spiritual element.” Austin threw herself into life on campus, majoring in political science and later black studies and learning how to effect change. “The late ’60s and early ’70s were a tumultuous time—for this country and for me,” Austin observes. “There was a lot of awakening going on for me during my years at Luther, for which I was grateful, but I also struggled. I was active, but I was also really angry,” she concedes. “My paternal grandfather was murdered by vigilantes before my father was born, and that legacy deeply affected my family.” During her years on campus, Austin helped to found Luther’s Black Cultural Center through collective activism and served as the first female president of the Black Student Union. She also worked as a draft counselor, assisting conscientious objectors who were seeking deferment from service in the Vietnam War. “My experiences at Luther were formative in many ways. I gained self-confidence, realized that I could be a leader, made some wonderful friends, and had some great experiences—I saw Duke Ellington perform at Luther while I was a student!” Six months before graduation, however, Austin decided to drop out of college. “Maybe it wasn’t the wisest decision,” she says in retrospect, “but it taught me to be bold, take risks, and follow my dreams.” Yet Austin also continued to nurture memories of the good times at Luther. “Having attended Luther College and had some successes, I kept those experiences in the back of my mind, and during the tough times I reminded myself, ‘You’ve been in college, you’ve held leadership positions, you can do this—yes you can!’ It took me a while to get back to that place, but I did it.” Austin ultimately returned to school, earning a bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies at Sonoma State University and a master’s in social work at San Francisco State University. These days she spends her time

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER CHUNG/PRESS DEMOCRAT

Austin ’73 finds firm footing helping other women find theirs

“I’ve always cared about people and I’ve always been a social activist in some way or another,” says Celeste Austin ’73.

helping other women get back on their feet. She organizes classes in expressive art to aid women who have experienced trauma and can’t yet verbalize their fears and needs; leads empowerment and meditation classes to help women combat anxiety and PTSD; and offers one-on-one case management to women who have regained their footing and found housing, but still require some support. “After getting their lives back on track, our clients often miss the sense of community and shelter that they’ve found at the Living Room, so we focus on phasing people up rather than phasing people out,” she says. Austin credits her family and community for her more-than-30-year career working with nonprofits and doing social work. “I grew up in a strong African American community, and my family was very churchand community-centered. I carry the lessons I learned in my youth with me today. I want to be of service to others and help those who struggle— those roots run deep.” —Lori Ferguson

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Tina (Koenig) Ray is a chaplain at Ministry Home Care Hospice, where she works with patients in the field and at a hospice house, the House of the Dove, in Marshfield, Wis. Merry (Counsell) Spiers teaches English/language arts for Worth County R-III Schools in Grant City, Mo. Mark Lamb is executive vice president at JLL Valuation and Advisory Services in Dallas. Jeff Papke retired from the U.S. Army after 35 years, 11 months, on April 1, 2017, after serving at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Ford Hood, Texas, as a health systems administrator. Tim Ruff Welch is minister of music at St. Andrews Mexican Anglican Church in Chapala, Mexico. He is also the choral director of Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco, conductor of Coro Municipal de Zapopan, and director of Los Cantantes del Lago.

Gaone Masire of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, visited Frieda (Amunyela) ’85 and Usko Shivute ’82 in Windhoek, Namibia, last December. David “Chip” Norris is group president for Alerus in Minnetonka, Minn.

is a senior account executive in the Health Plan Division at Express Scripts in Bloomington, Minn. Gina (Cleven) Olson is worship and music director at Zion Lutheran Church of Cottage Grove, Minn. Marilee (Kelly) Vogel is director of finance at Winona (Minn.) Health.

Mark Steege is president of Titan Developments and Investments in Rochester, Minn. He is also on the boards of the Rochester Downtown Alliance and the Rochester Family Y.

1983 Faith Broman is nurse

manager at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. Earl Sides is a customer service representative for Alpha Omega Publications in Rock Rapids, Iowa.

1984 Ruth Anderson is

director of music ministries at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron, Ohio. Jeddeloh is director of pastoral care at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colo. She received the 2016 Outstanding Local Leadership Award from the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Luther Alumni Magazine

Greg Gerber of Salt Lake City is senior talent acquisition partner at CarrerKarma360.

education program, summer camp, and children’s chorus. He is currently serving as past-president and membership chair of the Minnesota NATS Chapter. He was recently awarded the 2016–17 American Prize in conducting—opera/music theater, community division, for his world-premiere production of Memory Boy, by Reinaldo Moya, with the Minnesota Opera: Project Opera vocal training program. Glenna (Gosch) Schneider is an involuntary market team lead at Zurich North America in Schaumburg, Ill.

LuAnn (Schultz) Wachsmuth is senior director of youth development for Buehler YMCA in Palatine, Ill.

1982 Laurie (Peterson)

Collins is a special education teaching assistant at North Chicago (Ill.) High School.

Beth Shepard is associate archivist for Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

Mark Werning is chief operating officer and board secretary at American Bank and Trust Company in Davenport, Iowa.

1981 Pat (Graetz) Jensen

1985 Judy (Huedepohl)

Kathy (Fjelland) Kolden of Mesa, Ariz., is senior internal auditor at Apollo Education Group. She is a certified public accountant and a certified fraud examiner. Elizabeth (Godel) Michealson is an RN, CNN, and acute dialysis nurse at Essential Health in Fargo, N.D.

Janet (Sandquist) Jans has taught choir, classroom music, and band at South View Middle School in Edina, Minn, for nearly 30 years. She recently received the Middle Level Educator of the Year Award from the Minnesota Middle School Association. In supporting letters of reference from her colleagues, she was praised as a “master of her subject area”; a collaborator with staff, parents, and community; and a leader. Principal Tim Anderson wrote that she is “someone who embodies the notion of going the extra mile . . . she serves as an advocate for students and families and is known by her colleagues as someone who works for inclusion and success for all learners.”

1986 Monte Amundson

is director of talent management at Midwest Dental in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area.

Katy (Wobig) Sojka is a retired teacher and principal. She recently published her first children’s book, The Blurter, about a kindergarten boy who has a terrible time following the sharing rule and has a bad habit of blurting out answers and stories.

1987 Lisa (Manzey)

Adelmann of Bloomington, Minn., is a partner with McCracken Manzey Consulting. Shari Exo is a youth librarian for the city of Hillsboro, Ore.

Carol (Brekke) Behm is an infection preventionist at Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics in Hillsboro, Wis. Dale Kruse is visiting assistant professor of voice and lyric theater at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. He is also the music director for the Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera

Deb Hanson-Gerber of Dunkirk, Md., has been a member of the President’s Own United States

PHOTO COURTESY DAIKEN NELSON '85

Alumni News

Left to right: Mandala Kitchens co-trainer chef Millicent Souris, Andre, Jamel, Daiken Nelson '85, and Leon.

Nelson ’85 founds culinary program to help the disadvantaged find jobs When Daiken (Craig) Nelson’s father passed away his senior year at Luther, Nelson, who’d been raised as a self-described “lukewarm Methodist,” looked for answers. “I didn’t find any,” he says. “There are no answers, and at that point, nothing would have been the quick fix I was looking for. But that began a search for me for something that had some meaning.” Nelson started exploring various religions. During grad school in Iowa City, where he was pursuing a degree in counseling, a fellow Luther alumnus invited him to a meditation group. As Nelson tells it, “That began the journey”—a journey that would lead him to use his life experiences to help others.

in kitchens from high school through grad school (he worked as a manager in the Peace Dining Room at Luther), and he’d been in charge of the kitchen at dozens of Zen retreats. Why not, he thought, start a community café where all were welcome, regardless of their ability to pay? “After I started to explore that, it became clear that is a much larger project, involving real estate, equipment, a build-out, plus lots of money,” he says, “so I came up with this idea of a culinary training program. It gives people professional skills that can help them get a job.” And so, in 2014, the Mandala Kitchens project was born.

Do no harm. Do good. Do good for others.

The Mandala Kitchens

Nelson studied with various Zen teachers across the country. He was ordained as a Buddhist priest in 1996. Three years ago, while living in his current home state of New York, he became a Zen teacher himself. “When a person in our tradition is empowered to be a teacher, they’re kind of kicked out of the nest to do what they want to do in the larger world,” the soft-spoken Nelson says. Ideally, this will involve a component of helping people, in keeping with the principles, Nelson says, to “Do no harm. Do good. Do good for others.” Nelson sat in discernment for a while, and eventually an idea started to form. He’d worked

Prior to focusing on Zen, Nelson had been a social worker, so he knew where the need was greatest. He hit the streets in Harlem, where he lives, and reached out to organizations that work with people recently released from prison, homeless people, veterans, those who have dropped out of high school, and undocumented individuals. “Some folks may have had fast-food experience—production stuff but not necessarily skill-building. So we teach them knife skills, baking, how to butcher and present a chicken—they haven’t learned skills on those levels. That’s our focus,” he says. Nelson trains about eight people at a time during the six-week program, which is free or

low-cost, and he tries to cultivate relationships with local restaurants that are open to hiring Mandala graduates. He recently placed one migrant from the West Indies, who loves to cook food from his homeland, in a West Indian restaurant. Last year Nelson started Mandala Kitchens Catering, which employs Mandala graduates as well as others and provides an income stream for the program. The catering arm finds clients among social service agencies, churches, meditation and spiritual groups, foundations, and even artist colonies. “I’m finding this niche of allies and other supportive folks,” Nelson says. And people are noticing: the Mandala Kitchens project has been covered by the Harlem Times, MetroNY, and the Huffington Post, among other news outlets. While Mandala Kitchens currently operates out of the basement of an Episcopal church, the ultimate goal of Nelson’s project is a brickand-mortar donation-based café that will serve people who aren’t sure where their next meal will come from as well as the general public. The space would also provide another training ground for Mandala Kitchens trainees. In addition, Nelson envisions the café as a community space for meetings, rallies, performances, and an art gallery. —Kate Frentzel Learn more about the Mandala Kitchens project at mandalacafe.org

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Marine Band since September 1991, and recently took part in the 58th inauguration of the president of the United States. The band provided music for the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, led the second division of the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, and performed at the Salute to Our Armed Forces Inaugural Ball. Carla (Meyer) and Mark Hillman ’86 work at Graded American School of São Paulo, Brazil. She is a learning specialist, and he teaches humanities.

associate professor of biology and chair of the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Todd Pyka is clinic director for West Central Wisconsin Behavioral Health Clinic in Independence. Julie (Graham) Askelson is principal of Waterville (Iowa) Elementary School. Shannon (Fullerton) Leffler is vice president of human resources at GEODIS in Brentwood, Tenn.

Diane (Johnson) Smith earned a professional certificate in case management from the Commission for Case Manager Certification and is a clinical review RN for the Radiology Department at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora.

Chicago and for Russell in Davenport, Iowa. John Vaaler is finance director, forestry, with John Deere in Moline, Ill.

1995 Brita (Granlund)

Carbonell of Decorah volunteered as a nurse in medic tents at Standing Rock, where she helped people resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Troy Terry is a sales consultant and sales manager for St. Joseph Paper and Packaging in South Bend, Ind.

1993 Andrea (Goehner)

Barth is vice president of hotel accounting for Schulte Hospitality in Louisville, Ky. Tim Pinnow is assistant vice president of academic affairs and director of graduate studies at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

Mark Workman is a chiropractor for the Joint Chiropractic in Cary, N.C.

1988 Callista (Bisek)

1992 Todd Baxter is chief

Gingrich recently released a film with her husband, Newt Gingrich, titled Divine Mercy: The Canonization of John Paul II.

nursing officer at Texas Health Hospital in Carrollton.

Mitchell Thompson is an integrated producer for 3e/Life Time Fitness in Chanhassen, Minn.

1994 Carrie (Hamby) Faust

of St. Paul, Minn., is a sales director for Collective, which is based in New York.

Steve Smith is shared information technology director for Winneshiek County and the city of Decorah.

Tim Olson is founder and managing partner at ETHOS Design Group in Ankeny, Iowa. director demand planning at Gander Mountain in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area.

Kurt Clopton of Marshfield, Wis., recently published a comic novel titled SuperGuy.

1990 Danette and Shawn

Wendy (Jaycox) Davidson is president, U.S. specialty channels, for Kellogg Company in Elmhurst, Ill. She received a Top 20 Business Women in Illinois Award from the National Diversity Council. She is vice chair of Luther's Board of Regents.

1991 Barb (Hughes)

Mike Gerdin is chairman and CEO of Heartland Express in North Liberty, Iowa.

Tom Pietz is lead pastor at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Rubicon, Wis. Bristle work at Mohave Community College in Bullhead City, Ariz. She is an accreditation liaison/compliance officer, and he is campus dean. Anderson of Kohler, Wis., is a selfemployed owner/licensed marital and family therapist.

Luther Alumni Magazine

Eric Melear is assistant conductor for the Vienna State Opera in Austria. Derek Pendergast is vice president for the University of Iowa Foundation in Iowa City.

Susan (Waldo) Miller earned a master’s degree in nursing with a concentration in education from Framingham (Mass.) State University. She is on the nursing faculty at Middlesex Community College.

1989 Chris Hubbs is senior

Leslie Maunsbach is head of internal communications for Autoliv in Stockholm, Sweden. She recently hosted a class of January Term students at the company’s headquarters and invited other members of the leadership team to speak with them. She is also a freelance writer and owner of Leslie Maunsbach Communications.

Alesia Hruska-Hageman is

Tim Knutson of Wauwatosa, Wis., is author of Wistopia: An American Dairy Tale. Laurie Lower is an accessibility services associate at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass.

Kimberly (Anderson) Thole is an instructional coach for the Sparta (Wis.) Area School District. Amy Vollendorf is a program support specialist and M.A., education specialist, for the Wayzata Public Schools in Plymouth, Minn.

1996 Kate (Glenney) Watts

earned a master’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and is a clinical nurse leader in the oncology unit at Texas Health Resources in Fort Worth.

1997 Matthew Bersagel Matt Rebro is vice president of business development for HKS in

Braley earned a Ph.D. in religion (Ethics and Society Program) and a graduate certificate in human rights from Emory University. He is

Alumni News

associate professor for the College of Business and Leadership and Title III academic integration coordinator for high impact practices at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. Nori (Greenlee) Hadley is activity director at Arlin Falck Assisted Living in Decorah. Heather (Crowell) Langan is youth and family director at Mount Olive Church in Hickory, N.C. Becky Sam is a science faculty member at Culver Academies in Culver, Ind., as well as an independent business owner and team builder. Kimberly Sweet is a teacher and multiclassroom leader for the Indianapolis Public Schools. Todd Velnosky is COO, PACE funding, for Rockwood Management and founder of Big Sky Renewables in St. Louis.

Gabriel Scheer is partnership director at Tech Inclusion and director of strategic development at LimeBike in Seattle. He is also a freelance adviser on urban mobility, sustainability, business, and impact innovation.

1999 Hans Davidson earned a

supply chain professional certification from the Apics Twin Cities Chapter. He is manager of account management and business analytics at C.H. Robinson in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Angela Goepferd earned a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. She was recognized by Mnlps.St.Paul Magazine as a “rising star” among top doctors. Sarah Hahn Campbell earned an M.F.A. degree from Naropa University in creative writing and recently published a memoir titled Grief Map with Brainmill Press. She teaches English for the Denver Public Schools. Jill (Schnettler) and Scott McGregor ’98 live in Yorkville, Ill. She is an associate at Bennett, Groeber, Mullen, and Feltner Certified Public Accountants, and he is regional operations manager at Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers.

Laura (Wangsness) Willemsen of St. Paul, Minn., is lecturer in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota. She received the 2016–17 Gail P. Kelly Award for her dissertation, “Embodying Empowerment: Gender, Schooling, Relationships, and Life History in Tanzania,” from the Comparative and International Education Society. The award is conferred on an outstanding Ph.D. or Ed.D. dissertation that manifests academic excellence, originality, and methodological, theoretical, and empirical rigor and that deals with issues of social justice and equity in international settings.

1998 Joe Grimstad of Decorah is executive vice president of Decorah Bank and Trust. Carl Refsal is senior benefits manager at Ferguson Enterprises in Newport News, Va.

Jody Slavick is a research assistant and Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Nicole (Ryerson) Lemke is the first-time homebuyer program manager for Investor Community Bank in Appleton, Wis. Chingwell Mutombu is an independent philanthropic consultant for High Impact Services in San Francisco. Heidi Nelson is a business information security officer at Thomson Reuters in Eagan, Minn. Jason Soland is an associate financial adviser with Echelon Wealth Partners, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services in Decorah.

2001 Theresa (Wencl)

Castaneda teaches special education for the Tahoma School District in Maple Valley, Wash. Alison (Blumer) Kaster is vice president and director of the project management office of United Fire Group in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sara Leisso earned a master’s degree in translation studies from the University of Portsmouth in England and is a freelance translator in Milwaukee. Britt (Winter) Moore of St. Paul, Minn., is a behavior analyst and family support coordinator at Behavioral Dimension. Matt Titus is portfolio manager for Invesco in Houston.

2000 Tonya (Wegner) Adams is flute authority repair manager at West Music in Coralville, Iowa.

Katie Fergus of Cumming, Iowa, is founder and CFO-strategist for FinanSynergy. Mark Haddinger is senior admissions counselor at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa.

2002 Libby Caulum is director

Lukas Hoffland was co-emcee for the inaugural “Light Up Eau Claire” New Year’s Eve celebration throughout downtown Eau Claire, Wis., and serves on its organizing committee.

Allan Huls is regional purchase clearing specialist for Wells Fargo Mortgage in Minneapolis.

Corey Kline is vice president of IT for Noodles & Company in Broomfield, Colo.

of communications and media relations for the Minnesota Department of Revenue in St. Paul.

Tristan Lubinski of Wellesley, Mass., is a bioinformatics scientist with AstraZeneca.

Reporting by Alberty helps win Pulitzer Erin Alberty ’01 graduated from Luther with an English major. In April her employer, the Salt Lake Tribune, won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for a yearlong project that increased awareness of sexual assault and campus safety and spurred reforms at Brigham Young University and Utah State University. Alberty, a public safety reporter at the time, had the sole byline on three of the 10 articles the paper submitted to the Pulitzer contest. The series led to criminal rape charges against a former Utah State University football star. Also as a result of the project, USU adjusted its crime reporting system and BYU announced plans for a series of reforms, including an amnesty clause to shield students from honor code penalties when reporting sexual assault. Alberty began her journalism career with summer work at her hometown paper, the Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier. She also did an internship at Luther with longtime public relations director Jerry Johnson, held a work-study position in that office, and wrote for Chips. After graduation, she spent nearly two years teaching English in China. Her first full-time reporting jobs were at the Houghton (Mich.) Daily Mining Gazette and the Saginaw (Mich.) News. She has been at the Salt Lake Tribune for 10 years. Alberty recently switched beats from crime reporting to outdoor recreation. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, attorney Craig Buschmann, and their fouryear-old daughter, Saskia.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

2004 Sara Bradley teaches

health and physical education for grades 7–12 for the Campbellsport (Wis.) School District. Jon Butler is broker of record and managing director at Teles Properties in Pasadena, Calif. Jennifer Putzier is director of Batavia (Ill.) Depot Museum. Andy Wagner is vice president, compliance consultant, corporate human resources risk and compliance for Wells Fargo Bank in Minneapolis. Sarah (Belz) Zumbahlen is an associate legal counsel for Illinois Casualty Company in Rock Island. She was a presenter at the 2016 Property and Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) regional and national conferences as well as the 2017 PLRB National Claims Conference.

2003 Jodie Jansen Campbell is owner and principal consultant for JansenCampbell Limited in Khandallah, Wellington, New Zealand.

Krisanne (Linde) Forsman is ECSE evaluator and IFSP facilitator at Sherburne N. Wright Special Ed. Co-op in Monticello, Minn. She and her husband, Josh, launched a new business last August called Ultimate Home Outlet, a discount home improvement store. Riley (McNurlin) Huebsch is owner and doula at The Doulas in Monona, Wis. Kelsey Knutti is regional director of clinical operations for Presence Health in Aurora and Elgin, Ill. Erin Kube of La Crosse, Wis., is a senior real estate specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Leah Campbell of South Bend, Ind., is a senior research scientist at the University of Notre Dame. Ryan Goessl of Seoul, South Korea, is executive and artistic director of Camarata Music, which features four choirs, one orchestra, and one jazz band and has 75 countries represented. He was given an award from the Itaewon News for dedication to choral music and was also recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his commitment to the choral arts. Berit Griffin is senior public relations specialist at Travel Leaders Group in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Josh Larson is a general surgeon at St. Luke’s Surgical Associates in Duluth, Minn. Andy Meyer teaches humanities at the Northwest School in Seattle. Krissy (Kelly) Moore is community program director at the YMCA in Prior Lake, Minn. Mary Neff is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinic director at North Shore Psychotherapy Associates and an associate faculty member at the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology in Milwaukee. Chris Nelson is director of development and operations at Traust Consulting in Bloomington, Minn.

Amber (Kobler) Lynch is senior city planner with the Neighborhood Development Division for the city of Des Moines, Iowa.

Luther Alumni Magazine

2005 Brent Barness opened

the Wellness Center in Decorah, where he practices advanced internal medicine, herbal pharmacy, acupuncture, and medical pulse diagnosis. Lindsay Bernhagen is director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Kristen (Snyder) Bockenstedt is information governance program manager at MidAmerican Energy Company in Urbandale, Iowa. Lindsay (Neal) Dudley teaches kindergarten at Aspirations School of Learning in Carlsbad, Calif. Thomas Getchius is publications manager of clinical documents for the Heart Rhythm Society in Washington, D.C., and serves as chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Group of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Susanne Graf is a registered nurse and fertility care practitioner at St. Gianna Clinic in Green Bay, Wis. Aaron Grey is manager of accreditation and quality and performance improvement for Allina Health Group in Minneapolis. Elliot Jordan is an IT client engineer for Snap in Venice, Calif. Megan (Hillesland) and Paul Mackie ’06 live in Chicago. She is a licensed massage therapist at Community Chiropractic. He is a business consultant for John Galt Solutions. Alison Meier is a senior UX researcher at YouTube in San Francisco. Bret Powell is medical director of hospice and palliative medicine at VA Central Iowa Health Care Systems in Des Moines.

Janelle (Kime) Olson of St. Paul, Minn., is senior immunogenetic specialist for National Marrow Donor Program/Be The Match. Leah Schumann is loan documentation team lead at Bell Bank in Minneapolis.

Emily (Knuth) Stork is vice president, general counsel, at Bankers Trust Company in Des Moines, Iowa.

Matthew “Frank” Paulson and Brent Grover ’05 are owners of Oak 19 Fare and Refreshment at the Chaska (Minn.) Town Course.

Hillary Ramaker was named the first executive director of TRAIL of Johnson County, a new nonprofit organization in Iowa City, Iowa, that helps older residents remain in their own homes as they age. Angie Stille is a reference librarian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Ill. Cara Stone is coordinator of information literacy instruction and user experience librarian at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. David Zelinskas of Virginia Beach, Va., is a family physician with the U.S. Navy. He was recently promoted to lieutenant commander and department head at Branch Health Clinic Naval Station Norfolk, the largest branch clinic within the navy, providing medical care to more than 20,000 beneficiaries.

2006 Tyler Forsythe of

St. Paul, Minn., teaches choir at Robbinsdale Cooper High School. Lauren (Kraus) and David Keller ’09 live in Westminster, Colo. She is an admissions counselor at 2U in Denver. He earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Denver School of Nursing and is a cardiac ICU registered nurse at the University of Colorado Hospital. Tyler Mattison is outsourcing manager for Eagle Technology Management in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Marte Pohlmann earned a master’s degree in public service (nonprofit sector) from Marquette University in Milwaukee.

2007 Jessica (Schwab) and

Derek Balsley ’05 live in Osage, Iowa. She is founder and president, and he is founder and CEO, of the Art of Education, an online school promoting professional development and lifelong learning for members in the field of art education.

Alumni News Last fall, Amanda Weber ’08 gave a TEDxMinneapolis talk on her work with the Voices of Hope. “The TEDx organizers said to me, ‘No pressure, but we expect this to be the best talk you’ve ever given,’” she says. In the months leading up to the event, she gave the speech and received feedback from her prep team three or four times. Watch it at lczine.com/AmandaWeber. PHOTOS COURTESY AMANDA WEBER '08

Restorative justice through song: Amanda Weber ’08 conducts choir at Shakopee, Minn., women’s prison With two parents who are conductors, it seems like Amanda Weber ’08 was predestined to take up the baton, but that’s not the way she sees it. “My whole life I wanted to do something different from my parents,” she explains. So she double-majored in visual art and music at Luther, but when it came time to make plans for after graduation, she was stumped. She looked to Craig Arnold, then director of Nordic Choir, for guidance. He said, “Amanda, I think you’re really going to love grad school, but I think you’re going to love it a lot more if you know why you’re there.” That sage piece of advice sent her on a course that’s shaped the way she sees herself, her community, and the power of music.

Conducting becomes urgent After graduation, Weber spent a year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Washington, D.C., where she was assigned to Luther Place Church, a church that founded a women’s homeless shelter called N Street Village. “That opened up my world to social justice and things I hadn’t really thought about beyond myself and preparing to be an artist,” she says. When her boss suggested she get to know the women at the shelter a little better, she decided to start a choir. She directed Bethany’s Women of Praise for three years. “It was so instructive for me as I started trying to figure out: What are my gifts and how can I use them in the world?” she says. “I became aware that choir could be used in a really powerful way, and my work as a musician suddenly felt urgent. That completely changed everything I thought about music and where I saw my future heading.” When Weber left for Connecticut to pursue a master’s degree in conducting at Yale, she figured she’d never encounter something as special as the N Street choir: “It felt like

there was so much serendipity involved in the creation of that choir. I thought, Surely I’ll never have an opportunity like that again.” But it turns out that Weber wouldn’t choose her vocation as much as it would choose her.

A second call to conduct Toward the end of her program at Yale, Weber did a research project with a partner who was interested in the incarceration system. They wrote a paper on music in prisons throughout the country. A few years later, after Weber was accepted into the doctor of musical arts program at the University of Minnesota, her new department heard about her research, as well as her work at N Street, and asked whether she’d be interested in starting a choir at the women’s prison in Shakopee. She said yes. “We teach people to pursue a career,” she says, “but sometimes it’s more important to open yourself up to listening to the needs of your community and figuring out: How am I being called to be a part of this?” The call, in Weber’s case, was loud and clear. Between 1980 and 2014, Weber says, the number of women in prison increased over 700 percent, outpacing the rate of incarcerated men by 50 percent. Weber also notes that the path to incarceration for women often involves trauma, with more than 60 percent of women having experienced some kind of abuse before landing in prison. Seventeen percent were in and out of the foster care system as children. One in three saw their parents abuse drugs or alcohol, and a large majority struggle with mental illness. The challenges these women face are immense, and singing in choir directly address so many of them. One Voices of Hope choir member exclaimed, “It feels so good to be recognized for something positive around here!”

Choir as restorative justice Weber says that the women in her choir, who perform at the prison for their peers and occasional guests, view their participation as a way to give back to their community. This concept, restorative justice, approaches crime with a focus on healing—for the victim, for the one who committed the crime, and for the entire community. Weber points out that singing in a choir helps inmates build upon their communication, awareness, and leadership skills, and it also builds their self-esteem. “People have all these negative stereotypes of marginalized populations,” Weber says. “I found the same things working with homeless women. These people are often put into situations where they’re forced to think about themselves, about what they’ve done or haven’t done or what they need to do, so they end up spending tons of time reflecting on how they can become the best version of themselves in a way that you and I don’t. I’ve found the women I work with to be incredibly thoughtful and much more self-aware than your average person.” Many of Weber’s 59 choir members hope to continue singing after their release, which is something that Weber is trying to facilitate. “It’s a lot harder than it sounds,” she says. “It’s hard for me to be on the inside with these women and realize how lovely they are. But then asking someone on the outside, can this person join your choir? People are just scared. There’s this culture of fear built up around prisons.” Weber notes that a lot of people released from prison end up returning, and she sees choir as an immediate support network, saying, “I’m hopeful that choir could make some really big changes.” —Kate Frentzel

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Amanda (Valo) Berndt is a unit financial counselor at John Deere Des Moines Works in Ankeny, Iowa.

Susan Valo is a financial analyst, worldwide parts, for Deere & Company in Milan, Ill.

2008 Karl Amlie is owner/

business developer for Express Employment Professionals in Forest Lake, Minn. He was named the 2015 New Business of the Year and 2016 Volunteer of the Year by the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

Matthew Busche is a professional cycling coach at Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) in Brevard, N.C.

Molly (Schumann) Bauman of St. Paul, Minn., is an academic adviser at the University of Minnesota. Julia Blackmore of Houston earned a Ph.D. degree in molecular and cellular biology from Baylor College of Medicine. Dawndra (Thompson) Broge teaches fourth- and fifth-grade literacy for the White Bear Lake (Minn.) School District.

Mike Eckberg was named head women’s soccer coach for the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Tess Cody earned a master’s degree in community development and a certificate in public management from Iowa State University. She is violence prevention coordinator at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Matt Field of Cordova, Tenn., is a surgery resident at Memphis Veterinary Specialists. Kacie (Clement) Garver is nursing house supervisor at Boone (Iowa) County Hospital.

Eric Fitzgerald of Sudbury, Mass., is account manager for 84 Lumber and CEO of i2Imagine. Sarah (Chwaszczewski) Guzman of Green Bay, Wis., is a self-employed musician. Corey Hlavacek of Richardson, Texas, is information security administrator at Texas Instruments. Jenna (Swan) Jones is an account manager at Novus Media in Plymouth, Minn. Katie (Merrifield) Jones is software development supervisor for EMC Insurance Companies in Des Moines, Iowa. Carmen (Cline) Rangel is director of operations at Galliard Capital Management in Minneapolis.

Luther Alumni Magazine

Drew Haefner is senior staff accountant at Central Bancshares in Muscatine, Iowa. Katie Hallman is executive director for Theatre Cedar Rapids in Iowa. Katy (Fiedler) Hammel earned a master’s degree in education from Concordia University. She teaches second grade at Countryside Elementary School in Edina, Minn. Marcus Hendrickson of Blanchardville, Wis., was named director of player personnel for Minnesota Gophers Football at the University of Minnesota by head coach P.J. Fleck. Mary Ites is administrative and operations manager at Ampersand Families in St. Paul, Minn.

Lindsay (Norland) Johnson teaches fifth and sixth grade for the Iowa City (Iowa) Community School District.

2010 Diane Balfany is a crisis

Amanda (Van Wechel) Long is music tour coordinator for Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.

Jacob Bohlken is a developer at CATS Software in Minneapolis.

Aaron Lurth of Decorah is director of visual media and staff instructor at Luther. He worked on the color in the documentary film Ironhead, by Luther assistant professor of communication studies Thomas C. Johnson and Neal Abbott ’15. The film was one of 13 independent short films selected by Iowa Public Television and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for The Film Lounge. The film has been an official selection of 15 film festivals worldwide and is currently on the film-festival circuit. Kjersten Mathsen is job developer and employment program manager at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains Refugee and Asylee Programs in Albuquerque, N.M.

responder for Veterans Crisis Line, Department of Veteran Affairs, in Atlanta.

Ana Cristina (Avelar-Cabrera) Diaz earned the MSW degree from California State University–San Bernardino. She is a medical social worker for Charter Hospice of the Desert in Palm Desert, Calif. Stephanie (Sutton) Fromm is director of Winneshiek County Development in Decorah. Lars-Erik Larson plays drums with the band Dead Man Winter. On March 30, 2017, they performed on the TBS late-night show Conan. Sarah Sprecher is CNA at Humboldt County (Iowa) Memorial Hospital. Megan (Harding) Thorsen is a Title 1 reading teacher at Urbandale (Iowa) Community Schools.

Cale Nelson of St. Paul, Minn., was awarded the fellow designation by the Casualty Actuarial Society.

Alicia (Hale) Zaccaro is a medical social worker for Hospice of Dubuque in Iowa.

Becky (Stiger) Williams of Fort Worth, Texas, is a consultant at EMIT Strategies and Solutions.

Robert Zacek is a line cook for Hy-Vee in Ankeny, Iowa.

2009 Laura Delikowski is an

Aaron Zander is assistant director of development for the College of the University of Chicago.

academic adviser at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. Emily (Walk) Harris is a retail credit supervisor for Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, Minn. Julia Mann is senior promo signing producer for Target in Minneapolis.

2011 Jeni Arbuckle of Denver

is senior account executive for Under Armour Connected Fitness. Natalie Baudler is an account supervisor for Carmichael Lynch Relate in the greater Minneapolis– St. Paul area. Alicia (Rangel) Brown is a patient safety specialist for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Alicia (Woodhouse) DeFrance is a support services specialist for University of Iowa Health Care.

Kristin Skaar is development and communications director for Habitat for Humanity Minnesota. She is also a board member and programming committee volunteer for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities.

James Feinstein is an analyst with M Powered Strategies in Washington, D.C. He also serves as a board member for the Fulbright Association, National Capital Area Chapter.

Alumni News

Nicole (Wilson) Goetzl is senior financial analyst for Ardent Mills in Denver. Kelsey (Balk) Grimm earned the P.A. degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and is a physician assistant at Physicians’ Clinic of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Jocelyn Hare is chief business development officer at Restoration Tools in Rockford, Ill. She was a Rockford 2016 “40 Leaders under 40” honoree, is an active board and committee member for many nonprofit organizations in the Rockford region, and is the site leader for Rockford’s annual Stroll on State. Kelly (Roth) Haug is an independent birth doula in St. Paul, Minn. Erik Johnson teaches science for the River Valley School District in Spring Green, Wis. Emily Kittleson is national fundraising manager for Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul. Aidha Majdhy of Hulhumale, Maldives, is a sales specialist at the St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort. Anna Morris is director of student ministries for Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church in Sammamish, Wash.

Liz Smith earned a master’s degree in urban studies from the San Francisco Art Institute and is a communications and events associate at College Possible in Milwaukee. Karl Streufert is a member of the finance and accounting staff at St. Francis Center in Denver. Kelsey (Anderson) Wilson is account manager with Dartlet in Iowa City, Iowa.

2012 Bailey Aaland

(formerly Cahlander) is marketing communications coordinator for the American Craft Council in Minneapolis. Aaron Burk is the founder of Foldid and a senior consultant for Object Partners in Minneapolis. Jeff Emerson is supervisor/ associate scientist at Eurofins Scientific in Des Moines, Iowa. Caitlin (Durnin) Fjerstad is staffing manager for Robert Half in Burnsville, Minn. Karl Gesch earned a master’s degree in soil science from Iowa State University and is watershed coordinator for the Iowa Soybean Association in Ankeny, Iowa.

Michael Olson is an MTSP for Power Home Remodeling in Denver.

Amanda (Dietel) and Nate Giannettino live in Royal Oak, Mich. She teaches third grade at Royal Oak Schools. He is a customer experience manager for General Motors Corporation.

Stephanie Picha is an accounting quality assurance specialist at Plus Relocation Services in Minneapolis.

Josh Hoffman of Des Moines, Iowa, is a sales representative for U.S. Water Services.

Jennifer Roberts is youth director at Faith Lutheran Church in O’Fallon, Ill.

Jeff Knutson is choir director at Iowa City (Iowa) West High School.

Hannah (Brandvold) and Joe Rosholt live in Austin, Minn. She is director of communications at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin and owner/photographer of Hannah Rosholt Photography. He is an assistant county attorney for Olmsted County in Rochester. Melissa (Larson) and Benjamin Schori ’10 live in Hibbing, Minn. Melissa is a stay-at-home parent; Benjamin is pastor at First Lutheran Church.

Danielle Koch is a tutor for Chegg and communications and program coordinator for GIGS: Gaining Insight Growing Self in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Lindsey (Getchell) Kraabel is a registered nurse in the postpartum unit at Maple Grove (Minn.) Hospital. Krista (Canoy) Kreuger is a family advocate for North Iowa Community Action Organization in Mason City.

Annie Kuttler is an ER nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora. Daniel Ridenour is assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Emma Spoon teaches science, health, and physical education at Sawtooth Elementary School and Cook County Middle School in Grand Marais, Minn. Shane Steele is a tours and rentals coordinator for Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply and a paraprofessional at Sawtooth Elementary School in Grand Marais, Minn.

2013 Clara Bergan is donor

relations manager for Greater Des Moines (Iowa) Habitat for Humanity in Des Moines, Iowa. Sam DePagter is senior research analyst at Ipsos in Chicago. Abbie Gould teaches seventh-grade English and ninth- through twelfthgrade psychology at Regina High School in Iowa City, Iowa. Brittany Hansen earned a doctorate in physical therapy from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. She is a traveling physical therapist for Delta Healthcare Providers in Golden Valley, Minn. Hannah Kosgard is a travel adviser at Latin America for Less in Lima, Peru. Tyler Reece earned a doctorate of musical arts from the University of California–Santa Barbara. He was named the 2015 Gwendolyn Roberts Young Artist of the Year by NATS-LA and is a teaching assistant in the Voice Department and conductor of the Women’s Chorus at the University of California–Santa Barbara. Anndi Russell is a regional admissions counselor in Denver for Luther. Jena Schwake is a technology productivity consultant at Northwestern Mutual in Minneapolis.

Sky Macklay ’10 receives Ives Scholarship toward her work in composition The American Academy of Arts and Letters announced in March that Sky Macklay ’10 was the recipient of a $7,500 Charles Ives Scholarship, given to composition students of great promise. Macklay is pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at Columbia University. The academy described composer, oboist, and installation artist Macklay’s work as exploring “bold contrasts, audible processes, humor, and the physicality of sound.” Her works have been performed by ICE, Yarn/Wire, Wet Ink, Dal Niente, and the Da Capo Chamber Players. A work that she composed for the Lexington (Ky.) Symphony won the 2013 Leo Kaplan award, the top prize in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Macklay has also been commissioned by the New York Virtuoso Singers, Chamber Music America, and the Jerome Fund. Her string quartet Many Many Cadences, recorded on Spektral Quartet’s Grammynominated album, also received an ASCAP award. She received the Ruth Anderson Prize for her 2015 installation of harmonicaplaying robots, Harmonibots, at the Waseca (Minn.) Art Center. The installation can be viewed on YouTube by searching for Harmonibots.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Anthony Smith is a sales representative for Midwest Mattress in Des Moines, Iowa.

Alex Kokkinen of Bloomington, Minn., is account coordinator at CH Robinson.

2014 Sarah Christopherson

Maryanne McNutt is museum staff at Port Huron (Mich.) Museum.

and Matt Hoffman live in Rochester, Minn. Sarah is a full-time student at the University of South Dakota School of Law (juris doctor) and Vermont School of Law (master of environmental law and policy). She is also a graduate assistant at the USD School of Law. In May 2017 she begins work as law clerk for chief justice Mike McGrath of the Montana Supreme Court. Matt is a staff nurse in the Medical/Surgical/ Transplant ICU at Mayo Clinic Hospital. Hannah Glesne of Oshkosh, Wis., works for Lane Bryant.

Heather (Marking) Moechnig of Theilman, Minn., is an auditor for CliftonLarsonAllen. Blake Potthoff is executive director at the Fairmont (Minn.) Opera House. Erik Sand is youth director at UCC of Missoula in Mont. Alex Sievers is a tax senior at Deloitte Tax in Minneapolis. Lora (Arens) and Isaac Skelton live in Austin, Minn. Lora is owner and photographer at Not Your Mama’s Photography; Isaac is a digital analyst for Mayo Clinic.

Meghan Owens is a teaching assistant at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Children’s Institute.

Megan Kresse is account executive at Otto Design and Marketing in Norfolk, Va.

Emily Stumpf is volunteer and program coordinator for the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition.

Moran Lonning is an assistant women’s basketball coach at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Nikki Thompson is assistant registrar at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Nicole Lussier is a development specialist at Minnesota Life College in Richfield. Ian Macpherson is a certified athletic trainer at Savannah (Ga.) State University.

Sarah Loberg teaches seventhgrade math and coaches boys’ and girls’ basketball for Trail Ridge Middle School in Longmont, Colo. Callie Mabry is communications director for Faith in Place in Chicago. Samuel Matheson is the North American language and culture assistant for the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport in Logroño, Spain. Aubrey McElmeel is a policy owner service representative for National Guardian Life Insurance in Madison, Wis.

Emma Hartmann teaches music at Traylor Fundamental Academy in Denver. Laura Hayes is a reporter and photographer for the Winona (Minn.) Post.

Luther Alumni Magazine

Anna (Burke) and Aaron Weckwerth are graduate students at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Anna took a photo of Aaron representing Luther well in the Scottish Highlands.

Clare Slagel of Dubuque, Iowa, was one of three finalists for the Johanna Olson IIAC Female ScholarAthlete of the Year Award. Megan (Sisson) Thiele of Hoyt Lakes, Minn., works for Natural Harvest Food Co-Op.

2016 Matt Boelter of Eau

Claire, Wis., is planning a 3,000-mile bicycle tour across the country from May 1 to Aug. 31, 2017. With his tour, “Thought for Food,” he hopes to raise $10,000 for the international aid foundation Save the Children.

Marlon Henriquez teaches secondgrade and kindergarten Spanish immersion for the Rochester (Minn.) Public Schools.

MARRIAGES As of March 2017

1975 Mike Osterholm and Libby Pastor, Sept. 28, 2016

1978 Kristin Wallestad and

Keith Northway ’79, Oct. 20, 2016

1982 Joel Martinson and

Kaley Herman is data manager for the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus.

David Reece, Oct. 29, 2016

Ashley (Sweet) Kaiser is social work care coordinator for Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, Iowa.

1998 Nikki Aden and Rob

Sarah King is an analyst at Rabbit LIVE Intelligence in Minneapolis.

Lexie Polk is real estate services coordinator for CBRE in Chicago.

sales associate for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Quinn Foley is customer account manager for Epicor Software in St. Louis Park, Minn.

Anna Jeide is a caseworker with Lutheran Volunteer Corps at La Clinica del Pueblo in Washington, D.C.

Nicole Schmidt is an administrative assistant at the Princeton Review in Minneapolis.

2015 Alex Barker is an inside Anna Dieter teaches seventh- and ninth-grade mathematics for the Hopkins (Minn.) Public School District.

Shannon Gallagher of Lakewood, Colo., teaches English at Overland High School in the Cherry Creek School District.

Hailey Johnson is a substitute teacher for the Littleton (Colo.) Public Schools and assistant varsity girls’ tennis coach for Heritage High School.

Leah (Loesel) Toppen teaches instrumental music for the Eastern Carver School District in Chaska, Minn.

Nick Krasky is an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Ryan Eppen is a paraprofessional at Chatfield (Minn.) High School.

1997 Kimberly Sweet and Meghan Sievers, July 14, 2016

Sarah Eckhert is associate technical analyst at TriTech Software Systems in Decorah.

Mikkelson, June 11, 2016

Joel Zylstra and Amy Stetzel, Oct. 2, 2016

Alumni News

1999 Sarah Hahn and Meredith

2011 Nicole Becchetti and

2000 Tonya Wegner and B.J.

Anastasia Dubbels and Stephen Alongi, Aug. 16, 2015

2002 Allan Huls and Nikki Walker, June 5, 2016

Erik Johnson and Hannah Vogt, July 16, 2016

Breanne Johnson and Thomas Kinnunen, July 9, 2016

Alicia Rangel and Ryan Brown, Aug. 20, 2016

2003 Jill Johnson and Rob

Brynne Zinnecker and Tim Eisele ’08, Jan. 30, 2016

Micah Helling, a son, Harrison Scott, Sept. 2016

Tom Krambeer and Kelsey Holmes, June 20, 2015

2012 Amanda Dietel and

2000 Stacy and Steve Heston,

2004 Krissy Kelly and Matt

Lindsey Getchell and Drew Kraabel ’11, Oct. 21, 2016

Kjerstin Wepking and Brian Kibaalya Mukolwe, April 30, 2016

2013 Kelsey Brown and Ben

2005 Aaron Graeser and Jacob DeBower, Sept. 4, 2016

Olivia Hahn and Jonny Diercks, Sept. 19, 2015

Kristin Snyder and Tony Bockenstedt, Sept. 3, 2016

Rachel Jungwirth and Alex Rigdon, June 4, 2016

Sue (Buckheister) and Karl Hanson, a daughter, Robyn, Dec. 2016

2007 Stephanie Kirstein and

Shannon Wilson and Jeff Knutson '12, Aug. 20, 2016

Alison (Blumer) and Leony Kaster, a daughter, Harper Grace, July 2015

Sarah Putnam and Sean Windt, Oct. 8, 2016

2014 Lora Arens and Isaac

Britt (Winter) and Tim Moore, a son, Patrick James, Aug. 2016

Jenna Swan and Bryant Jones, Oct. 17, 2015

Sarah Christopherson and Matt Hoffman, Aug. 6, 2016

Julie (Satre) and Rik Trytten (deceased), a daughter, Anawrenn Kiramarie, March 2017

Emily Wilson and Derek Geiser, Nov. 5, 2016

Catherine Gehlsen and Garrett Hillestad, Sept. 24, 2016

Katie (Butler) and Levi Livingood ’04, a son, Owen Patrick, Feb. 2017

2008 Britta Anderson and

Cat (Komornick) and Tristan Lubinski ’02, a son, Calvin Joseph, June 2016

Drew Hughes, Oct. 22, 2016

Leah Loesel and Marcus Toppen, Aug. 8, 2015

Rebekah (Rusch) and Brandon Vogelsberg, a daughter, Molly Marie, Feb. 2017

Matthew Field and Chelsea Fitzsimons-Diaz, May 15, 2015

Lucy Vens and Louis Mazzetta ’13, Sept. 10, 2016

Andrew Odean and Ali Deneen, Oct. 1, 2016

2015 Lindsey Bjorge and

Dawndra Thompson and Tim Broge, March 19, 2016

Heather Marking and Josh Moechnig, Sept. 24, 2016

2009 Kim Hess and Paul Meirick ’07, Sept. 4, 2016

Lucy O’Connor and Sibusiso Dlamini '14, May 26, 2015

Mandy Inhofer and Brett Johnson, Sept. 3, 2016

Maggie Steinberg and Nikolaj Hagen, July 30, 2016

Ellie Meyer and Andre Smith, Aug. 7, 2015

Ashley Sweet and Michael Kaiser, June 11, 2016

Kate Roe and Benjamin Hatten, May 14, 2016

2016 Megan Sisson and Eric Thiele, July 23, 2016

Kelsey and Tom Krambeer, a son, Theodore Roger, Sept. 2016

2010 Diane Balfany and Matt

2017 Rebekah Sandgren and

2004 Miranda and Jon Butler,

Campbell, June 12, 2016 Adams, Sept. 3, 2016

Stanway, June 4, 2016

Moore, April 23, 2016

Arjun Lakshmanan, Dec. 28, 2015

Sitkowski, June 11, 2016

Brian Plagge, Sept. 17, 2016

Nathan Giannettino, Sept. 6, 2015

Legore, July 16, 2016

Skelton, July 4, 2015

Barrett Winrick, Oct. 24, 2015

Willy Leafblad ’14, Dec. 30, 2016

Mandi and Joel Hollenbeck, a son, Max Ryan, Oct. 2016

BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS As of March 2017

1998 Arika (Anderson) and

Erik Hage, a son, Murphy Lee, June 2016 Nikki (Aden) and Rob Mikkelson, a son, Elliot, July 2016

1999 Megan (Molnau) and

a son, Daxon Michael, June 2016

2001 Shelly (Harried) and

Brent Barness ’05, a daughter, Norah, April 2015 Theresa (Wencl) and David Castaneda, a son, Matthew Oliver, Aug. 2015

2002 Natalie (Helgeson) and Jeffrey Bruchhauser, a daughter, Sophia Grace, March 2016

Kjerstin (Wepking) and Brian Kibaalya Mukolwe, a son, Christopher Joseph, Feb. 2017 Elisa (Falk) and Justin Knoepfel, a daughter, Lauryn Elise, Oct. 2016 Jessica (Jansen) and Mike Nicoletti, a son, Monroe, July 2016 Katherine (Ites) and Ben Wacker, a daughter, Nora, June 2015

2005 Lindsay (Neal) and Kyle Dudley, a daughter, Emerson Mae, Aug. 2016

Anna (Timmerman) and Braham Ketcham, a son, Elliot Oliver, April 2016

Melissa (Garbrecht) and Justin Pieper ’04, a son, Isaac Luke, April 2016

Anna (Heineman) and Gary Heil, a son, Leo Joseph, born April 2016, adopted April 2016

Bethany (Seedorff) and Sarah Roepke, a son, Griffin, June 2016

Sara (Leisso) and Rob Turner, a daughter, Julia Monica, Oct. 2015

Chris Bellinder, a daughter, Ashlynn, April 2016

2003 Molly (Vanderstoep) and Matt Beatty, twin sons, Arie Walter and Patrick Lee, March 2017 Riley (McNurlin) and Bill Huebsch, a daughter, Sylvia Patsy, March 2015

a daughter, Marigold, April 2016

2006 Erin (Gallagher) and Jill (Dinkla) and Bryan Borrall, a daughter, Lillian, Oct. 2015 Jenny (Graupmann) and Jefferson Campbell, a son, Benjamin Thomas, Sept. 2016 Kristy (Strom) and Tom Carmody, a son, Rhett Thomas Thornton, Aug. 2016 Leah (Schwartz) and Jason Ethen, a son, Joel, April 2016

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

Andrea (Craven) and Scott Ingalsbe, a son, Graham David, Sept. 2016

Megan (Craven) and Michael McCreesh, a daughter, Elena Christine, Oct. 2016

2012

1944 Elaine

Paige (Comentino) and Jake Seibert, a daughter, Landrie Beverly, June 2016

Francis J. Haddy of Rochester, Minn., died Jan. 25, 2017, age 94.

E. (Anderson) DeBuhr of La Crosse, Wis., formerly of Coon Valley, Wis., died Feb. 15, 2017, age 93.

Michelle (Monson) and Michael Klisanich, a daughter, Anja, Dec. 2016

Allison (Bouslog) and Nic Seeley, a daughter, Josephine Marie, Feb. 2017 Jill (Burke) and Dan Ring ’04, a daughter, Macy Erica, Oct. 2016

Laura (Monson) and Tony Vanden Heuvel ’06, a daughter, Evelina Emmy, Feb. 2017

2007 Jessica (Schwab) and

2009 Emily (Walk) and Brett

Derek Balsley ’05, a daughter, Cosette, March 2016

Harris, a son, Jacob Carrington, Jan. 2016

Gretchen (Gustaf) and Christopher Engledowl, a daughter, Leela Ruth, Feb. 2016

Katie (Sackett) and Tony Stadheim, a daughter, Coralyn Rose, Aug. 2015

Pam (Berg) and Brandon Hamann, a son, Stanley Ray, Nov. 2016

2010 Sam (Reiser) and Ryan

Amanda (Hannemann) and Benjamin Maxwell, a son, Charles Benjamin, Aug. 2016 Sarah (Murrell) and Karl Swenson ’06, a daughter, Sydney Grace, March 2017

Collins, a daughter, Rayna Ann, Dec. 2016 Ana (Molina) and Dorian Diaz, a son, Damon, Nov. 2015 Rachel (Barkel) and Andrew Dyrdal, a daughter, Lucie Geneva, Nov. 2016 Alicia (Hale) and Dan Zaccaro ’09, a daughter, Aria, Feb. 2016

2014 Lora (Arens) and Isaac

Skelton ’14, a daughter, Lila Mae, Sept. 2015

Anna (Winter) and Adam Tlougan ’06, a daughter, Reese Everly, Jan. 2017

Full obituaries are online at luther.edu/in-memoriam.

1941 Eleanor (Kline) Ball of Davenport, Iowa, died July 12, 2016, age 95.

1942 Loyal

Curtis Radtke of Wyomissing, Pa., died Dec. 13, 2015, age 95.

2008 Katy (Fiedler) and Beau Hammel, a son, Forrest James, Jan. 2017 Amanda (Van Wechel) and Matthew Long, a daughter, Emma Grace, Jan. 2016

Luther Alumni Magazine

1943 Carroll

“Hap” E. Jenson of Bayport, Minn., died Sept. 7, 2016, age 95. John Henry Meyer of Houston died Dec. 13, 2016, age 93.

Sarah (Nesheim) and Lucas Westby, a son, Otto, Aug. 2015 Hannah (Brandvold) and Joe Rosholt, a daughter, Ruby Jean, July 2016

Winter of Decorah died Feb. 16, 2017, age 92.

IN MEMORIAM

2011 Julia (Schiefelbein) and

Ryan Egan ’10, a son, Soren, Aug. 2016

1946 Earl

Paul Charles Schroeder of Shorewood, Minn., died Jan. 16, 2017, age 95.

1948 Warren

F. Burstrom of Freeport, Ill., died Dec. 3, 2016, age 92.

Dolores Irene (Hanson) Docken formerly of Hudson, Wis., died Jan. 12, 2017, age 92.

1949 Nancy

Sylvia (Ellison) Bufford of Greensboro, Ga., died Oct. 20, 2016, age 88. Frederick A. Miller of Midland, Mich., died Sept. 12, 2016, age 89.

Ruth Mareé (Stoll) Peterson of Prescott, Ariz., died Jan. 5, 2017, age 87.

Alumni News

1950 James

Arnold Anderson of La Crosse, Wis., died Dec. 18, 2016, age 92. Vernon H. “Bud” Bahr of Decorah died Feb. 13, 2017, age 92.

Vernell L. (Stephens) Haugen of Eugene, Ore., formerly of Decorah and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Jan. 15, 2017, age 88. Charlotte S. (Christian) Wolfe of Rochester, Minn., died March 15, 2017, age 90.

1951 David

W. Hexom of Coon Rapids, Minn., died Dec. 30, 2016, age 88.

Darleen Mae (Helgerson) Rem of Mount Sterling, Wis., died Nov. 19, 2016, age 89.

1953 George A. Schenck of

Burlington, N.C., died Jan. 3, 2017, age 85. Waldo R. “Wally” Varberg of Neenah, Wis., died May 25, 2015, age 83.

1954 Karl

Richard Ahrens of Avon, Ind., died Jan. 20, 2017, age 85.

Eilene Ione (Baalson) Busch of Maquoketa, Iowa, died Oct. 16, 2016, age 84.

1967 Richard K. Rambo of Bullhead City, Ariz., died Jan. 25, 2017, age 71.

Kenneth Hugh Tetrick of Minneapolis died Feb. 20, 2017, age 70.

1957 James

H. Casterton of Decorah died Jan. 11, 2017, age 85.

(Werner) Egenes of Riverside, Calif., died Feb. 27, 2017, age 55.

1984 Kurt

1956 Donna

Jean Olson of Lake Geneva, Wis., died Jan. 10, 2017, age 82.

1983 Gail

1968 Thomas Gregory Van Horn of Lafayette, Ind., and Louisville, Ky., died Sept. 12, 2015, age 70.

Duane Gomer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, died Jan. 2, 2017, age 54.

1985 Jeffrey

Robert Barry of Marion, Iowa, died Dec. 11, 2016, age 53.

1971 James Marilyn Patricia (Olson) Rem of San Diego died Sept. 27, 2016, age 84.

1958 Harlan

T. Bakken of Waukon, Iowa, died Dec. 27, 2016, age 78. Helen (Moe) Barth of Lindstrom, Minn., and Cozumel, Mexico, died Aug. 24, 2016.

1959 John

Carlisle Estrem of Mahtowa, Minn., died Dec. 1, 2016, age 79.

1960 Sharon Rochelle (Finberg) Wilkinson of Chandler, Ariz., died June 29, 2016, age 77.

1963 Evelyn

Joan (Gulsvig) Whiting of Rochester, Minn., died March 23, 2017, age 76.

E. O’Brien of West Union, Iowa, died Dec. 26th, 2016, age 67.

1972 Darrell

Lewis Seeley of Delafield, Wis., and Sedona, Ariz., died Aug. 12, 2016, age 66.

1974 Ellen

(Peters) Dennis of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Jan. 12, 2017, age 64.

1975 Ronald

E. Olson of Viroqua, Wis., died Jan. 31, 2017, age 63.

1978 Daniel

Jordet of Brooklyn Park, Minn., died Dec. 27, 2016, age 62.

1986 Michael

Duane Gravett of West Des Moines, Iowa, died Feb. 16, 2017, age 55.

1987 Tim

David Christensen of Luverne, Minn., died Feb. 19, 2017, age 52. Carmen O. (Havnen) Sunde of Decorah died Jan. 10, 2017, age 87.

1993 Kari Jo

Bostrom of St. Paul, Minn., died Jan. 31, 2017, age 46.

1980 Wendy

J. (Hillesland) Coe of Madison, Wis., died Dec. 25, 2016, age 59.

Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

Alumni News

1,872

luther.edu/giving-day

total donors

Thanks for your support on Giving Day! 1,641 total gifts

= $504,991 209 brand-new donors

5,240 people tuned in

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supporting the Luther College Annual Fund

to the live stream throughout the day

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Luther College Book Shop lutherbookshop.com 563-387-1036 or 1-888-521-5039

Luther Alumni Magazine

Coltan Jacobson ’17, Eyota, Minn., nursing Jenna Anderson ’17, Austin, Minn., management

Alumni News

Planned gifts make the difference Kelly Kennedy ’18

Psychology major, philosophy minor from Great Eagle, Minnesota Kelly’s research may help us all one day Kelly is the lab coordinator for Luther psychology professor Loren Toussaint’s Laboratory for the Investigation of Mind, Body, and Spirit. Through her work with the lab she has presented research at national and international academic conferences. She explained her research on how forgiveness can lessen mental decline in aging adults to an audience of 50 neuropsychologists in Seattle. Her career plans “My ultimate goal is to do counseling psychology with animal-assisted therapy. I’ve been volunteering with an organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding in Decorah since my first year at Luther. Before that, I didn’t know that animal-assisted therapy could be a career option for me.” The best part about learning at Luther “The biggest thing for me is the community, having not only the support of my peers and the lifelong friendships that come out of Luther, but also having the support of the faculty and staff who have mentored me. People ask how I’m doing and what I want to do with my life, and they want to help me get there. They’re just getting the satisfaction of helping a student. It amazes me.” Funding her education “I have a combination of scholarships and my own loans. Without the scholarships, I would not be able to attend Luther.”

A scholarship funded through an estate gift to Luther helped Kelly. You can make a lasting impact for students like her by including a gift to benefit Luther in your will.

To learn more, call 800-225-8664 or visit

myplannedgift.luther.edu Spring 2017 Luther Alumni Magazine

President’s Council

t’s a great day for ball games at Luther College as I write to you this afternoon. The spring sun is coaxing green buds from trees all across our valley, and its warm rays are shining off the beautiful new stadium seats and bleachers in our recently completed baseball and softball stadiums. Thanks to many of you in the President’s Council, Luther now has the best stadiums in the Iowa Conference! I wish you could all join me for a couple of home games as a thank-you for all you do for Luther. Your continued giving provides not only improved facilities on campus, but essential support for students at every turn, from scholarships to faculty/student research funds to internship connections to expert professors, staff, and coaches. Because you give to Luther, we’re able to provide our students with a quality education and a nurturing community. Luther’s renowned education challenges students to expand their knowledge, and our caring community gives them the confidence to set big goals. We’ve just learned that come summer a number of Luther graduates are heading to prestigious graduate programs such as the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Creighton University’s occupational therapy program. Other new graduates will start jobs at major companies such as John Deere or with healthcare leaders such as Mayo Clinic. And still others will serve communities around the world through Lutheran Volunteer Corps and Young Adults in Global Mission. I invite you to come spend time on campus this year and see the impact of your generosity—engaged, inspired students. Attend a choral, symphony, or band concert. Take in a student theatre production. Or pull on a ball cap and join me at one of our fields. Thank you to everyone in the President’s Council for being an active member of the Luther community. You keep Luther College strong. Thank you for your partnership in fulfilling our important mission to our students and the larger world. Soli Deo Gloria!

Paula J. Carlson President

President’s Council The following pages list individuals and organizations that have provided financial support to Luther College of $1,500 or more— or $750 or more for alumni in their first decade after graduation—in the past calendar year, January 1–December 31, 2016, and those who have provided $100,000 or more to the college cumulatively through December 31, 2016. In recognition of their leadership in giving, these donors qualify as members of the Luther College President’s Council. Gifts at all levels are vital in providing scholarship assistance for students, ensuring the success of academic and cocurricular programs, and meeting needs for technology, equipment, and facility maintenance and replacement. * Attained Life Membership and President’s Circle membership during the 2016 calendar year ◊ President’s Council Life member(s) whose cumulative giving increase from last year resulted in a move to a new President’s Circle level † Deceased

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL LIFE MEMBERS

This is a permanent record of recognition of those whose cumulative outright gifts total $100,000 or more, those who have established irrevocable planned gifts with remainder interest present values of $100,000 or more, those who have made irrevocable gifts of life insurance policies with cash values of $100,000 or more, or those who have contributed combinations thereof, as of December 31, 2016. The President’s Circle commemorates these pioneer presidents of Luther College: Peter Laurentius (Laur.) Larsen, served 1861–1902; Christian Keyser Preus, 1902–21; Oscar Ludvig Olson, 1921–32; Ove J. H. Preus, 1932–48; and J.Wilhelm Ylvisaker, 1948–62.

THE LARSEN CIRCLE

Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2016, total $1,000,000 or more. INDIVIDUALS Bruce ’68 and Janis (Zube) Altorfer ’70 ◊Rich ’74 and Candace (Grimm) Altorfer ’73 †E.E. “Ray” ’59 and Shirley (Klingsheim) Bentdahl ’59 Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand David ’63 and Brenda (Landsgard) Carlson ’73 David Carlson ’85 R. Eric ’61 and Cynthia (Aal) Carlson ’63 †Bert and †Bernice Cross †Bert and †Mildred Dahl †Edward Dahly Shelby and Gale Davis Orville and Kathleen Johnson †Ervin and †Phyllis Johnson Douglas ’82 and Shelly Kintzinger †John Kintzinger Jewel Kintzinger Day and †Burtwin Day †Leon and †Helen Koebrick David ’64 and Camille Kundert Bradley ’86 and Jane (Dalen) Miller ’86 †Weston Noble ’43 Neal ’59 and Gerry (Mosby) Nottleson ’59 Curtis Reiso ’54 †Milton and †Dorothy Roelfs Steven Schaver ’76 and Asunta Eizaguirre †Edgar ’38 and †Gerda Sersland Rebecca (Linnevold) ’71 and Robert Shaw Arne ’80 and Ruth Sorenson O. Jay and Patricia Tomson ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Nena Amundson ’56 Estate of Malcolm ’30 and Maybelle Estrem CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS American Lutheran Church The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Gardner & Florence Call Cowles Foundation Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Iowa College Foundation The Kresge Foundation Lilly Endowment Inc. Microsoft Corporation F.W. Olin Foundation Inc. Qwest Communications International Inc. Thrivent Financial

THE PREUS CIRCLE

Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2016, total $500,000 to $999,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (2) †E.J. and †Betty Altorfer †Arthur and †Helen Austin †Arthur ’30 and †Mary Louise Bergee †John ’33 and †Mildred Breiland Ronald ’59 and Gene (Flom) Calgaard ’58 †Roy ’26 and †Helen Carlson †Lillian Ellerman Daryl ’61 and Audrey (Pederson) Erdman ’61 John and Marilyn Gilbert Richard ’64 and Joann (Harr) Hemp ’65 †Thomas and †Frances James †Herbert ’32 and Kay Johnson Sandy and Mick Lee ’57 Ellen (Hanson) Lindop ’46 David ’64 and Pat Miller †Tilmar Moilien ’34 Donald Nelson Marti (Tomson) ’84 and William Rodamaker †Sterling ’50 and †Vila (Kiel) Thompson ’51 †C. Harvey ’49 and Charleen Wilkins ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Patricia Gunderson ’70 *Estate of Grace Olson Estate of Leo Schafee CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Associated Colleges of the Midwest Bank of the West (formerly Community First National Bank) Bruening Rock Products Inc. Fred Carlson Company Inc.

NOTE: The President’s Council Life Members lists (pp. 52–55) recognize donors whose CUMULATIVE giving to Luther College has reached $100,000 or more as of December 31, 2016. All other lists (pp. 56–63) recognize donors who have given $1,500 or more to Luther College in the past CALENDAR YEAR—January 1–December 31, 2016—ONLY.

President’s Council Decorah Bank and Trust IBM Corporation R.J. McElroy Trust Teagle Foundation Incorporated

THE OLSON CIRCLE

Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2016, total $250,000 to $499,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (3) Richard ’64 and Barbara (Moen) Amundson ’65 Jutta F. Anderson †Glenn ’39 and †Delia Bergland †Harald ’25 and †Helen Bestul Alan ’55 and Sally Brudos Russell Bruemmer ’74 Wilfred ’53 and Ruth (Jensen) Bunge ’51 John and Carole Lea Cotton †Kathryn Engebretson ’77 E.D. and Helen Farwell Helene (Rowe) ’48 and †Edward Furst †Kermit ’38 and †Jane (Haugen) Hanson ’39 †Lucille Heintz Betty Hoff ’60 Helen (Peterson) ’52 and Jack Hustad Dennis and Carole Johnson †Darlene (Peterson) Jones ’55 Robert Jones and Kathryn Vigen Douglas ’73 and Sandra Kratz David ’69 and Julie Larson †Paul ’49 and Justine (Holum) Lionberger ’50 David Lubben ’74 and Nancy Kwam Paula (Hermeier) ’76 and Kurtis Meyer ’76 Victoria (Dahly) ’73 and Randal Miller ’73 Glenn Nelson and Mary Jane Borelli †Walter ’50 and Virginia Nelson Alan ’61 and Linda Nordhem †Carleton ’49 and Barbara (Orwoll) Nordschow ’49 Donald ’48 and †Dorie Olson †Jeanne (Preus) Rost ’41 Marilyn (Haugen) ’66 and Jeff Roverud ’66 Walter ’59 and Amelia Rugland †Vernon Serfling John ’58 and Donna (Ferden) Suby ’59 Robert ’58 and Janet (Purmort) Tollund ’73

Joan (Catlin) ’63 and David Totten †Ollie ’49 and Pipka Ulvilden Michael Voltmer ’74 Joseph ’80 and Greer Whitters †Russell and †Margaret Wicks Michael and Barbara Wigley †Robert and †Jean Wigley Enwei Xie ’94 and Lynn Tonglao ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Robert Amunrud Estate of Wilbur Dosland Estate of Evelyn Evenson Estate of David Knudson ’61 Estate of Gordon Luce ’49 Estate of Duane Monette ’69 Estate of Ronald Olson ’65 Estate of William Seabold Estate of Halberta Steensland Estate of Ruth Steinmetz Estate of Laura Stoin CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Bush Foundation Carlson Materials Company Inc. The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Davis United World College Scholars ExxonMobil Foundation The Jessie F. Hallett Charitable Trust ◊W.K. Kellogg Foundation Kinney-Lindstrom Foundation Inc. Luther College Woman ’s Club Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Foundation Norswing Foundation Northwest Area Foundation The Presser Foundation Thanks to Scandinavia, an Institute of the American Jewish Committee Voltmer Electric

THE YLVISAKER CIRCLE

Recognizes those whose cumulative gifts given as of December 31, 2016, total $100,000 to $249,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous †Maynard ’39 and †Minerva Aaker H. George and Christine Anderson

Jeffrey ’84 and MaryEllen (Palmquist) Anderson ’84 Lloyd and Kathy Anderson M.C. Anderson ’54 John and †Mabel Bale Steven ’74 and Paulette (Engel) Barnes ’74 *Eugene and Aneila Barth *Charles ’73 and Ann (Christensen) Beatty ’75 †Sissel Berdal Alvin ’55 and †Marilynn Berg Roger and Carol Berg Jon and Stephanie Bergquist Susan (Maclay) ’64 and Paul Blackman Donald ’51 and †Wanda Blockhus Marilyn Bohl ’56 *Karen (Wilken) Braun ’85 Alvin ’54 and †Marion Brekken *Rolf ’91 and Deirdre Brekken Gregory ’78 and Karen Bruening *John ’59 and Dorothy Brugge †Harley and Joyce Carlson †Alan ’62 and Rebecca Carpenter *Rocklon ’73 and Barb (Donaldson) Chapin ’73 Keith Christensen ’80 and Dawn Deines-Christensen ’82 Jonathan ’90 and Dawn Doering †Lois (Brandt) Drews ’49 Dennis and Jolene Elmore *Kent ’57 and Mitzi Evenstad James Field ’54 Dennis ’68 and Jean Flatness Timothy ’67 and †Janet (Strube) Fleming ’67 Luther ’49 and Ilene (Knutson) Forde ’46 Callista (Bisek) ’88 and Newt Gingrich Ingeborg (Bader) Goessl ’60 J Bruce ’62 and Cosette (Cross) Goetsch ’63 Jan (Engle) ’62 and John Gray Leon and Linda Gregg *Mary (Loken) ’66 and Helmut Haas George and Joann Hagen *Suzanne (Knoll) ’65 and John Hales William ’61 and Dianne Halling †Henry and †Janet Halvorson Gene ’63 and Suzanne Haugland Ronald and †Lisa Have Adrian ’41 and †Evelyne Helgeson Sheldon ’52 and Renee (Aust) Hermanson ’54 †James ’49 and †Elizabeth Holey Arlene and †Robert Houlihan

President’s Council David ’66 and Carole Hoyem †Reuben ’28 and †May Jacobson Glen ’70 and Kathy (Selzer) Johnson ’71 †Erling ’31 and †Geneva Johnson Timothy Jones and Annie Cardelus Marvin and Mary Klocke Stephen ’63 and Susan Kraabel George Kuh ’68 Wendell ’58 and Judith (Davidson) Larsen ’60 O. Dale ’61 and †Patricia Larson †Percy ’45 and †Constance (Dahl) Larson ’45 David Lietz ’88 and Suzette Westlyn Derrevere †Willard ’37 and Yvonne Linnevold †Walter Magnuson †Ronald ’57 and Marilyn (Lokensgard) Martinson ’57 Paul ’81 and Miri (Peterson) Mattson ’81 Dick Meade David and Patricia Meyer †Frank ’37 and †Esther (Stephens) Miller ’37 Martin Mohr and Mary Lou Hull Mohr Bjorn ’64 and Margot Monson Corinne and Harland Nelson Millard and LaVonne Nelson Roald ’54 and Ruth Nelson †David Nelson ’49 and †Betty Rikansrud Nelson ’57 Joan (Gunther) ’64 and Dick Niemiec Stephen ’81 and Kari Noltner Franklin Norman and Lynn Winger †Hildred (Kronlokken) Norman ’54 Timothy ’87 and Molly Oitzman Marsha (Weckwerth) ’82 and Lee Olch †F. Milo ’58 and Carole Olson

Steven ’68 and Connie (Marlow) Overholt ’71 †Edwin and Thelma Overholt J. Robert ’78 and Barbara Paulson Cheryl and Drew Pellett *Hamlet ’54 and Suzanne Peterson Steven ’78 and Solveig (Storvick) Pollei ’79 †Esther Porter †Herman ’16 and †Florence Preus †Lucile Brickner Brown Price Brett Reese ’81 Michele (Wylder) Reese ’81 †Mary Margaret Roberts ’44 Janet Robertson ’60 †Esther Rodda Robert ’51 and Lucille Rosholt †Dale ’62 and Catherine Ruosch J. Stephen ’68 and Lin (Mathieu) Schmidt ’70 *Melvyn ’63 and Ingrid (Jacobson) Smith ’63 †Floyd and †Mary Lou (Schmitt) Sollien ’68 Susan Sorlien ’73 and Thomas Jones *†Lynn ’61 and Mary (Frost) Steen ’62 Jon and Rebecca Stellmacher Steven ’81 and Carmen (Hansen) Stenhaug ’82 Karen (Mathews) ’65 and Mark Stuart Richard ’72 and Jane Theiler Brad ’81 and Meg Thompson James ’86 and Kathy (Winter) Thomsen ’85 †Henry Tollefson Paul ’73 and Rebecca (Larson) Torgerson ’73 Richard and Judith Torgerson Terry Trimpe ’70 and Nancy Hill Cobb Jerry ’57 and Barbara Twedt Thomas ’62 and Juanita Vaaler

John ’57 and Carol Witt †Margaret (Barth) Wold ’41 †Arlo ’43 and †Agnes (Kvaase) Woolery ’43 †Paul ’39 and Mary Anne Wulfsberg †James Ylvisaker ’60 James ’81 and Jodi (Palma) Young ’81 ESTATE GIFTS Anonymous Estate of Margaret Baker Estate of Ruth Benson Estate of Karen Berg ’65 Estate of Clara Bonthron Estate of David Borders ’73 Estate of Michael ’38 and Betty Borge Estate of Edwin Bottolfson ’22 *Estate of Evelyn (Henderson) Costley ’41 Estate of O.L. Enstad Estate of Harlan Flatjord Estate of Marie Gunther Estate of O.M. Haaland Estate of Alvida Hale Estate of Lucille Hamilton Estate of Carole Hanson ’60 Estate of Dorothy Haugen Estate of Harry and Selma Hougan Estate of Herbert Jacobson ’33 Estate of Martin ’19 and Avis Jenson Estate of Betty Juhasz Estate of Linka Kempf Estate of Delores Kudej Estate of Affry Lerol Estate of Elizabeth Nasvik Estate of Leo Naughton *Estate of Carl Nelson Estate of Inga Nelson Estate of Justin ’41 and Milly (Meyer) Nelson ’44

“

Sixty years ago, Luther took a chance on me and, with the support of a Luther alumnus, I attended and graduated from Luther. Those four years were life-changing for me. The college has been a huge blessing to our family, which includes three generations of graduates, and we are honored to share our resources with this excellent community of faith and learning.” —Tom ’62 and Juanita Vaaler

President’s Council Estate of Klareen Nottestad ’56 Estate of Alice Paulson Estate of Melvin Rasmussen Estate of Walter ’29 and Nora Rugland Estate of Maynord Steensgard ’52 Estate of Genevieve Stelberg Estate of Josephine Thostenson Estate of Gertrude Tingelstad ’41 Estate of Henrietta Torgerson ’39 Estate of Theodore Vagts Estate of G. Norman Wigeland CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The American Scandinavian Foundation Col. L.C. Christensen Charitable and Religious Foundation Deco Products Company John Deere Foundation First Lutheran Church, Decorah Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family Foundation Ernest W. Hallett Charitable Trust Hawkeye Stages Inc. The Hearst Foundation Inc. Hormel Foods Corporation Interstate Power Company S.C. Johnson Wax Fund Inc. The Joyce Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company The William Penn Foundation Research Corporation Dr. J.E. Salsbury Foundation Spahn & Rose Lumber Company Wells Fargo

PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE CABINET

Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $50,000 or more. INDIVIDUALS Rich ’74 and Candace (Grimm) Altorfer ’73 Helene (Rowe) Furst ’48 Mary (Loken) ’66 and Helmut Haas David ’64 and Camille Kundert Donald Nelson Neal ’59 and Gerry (Mosby) Nottleson ’59 Arne ’80 and Ruth Sorenson Mary (Frost) Steen ’62 Robert and June Swenson ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Carl Nelson Estate of JoAnne Ohlaber Estate of Grace Olson CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc. Decorah Bank and Trust Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Iowa College Foundation W.K. Kellogg Foundation Sodexo Inc. Thrivent Financial

PRESIDENT’S ASSOCIATES Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $25,000 to $49,999.

INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (2) Richard ’64 and Barbara (Moen) Amundson ’65 Jutta F. Anderson Eugene and Aneila Barth William ’95 and Kirsten (Stumme) Bohmer ’94 Rolf ’91 and Deirdre Brekken John and Carole Lea Cotton Ann (Furman) Esse ’71 Kent ’57 and Mitzi Evenstad Bob ’66 and Lynne Fjelstul Ronald and Carole Fox Ingeborg (Bader) Goessl ’60 Joan Haug Richard ’64 and Joann (Harr) Hemp ’65 Betty Hoff ’60 Sandy and Mick Lee ’57 †Weston Noble ’43 Conway and Katherine Olson Hamlet ’54 and Suzanne Peterson Sharon (Rose) Rendack ’71 Marilyn (Haugen) ’66 and Jeff Roverud ’66 James ’86 and Kathy (Winter) Thomsen ’85 Matthew ’01 and Jaime (Rowe) Titus ’00 Joan (Catlin) ’63 and David Totten Roger ’79 and Mary (DeVoe) Wetlaufer ’79 Enwei Xie ’94 and Lynn Tonglao

“

Having served in orchestras as principal trumpet for a total of 29 years during my career, I am very happy, along with my wife Carole, to endow the principal trumpet chair in the LCSO. The talent of Luther students continues to amaze us, as all the ensembles rise to greater heights each year, it seems. Through my 27 years of teaching here, it was the one-on-one experience with the students which I most fondly remember and, hopefully, this scholarship will ” keep attracting these extraordinary young people.” —Carole and Ron Fox, Luther professor emeritus of music

President’s Council ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Evelyn (Henderson) Costley ’41 Estate of Lucile Roberts ’42 CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Council of Independent Colleges

PRESIDENT’S ACADEMY

Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $10,000 to $24,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous Jeffrey ’84 and MaryEllen (Palmquist) Anderson ’84 Ann Bentdahl ’85 and Roger Smith Carol Birkland ’67 and Thomas Woxland Susan (Maclay) ’64 and Paul Blackman Alan ’55 and Sally Brudos Ronald ’59 and Gene (Flom) Calgaard ’58 Paula Carlson and Thomas Schattauer Craig Cornelius ’74 and Ann HaddenCornelius Wendy (Jaycox) ’92 and Thor Davidson ’93 James Field ’54 Dennis ’68 and Jean Flatness Luther ’49 and Ilene (Knutson) Forde ’46 Craig Fox ’83 †Ron ’61 and Karen (Paulson) Fretheim ’63 Leon and Linda Gregg David ’66 and Carole Hoyem Helen (Peterson) ’52 and Jack Hustad Douglas ’82 and Shelly Kintzinger Jewel Kintzinger Day David ’69 and Julie Larson Kristin Lee Ulland ’91 and Hans Ulland ’91 Justine (Holum) Lionberger ’50 David Lubben ’74 and Nancy Kwam Eileen Lueder Bennett Melin Bradley ’86 and Jane (Dalen) Miller ’86 Bjorn ’64 and Margot Monson Sandra (Sabin) Moore ’74 Alan ’61 and Linda Nordhem Timothy ’87 and Molly Oitzman Steven ’68 and Connie (Marlow) Overholt ’71 J. Robert ’78 and Barbara Paulson Connie Plaehn ’75

Britt Sather ’78 Steven Schaver ’76 and Asunta Eizaguirre Melvyn ’63 and Ingrid (Jacobson) Smith ’63 Susan Sorlien ’73 and Thomas Jones Joel Spoonheim ’92 and Lani Willis ’94 Steven ’81 and Carmen (Hansen) Stenhaug ’82 Phillip and Jessica Stoltenberg Karen (Mathews) ’65 and Mark Stuart Richard ’72 and Jane Theiler Diane (Baum) ’72 and Gaylord Thormodsgard Paul ’73 and Rebecca (Larson) Torgerson ’73 Lance ’79 and Shari Vander Linden Judith (Johnson) ’88 and Paul Vijums Jane (Baker) Wallestad ’61 Joseph ’80 and Greer Whitters Melissa Willenborg ’02 James ’81 and Jodi (Palma) Young ’81 ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Margaret Baker Estate of Mary Ann Lunde ’62 CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Associated Colleges of the Midwest Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Davis United World College Scholars EY Foundation Violet & Harold Jaeke Foundation Inc. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Foundation Thrivent Financial Foundation UnitedHealth Group Wells Fargo

PRESIDENT’S AFFILIATES

Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $5,000 to $9,999. INDIVIDUALS Michael ’99 and Carryn (Ensrude) Anderson ’99 Barbara (Kleene) ’72 and Daniel Babine Charles ’73 and Ann (Christensen) Beatty ’75 †Marion ’75 and Peggy (Hall) Beatty ’74 Matthew Birkenholz ’03 and Kelly Woods Birkenholz ’03

Douglas Boleen ’74 and Christine Wollan ’76 Ann Bolinger Karen (Wilken) Braun ’85 Alvin ’54 and †Marion Brekken Russell Bruemmer ’74 John ’59 and Dorothy Brugge Wilfred ’53 and Ruth (Jensen) Bunge ’51 David Carlson ’85 R. Eric ’61 and Cynthia (Aal) Carlson ’63 Brenda Case ’94 and Richard Vonder Embse Rocklon ’73 and Barb (Donaldson) Chapin ’73 Leonard ’51 and Betty Dalen Donald ’68 and Joanne Davidson Jonathan ’90 and Dawn Doering Randa Duvick ’78 and Dave Grosnick Kenneth Ehler Charles ’73 and Janice (Knutson) Engebretson ’74 Karl Espelie E.D. and Helen Farwell James ’64 and Judith (Larson) Fogdall ’65 Callista (Bisek) ’88 and Newt Gingrich J Bruce ’62 and Cosette (Cross) Goetsch ’63 Joseph ’98 and Ann Grimstad Richard ’50 and Eileen Grindeland Suzanne (Knoll) ’65 and John Hales Richard Simon Hanson ’53 Corey ’94 and Carla (Paulsen) Haugen ’93 Ronald Have Fay Henning-Bryant ’64 James ’66 and Nancy (Lofthus) Hill ’68 Ginger (Warren) ’66 and C.W. Hirt Jay Ironside ’81 and Pamela Magnussen Ironside ’81 Katherine Johnson-Becklin Sandra (Neitzel) ’87 and Jonathan Joppa ’85 Scott ’87 and Ruth (Berschet) Kauls ’88 Wayne ’61 and Alyce Kivell Stephen ’63 and Susan Kraabel Lyle Kruegel ’63 George Kuh ’68 Warren ’74 and Mary Kuh Mary Kust Ronald ’61 and Jean Lee David Lietz ’88 and Suzette Westlyn Derrevere Ellen (Hanson) Lindop ’46 Lorri Jo Lobeck ’80 and David Shelstad James ’85 and Martha (Anderson) Looft ’83

President’s Council James ’79 and Janis (Miller) Lovell ’80 Paul ’81 and Miri (Peterson) Mattson ’81 David and Patricia Meyer Paula (Hermeier) ’76 and Kurtis Meyer ’76 David ’64 and Pat Miller Victoria (Dahly) ’73 and Randal Miller ’73 Paula (Bedford) ’68 and Paul Moucka Jan Nelson ’70 Roald ’54 and Ruth Nelson Stephen ’81 and Kari Noltner Franklin Norman and Lynn Winger Michael ’75 and Libby Osterholm Barbara Palombi ’71 and Jonathan Vawter Jeffrey ’81 and Nancy Paulson Bradley Paulsrud ’05 and Kirsten (Sparks) Paulsrud ’04 Lowell ’58 and Mary Peterson Mark ’81 and Mary Pribbenow Paul Pribbenow ’78 and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow Terry (Thiele) Rasmussen ’67 Sara (Wooster) Richardson ’69 Janet Robertson ’60 Curtis ’60 and Ann (Knutson) Rotto ’61 Walter ’59 and Amelia Rugland Robert ’68 and Dell Ann (Kappus) Sathe ’68 Corey ’98 and Tonya (Schwers) Schmidt ’97 Gerald and Sue Schwalbach Anjela Shutts ’93 and Peter Kitundu Andor Skotnes and Teresa Meade Eric ’85 and Diane (Reque) Storvick ’85 Eugene ’66 and Miriam (Nelson) Takle ’66 Terry Trimpe ’70 and Nancy Hill Cobb Lee ’78 and Maggie Valenta Nancy Wagner ’83 and Mike Connly Jody Wettach ’86 ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Orlan Landsgard Estate of Maren (Aune) Zabel ’99 CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS Bruening Rock Products Inc. Deco Products Company Eaton Corporation Fjelstul Funeral Home The General Electric Foundation Google Matching Gifts Program Gundersen Health System Inc.

The Harley-Davidson Foundation Inc. InFaith Community Foundation Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest The Monticello College Foundation Weston Noble Alumni Choir Inc. Winneshiek Medical Center

PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY

Recognizes those whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $1,500 to $4,999. INDIVIDUALS Anonymous (9) Scott Addington ’69 Darrin ’90 and Amy Ahrens Sherry (Braun) Alcock ’82 Eric Allen ’85 Bruce ’68 and Janis (Zube) Altorfer ’70 Ethel Amundson Hazel (Milbrath) Amundson ’39 Dennis and Corinne Anderson H. George and Christine Anderson M.C. Anderson ’54 Roger ’48 and Amme Anderson Ronald ’57 and Lorna (Haugland) Anderson ’60 Karen Angell ’80 Jack Anundsen Jeffrey ’89 and Angela (Carlson) Arndt ’88 Sharon (Zumdahl) ’70 and Stanley Asp Roger ’63 and Eleanor (Roe) Ault ’64 Glenn ’62 and Karen (Swain) Austad ’62 Michael ’65 and Karen (Wardell) Austad ’64 Sally Swab Austin ’70 and Bradford Austin Russell ’63 and Sandra (Edgren) Ayers ’64 Kelly and Allison Bachelder Ruth Bachman ’75 and Thomas Gallagher †Vernon ’50 and Donna (Haugen) Bahr ’53 Shirley Baker John Bale John ’83 and Karla (Nelson) Balk ’83 Roger ’71 and Peggy Bang Nancy K. Barry Ann (Birdsall) ’71 and Byron Beasley Matthew ’92 and Kristine Beatty Loren ’59 and Betty (Eide) Behm ’57 Naomi (Flugstad) ’44 and Owen Bekkum Donald ’56 and Barbara Berg Ann (Gulsvig) ’67 and John Bergstad

Steven ’74 and Linda (Kennedy) Berry ’74 Thomas Berven ’63 Steven ’84 and Marsha Birchard Dennis ’64 and Suzanne Birkestrand Richard ’71 and Louann (Peterson) Bjorlo ’67 Stephen ’69 and Gracia (Kraabel) Blanchard ’69 Donald Blockhus ’51 Warren ’60 and Maryellen (Amundson) Boe ’61 Larry Bonney ’85 Eric Bookmeyer ’96 and Erin Peterson ’97 Glenn ’66 and Mary (Jorgenson) Borreson ’66 Jake ’61 and Shirley Bostrom Jeff ’81 and Shawn Bouslog James ’64 and Sharon Boyce John ’61 and Julie (Seegmiller) Braaten ’67 David ’80 and Kathy (Haugland) Brandt ’82 Steven ’72 and Donnis Broman Renee (Anderson) ’72 and Charles Brown John ’53 and †Jean Bruemmer Amy (Carlson) ’92 and Keith Bruening ’80 Gregory ’78 and Karen Bruening Brian and Kathy Buchholz Marilyn (Myrah) Bunge ’51 Mary Bunge Docken ’79 and Don Lucas Don ’53 and Joan Bungum John ’87 and Susan Bunz Adam ’06 and Molly (Sheppard) Burk ’07 Jonathan ’04 and Miranda Butler David ’63 and Brenda (Landsgard) Carlson ’73 Jean (Flom) Carlson ’58 Joyce Carlson Michael ’85 and Susanne Carney Larry ’65 and Karen (Aaker) Chellevold ’65 Walter ’68 and Aleta (Reckling) Chossek ’69 Dennis ’63 and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ ’66 Keith Christensen ’80 and Dawn Deines-Christensen ’82 Rodney ’79 and Deborah Christensen Ronald ’61 and Judith Christian Birgitte (Povelsen) ’73 and John Christianson Anne (Marking) ’62 and Myrvin Christopherson Jon ’84 and Janeen (Fowler) Christy ’93 Leofwin and JoBeth Clark Kristine Cleary ’78 and Peter Coffey

President’s Council

“

Sound investments have enriched our lives, but few compare in value to our Luther College experience. At Luther, we received a quality education, met lifelong friends and gained the confidence to step outside our comfort zones. We have been richly blessed and wish to pay it forward, so future generations can benefit from the excellent education, opportunities, and experiences at Luther. —Mark ’77 and Lois (Dunleavy) Finanger ’77

Heather Clefisch ’94 and Nate Zolik Brett ’91 and Matt Cloninger-West Martin ’91 and Michele Cole Phyllis (Zylstra) ’79 and Paul Comstock Christopher ’96 and Susan (Cihak) Considine ’96 Michele Cooley ’92 and John Gluesing John ’60 and Diane Crawford Beverly Crisp Harstad Erno ’52 and Suzanne (Preus) Dahl ’53 Greg ’73 and Kathryn (Sorensen) Dahlberg ’73 James ’72 and Jeanne (Tormoen) Daubendiek ’72 William ’62 and Judith (Ream) Davis ’62 Mary (Henzler) ’66 and Howard Deters ’67 David ’71 and Jenee (Nelson) Dettmann ’72 Jean Dickson ’89 Rodney ’80 and Lisa Dir Mark ’70 and Vicki (Mohlis) Donhowe ’70 Michael Dorner ’86 Gregory ’61 and Carol Dotseth Laura Dotseth ’86 and David Larsen Alice (Ranum) ’49 and Leonard Drake Ruth Drews ’76 and Dean Peckham Sue (Franzen) ’78 and Jack Drilling Douglas Duin ’77 and Ann Hill Duin ’77 Shannon (Miller) ’95 and DeLane Duval Duane and Linda Eaton Richard ’64 and Patricia (McCullough) Edwards ’63 Tami Ehlers ’01 Roger and Carolyn Eigenfeld Peter ’68 and Terryl (Bruins) Eikren ’70 Gary ’59 and Janell Embretson Henry Emmons ’81 and Jane Blockhus ’81 Henrik ’57 and Marcia (Borreson) Engebretson ’58 Edgar and Joyce Epperly

Daryl ’61 and Audrey (Pederson) Erdman ’61 Karla (Luzum) ’89 and Lindsay Erdman Sara Ericksen Nathan ’98 and Anne Ersig Peter Espinosa ’81 and Kari Tollefson Espinosa ’84 Peggy and Bryan Ettestad Jodene Evans ’84 John Evenstad ’88 David ’79 and Rachel (Andersen) Faldet ’78 Patrick ’00 and Katrin (Aarestad) Fergus ’00 Gregory ’77 and Victoria Fields Kenton ’54 and Lois Finanger Mark ’77 and Lois (Dunleavy) Finanger ’77 Nancy Fincham ’85 Ardis Fiskerbeck Christen ’59 Timothy Fleming ’67 Larry ’62 and Marilyn Fogdall Donna (Ellefson) Fortney ’57 Gene Frank ’69 Kevin ’00 and Kimberly (Turner) Frantz ’00 Laura (Charlson) ’89 and David Frazier Terence ’56 and Faith (Luzum) Fretheim ’56 DeLyle ’61 and Carolyn Fure Wilmer ’48 and Margaret (Nelson) Fure ’48 Gary ’74 and Sandra Gilderhus Eric Goers ’93 and Kerri Doeden Goers ’93 Kristin Gosselink ’91 and Mark Gorman Nancy Gossell ’74 Steven ’76 and Julie (Huntting) Grandgeorge ’77 Bette Greedy Kristopher ’82 and Kathryn (Willi) Gregersen ’81 Larry and Zylpha Gregerson Maryln (Johnson) Grimm ’50 Ben and Padrin Grimstad Larry and Diane Grimstad

Charles Grose David ’85 and Janet Gross C. Carlyle ’55 and Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland ’56 James ’72 and Susan (Hammond) Haemker ’74 Douglas Hamilton ’11 Cindy Hangartner ’90 Douglas and Bonnie Hanggi Ryan Hanke ’06 and Heidi Christian ’99 Larry ’68 and Jane (Hoplin) Hansen ’68 Thomas ’77 and Joyce Hansen Bradley and Marion Hanson Eugene ’59 and Naomi (Borreson) Hanson ’61 Lori Happel-Jarratt ’89 and Al Jarratt Brian and Julie Hart Jon and Mary Hart Lee ’84 and Linda (Rosholt) Hash ’85 Brian ’96 and Amy (Vollmer) Hatlevig ’96 John ’00 and Jennifer (Cords) Hatlevig ’00 Dean ’91 and Pamela (Brown) Haugen ’89 Gerald ’62 and Sally Haugen Irene (Schulz) ’53 and Chester Hausken Alan Hecht ’80 and Kristin Swanson ’80 Alan Heggen ’58 and Helen Christiansen Adrian Helgeson ’41 Joseph ’88 and Amy (Brunberg) Hellie ’88 Thomas Hellie ’75 and Julie Olds David ’76 and Sue Henderson Dayton ’79 and Amy Henderson Kristine (Hahn) ’85 and David Henderson Steven ’73 and Virginia (Fixsen) Hendrickson ’72 Darrell Henning ’62 and Terry Sparkes Sheldon ’52 and Renee (Aust) Hermanson ’54 Gene ’53 and Ruby (Totman) Hermeier ’53 Norma Hervey

President’s Council Michael ’81 and Rhonda Hicks Ann Highum and Jerry Freund Edward ’63 and Sharon (Madson) Hill ’63 Elaine Ottmers Hill ’77 and Paul Hill Lavern ’49 and Jean Hillesland Barry ’83 and Lisa (Schulz-Fincke) Hoff ’83 Donald and Mavis Hoffman Timothy and Amy Hohulin Steven ’71 and Laurel (Jameson) Holland ’71 Aaron Holtebeck ’98 Scott and Carol Holtz Corey ’99 and Sarah Hoodjer Janice (Anderson) ’57 and Roger Horn Marguerite (Agena) ’64 and Max Horn Lisa Peter Howard ’76 and Joseph Kenneally Christopher ’89 and Jennifer (Jenkins) Hubbs ’95 Charles Hulsether ’56 Philip ’87 and Sarah (Henning) Iversen ’87 Lawrence and Mildred Jensen James and Wendy Jermier Arthur ’67 and Jacqueline Johnson Glen ’70 and Kathy (Selzer) Johnson ’71 Kirk ’82 and Kerry (Kramer) Johnson ’83 Orville and Kathleen Johnson Scott Johnson ’80 and Naomi Nowland ’80 Terry ’81 and Jone (McDonald) Johnson ’82 Tracy Johnson ’92 Beth Jones Robert Jones and Kathryn Vigen Timothy Jones and Annie Cardelus Shirley (Stark) ’61 and Travis Jorde †Daniel Jordet ’78

Brian Jorgensen ’80 and Richard Pietz Karen Julesberg ’60 Curtis and Edith Julson Michael ’98 and Heidi (Hingeveld) Jung ’00 David ’68 and Rayna Kaasa Edward and Elizabeth Kaschins Ruth Kath Eric ’87 and Laura (Doorenbos) Kehrberg ’91 Mark ’01 and Kate (Brothen) Keiper ’00 Jane Kemp Alice (Hogenson) Kienberger-Iverson ’54 Michael ’89 and Julie Kinsel Lawrence ’54 and Mary (Buchholz) Kipfer ’55 Helen (Erickson) Kissel ’56 Joy Hovick Kissel ’93 and Kevin Kissel Joshua ’03 and Erica (Crowser) Klaetsch ’04 Helen (Legler) ’59 and Hans Kneubuhler Harriet Knudson Norlie Knudson ’64 William ’70 and Carolyn (Peterson) Kobler ’70 Fred ’73 and Stephanie (Hanson) Koch ’73 Lesley (Dressen) ’00 and Jonathan Kochel Jessica (Wrobel) ’03 and Preston Koenig Joanna (Vasek) ’81 and Melvin Koenig Joanne (Gray) Kolstad ’53 Walter ’49 and Helen Korsrud Roger ’68 and Laurie Krahn Douglas ’73 and Sandra Kratz Kevin and Barbara Kraus Mark and Sara Kronholm Dennis Kruger

Michael ’87 and Amy (Larsen) Krull ’89 Lynn Kvalness ’64 Meredith Kvalness ’69 Donna Lager ’79 and Steven Jacobsen Charles ’70 and Christine (Lindgren) Lane ’70 April Ulring Larson ’72 and Judd Larson ’74 Brian ’00 and Rachel (Forde) Larson ’99 Robert and Marilynn Larson Rob and Sandra Larson John Laughlin ’89 and Julie Suhr ’88 Reginald and Jerilyn Laursen Dale ’95 and Amanda (Neal) Lawrence ’95 Rebecca (Knutson) ’79 and Lee Lawrence James and Catherine Lee Jon ’62 and Stefani (Monson) Lee ’62 Ronald Lee ’62 and Marie Bender-Lee Chris ’75 and Sylvia Lee-Thompson Jeff ’90 and Elizabeth (Johnston) Leschensky ’91 Jess ’90 and Janet (Wagamon) Lewis ’91 Dennis ’71 and Barbara Linderbaum Yvonne Linnevold Kathryn (Jordan) ’81 and Charles Litow Douglas Lohafer ’77 Jerrold ’62 and Elizabeth Lokensgard Elaine (Wischhoff) Looft ’57 and Bill Schulz William ’56 and Maxine Losen Russell ’58 and Juanita (Zeman) Loven ’56 Warren Luckner ’68 and Mary Carr Luckner Joel ’88 and Laurence Ludvigsen Richard ’72 and Marcia Lund

“

Giving to Luther College has been one of the most enriching experiences of our adult lives. Luther is a special place, and the feeling we get when strolling through campus is priceless, knowing that we may be walking by a joyful student whose life is being impacted in a positive way because of our giving. We always receive notes of thanks for our gifts to Luther ’s Annual Fund and from our endowed scholarship recipients, however, we feel that we should be thanking Luther for the opportunity to contribute to the Luther ” community!”

—Jari and Chip Norris ’82

President’s Council LaRoy ’60 and Lila Luther Kari (Dokken) ’94 and Christopher Lyle Debora Madsen ’73 and John Cznadel Christine Magnuson ’74 Cecelia (Nybro) ’78 and Brian Manlove Lisa Manzey Adelmann ’87 and Steve Adelmann Thomas ’91 and Jill (Johnson) Marquardt ’91 Kate Martinson Marilyn (Lokensgard) Martinson ’57 John and Rebecca Mason Janet (Hernes) ’83 and Todd Mathistad Stephen ’68 and Margeen (Bolson) Mau ’69 James ’91 and Wendy McCreight †Harvard ’56 and Elaine McLean Dick Meade James and Helen Meehan †Bruce ’52 and Rosella (Gjere) Melaas ’52 Eric ’96 and Renee (Rittmann) Merten ’96 John and Marcia Metzger Brenda Severson Meyer ’83 and Brian Meyer Sonja (Smith) ’85 and Joe Meyer Todd ’93 and Nicole Michaels Pauline (Amundson) ’72 and Les Miller Suzanne (Roverud) ’96 and Corey Mineck David and Bridgette Mitchell Joel Mjolsness ’74 and Jory Segal Martin Mohr and Mary Lou Hull Mohr IvaNell (Mundt) Monson ’51 John Monson Katherine Moody ’01 Andrew ’94 and Beth (Keller) Mork ’96 Michael ’74 and Janice (Gjesvold) Mostrom ’74 Carolyn Mottley Nicholas Mozena ’13 Mark Muggli and Carol Gilbertson Paul ’79 and Catherine Elise (Barton) Mullen ’80 Eric ’91 and Kimberly (Latzke) Muller ’93 Dale ’64 and Helen Mundahl Robert ’65 and Ann (Aaker) Naslund ’66 Carolyn (Nuttall) ’62 and James Nelson Connie (Jolstad) Nelson ’60 Corinne and Harland Nelson Cy ’76 and Ramona (Feller) Nelson ’75 Daniel Nelson ’79 and Denise Grau Nelson ’79 Dean ’69 and Barbara Nelson

Doug Nelson ’82 Glenn Nelson and Mary Jane Borelli John ’58 and Arlene (Olsen) Nelson ’56 Lloyd Nelson ’51 Millard and LaVonne Nelson Luther ’64 and Marilyn Nervig Peter ’97 and Jennifer (Larsen) Newburg ’99 Jared Nichols ’02 Jon Nicolaisen Robert ’64 and Ann Niedringhaus Dale and Sunny Nimrod Carrie Askew Noonan ’86 Deborah Norland ’75 and James Bovee Sylvia (Schey) Norland ’47 Chip ’82 and Jari Norris Andrew Nottleson ’90 and Lizabeth Diekema ’90 Jonathan Nowland ’83 and Christi Munson Nowland ’80 Ronald ’54 and Frieda (Mindrum) Nowland ’54 Susan Oberman Smith ’83 and Douglas Smith Francis ’59 and Miriam (Strum) Odden ’62 Paul ’97 and Melissa Odenbach Ordean and Carol Oen Angela (Spartz) ’00 and Patrick O ’Keefe Marsha (Weckwerth) ’82 and Lee Olch Patrick O ’Leary and Amaria Najem O’Leary Kristen (Kollmorgen) ’88 and Lon Olejniczak Jeffrey Olinger ’85 and Heidi Miller-Olinger Christine Olsen ’78 and Tom Rothengass Jeremy Olsen ’02 and Katie Murphy-Olsen Paul ’65 and Jeanne Olsen A. Richard ’59 and Martha (Smith) Olson ’59 Carole Olson Dale ’74 and Anne (Kruse) Olson ’74 David ’79 and Siobhan Olson Donald Olson ’48 Eric ’85 and Virginie Olson Helen (Stuepfert) ’69 and John Olson Karen Olson ’88 and Darlene Petit Marney Olson ’99 O. Rolf ’53 and Gertrude (Kolstad) Olson ’54 Richard ’59 and Vicki Olson James ’77 and Mary (Stoneman) Oppermann ’77

Kevin ’06 and Keely Oppermann George ’67 and Carole (Rust) Orness ’69 Thelma Overholt Dan ’89 and Theresa (Anderson) Owens ’89 John ’88 and Sherry (Schmidt) Paulson ’88 Louise (Borreson) ’71 and Steven Paulson Allen ’69 and Karen (Anderson) Peckham ’69 Cheryl and Drew Pellett Mark ’82 and Catherine (Eichmann) Penning ’83 Dale and Judy Peter Colleen (Voehl) Peterson ’58 Gregory Peterson ’83 and Ann Sponberg Peterson Karen (Nilsestuen) Peterson ’65 Steven ’77 and Marcia (Hoff) Pitzenberger ’78 Alexander Platt Steven ’78 and Solveig (Storvick) Pollei ’79 Virginia (Heitbrink) ’83 and Kent Porter James ’78 and Sandra Potter Penelope (Smith) ’77 and David Pratt Jonathan ’61 and Mary Preus ’63 Vance Prigge ’93 Marit (Running) ’58 and M. Franklin Pudas David ’83 and Karen Quinby Craig ’92 and Renee (Lysne) Rabe ’95 Brian ’64 and Gloria (Evans) Rainer ’65 Janice Rambow Beatty ’77 Ann Rathe ’87 Kelly Reagan Vaho Rebassoo and Maura Oneill Brett Reese ’81 Michele (Wylder) Reese ’81 Scot Reisinger ’96 and Heather Schacht Reisinger ’96 Curtis Reiso ’54 Phillip and Ruth Reitan Brian ’98 and April (Johnson) Remfrey ’98 Mary Lynn (Swenson) ’79 and David Rettig Curtis ’67 and Linda (Aaker) Ritland ’68 Mike ’82 and Sue (Moyna) Robinson ’82 Marti (Tomson) ’84 and William Rodamaker Waldron ’58 and Arlene (Riegel) Rosheim ’59 L. Darlene Rosholt Robert ’51 and Lucille Rosholt

President’s Council Linus Rothmeyer Sue Rothmeyer ’81 Kathryn (Hermanson) Rotto ’57 Alma Rotto-Morgan ’61 Richard ’61 and Julaine Rud Marion (Bjerke) Rude ’52 Uwe Rudolf and Ruth Caldwell Steven Runde ’97 Eric and Anna Runestad Aaron Sande ’98 and Megan McCall Sande ’99 Paul ’73 and Nancy (Fredrickson) Savre ’73 Russell Savre ’68 Alan and Maryjeanne Schaffmeyer Lauri (Schmidt) ’85 and Jeffrey Schloz Sylvia (Nervig) ’66 and Donald Schmid Darrell Schmidt ’80 and Julie Mall Brad Schmugge ’93 Mark Schneider ’90 Susan (Riley) Schneider ’90 Peter and Diane Scholl Paul ’98 and Jody (Daubendiek) Schulte ’98 David ’77 and Dawn (Hovden) Schweizer ’78 †Helen Schweizer Scott Searl ’94 Robert Seaver ’57 Newton and Ann Seitzinger Julie Serra Lund ’80 and Philip Lund Thomas ’67 and Mary Severson Rebecca (Linnevold) ’71 and Robert Shaw Stephen ’71 and Katie (Kvale) Sheppard ’71 Bradley ’94 and Kelli (Pauling) Shidler ’99 Nancy (Bye) ’66 and Ronald Sime Steven ’95 and Maria (Bringer) Smith ’95 Eugene ’58 and Wanda Soland Arlen ’58 and Carole Solie David and Julia Sollien Allan ’60 and LaVonne (Leng) Solomonson ’61 Larry ’63 and Aniko Solomonson Allen ’63 and Judith Soltow Ryan Sommers ’04 Steve ’72 and Susan Sorenson Terry ’62 and Suzanne Sorom Nyle Spalding C. Robert ’66 and Sondra Sperati Richard Staff ’69 John Stalbaum ’67

David ’77 and Lori (Van Gerpen) Stanley ’80 Gwen Hamilton Starr ’81 and Steven Starr Andrew ’00 and Jennifer (Gavle) Steffensmeier ’99 Richard ’74 and Mary (Edwards) Steinberg ’76 Jon and Rebecca Stellmacher Carter ’83 and Michele (Mertens) Stevens ’83 Wendy (Tessman) ’69 and James Stevens Kent ’85 and Laurel Stock Carol (Barth) ’75 and Timothy Stoddard John ’83 and Jane Stoneman Olin Storvick ’49 Paul ’66 and Linda (Knutson) Strand ’66 Jonathan ’74 and Jeanette (Bialas) Strandjord ’74 Ryan Stroschein ’99 John ’58 and Donna (Ferden) Suby ’59 James ’72 and Sue (Capretz) Symonds ’72 Adam Syverson ’02 Melanie (Nelles) ’97 and Sean Tafaro Rick ’94 and Jenny (Olson) Thiery ’94 Aaron ’00 and Heidi Thiese Chad ’92 and Melissa (Bonikowske) Thomley ’93 Robert Thomson Daniel ’66 and Mary Ann (Skifton) Thurmer ’68 Charles ’72 and Noreen Thurston David and Martha Tiede John and Karen Tjostem Paul ’69 and Elizabeth (Tenold) Tokheim ’70 Robert ’58 and Janet (Purmort) Tollund ’73 Daniel ’97 and Stephanie Tresemer Donald ’69 and Sandie Tresemer Geoffrey ’94 and Dalia Trullinger Craig Trygstad Anita (Buss) Turck ’61 Jerry ’57 and Barbara Twedt Ted ’55 and Janet (Campbell) Tweed ’55 Chinyere and Onyebuchi Ukabiala Harold ’69 and Lynette (Ellingson) Usgaard ’70 Sara Uthe Holm ’99 and Eric Holm Thomas ’62 and Juanita Vaaler Lisa (Newcomer) ’81 and Mark Vail Todd ’97 and Emily (Foster) Velnosky ’98 Mary (Rosedahl) Voigt ’66

Rachel (Schutte) ’09 and Rod Vsetecka Norris Waalen ’72 and Hollis Krug Waalen Jill (Voss) Wachholz ’89 Marilyn Wahlberg George ’63 and Joyce (Behrens) Wallman ’65 Solveig (Johnson) Walstrom ’70 Ruth Ward Schraeder ’88 and Neil Schraeder Mark Wardell ’68 Cassandra Warner ’85 Kristin Weeks Duncanson ’81 and Patrick Duncanson Donna (Wangsness) ’64 and James Weigle Caroline (Hjerleid) ’62 and James Weis Lucas ’07 and Sarah (Nesheim) Westby ’07 Cheryl Westrum Bressler ’79 and Richard Bressler John Wetzel Marjorie (Running) ’66 and George Wharton Carolyn (Forde) White ’61 James ’70 and Irene Whittington Darcy Olson Wicks ’82 and Bradley Wicks Kyle ’92 and Kristine (Hukey) Wiese ’91 Genevieve (Fosdahl) Wilberg ’56 Andrea (Wehrmacher) Wilkerson ’96 Debra Wilson ’71 and Peggy Brenden ’76 Robert Wilson ’75 Rolland ’60 and Sharon (Jacobson) Wilson ’60 Christina (Vignec) Winch ’63 Warren Wind ’58 Larry Winter ’83 and Jane Lee Winter James ’80 and Karen Wold Kristi Wold ’81 and Jean De Ridder Amy (Mueller) Wrightsman ’01 Richard ’50 and Joanne Ylvisaker Jamison Young ’99 Carol (Freshwater) Zaiser ’58 Robert ’67 and Jeanne (Engler) Zaske ’67 Judy (Henriksen) Zetterberg ’72 ESTATE GIFTS Estate of Le Roy Peterson ’50 Estate of Bernice Rise CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS A&J Petersburg Agency Alliant Energy Foundation Inc. American Legion of Iowa Foundation

President’s Council Ameriprise Financial Gift Matching Program Archer Daniels Midland Co. Bank of America Bank of the West Cargill Inc. Dell Charitable Trusts Deloitte & Touche Foundation Arlin C. Falck Foundation First Lutheran Church, Decorah General Mills Foundation Good Shepherd Lutheran Church IBM Corporation Kimberly Clark Foundation KPMG Luther College Woman’s Club Madison Community Foundation The Medtronic Foundation The Merck Company Foundation Microsoft Corporation Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company The Presser Foundation Rockwell Collins Storey Kenworthy Company

FIRST DECADE SOCIETY

Recognizes alumni in their first decade after graduation whose gifts given from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, total $750 or more. Anonymous Anthony ’08 and Jamie (Newman) Brantner ’08 Adam ’06 and Molly (Sheppard) Burk ’07 Addison Choi ’11 Katherine (Schaefer) ’11 and Jim Gerhardinger Ryan Gjerde ’99 and Jenna MocklerGjerde ’06 Douglas Hamilton ’11 Ryan Hanke ’06 and Heidi Christian ’99 Michael ’11 and Carah (Claflin) Hart ’12 Sarah (Thimjon) ’06 and Matt Hauge Jasmine (High) ’06 and Scott Heckman Aaron ’12 and Megan Hoffland Kirsten Hoyme ’09 Shari Huber ’13 Benjamin ’07 and Rebecca (Ballandby) Knutson ’07

Carl ’11 and Emilie (Hanus) Lottman ’12 Michelle Monson Klisanich ’06 and Michael Klisanich Nicholas Mozena ’13 Kevin ’06 and Keely Oppermann Thomas Orser ’09 Carli Radil ’16 Robert ’07 and Keshar (Nadkarni) Sheridan ’07 Tony ’06 and Laura (Monson) Vanden Heuvel ’08 Rachel (Schutte) ’09 and Rod Vsetecka Lucas ’07 and Sarah (Nesheim) Westby ’07 Heather (Buckner) ’06 and Joseph Wilensky

PRESIDENT’S VISIONARIES Recognizes those who have established planned gifts from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016.

Anonymous (2) Arne Anderson ’87 and Dawn D’Ostilio ’87 Carol Birkland ’67 and Thomas Woxland David Boileau ’76 and Shirley Kirschbaum Kathy (Haugland) ’82 and David Brandt ’80 William ’62 and Judith (Ream) Davis ’62 Ruth Drews ’76 and Dean Peckham Roger and Carolyn Eigenfeld Bruce Filippi ’70 Ryan Fordice ’08 †Ronald ’61 and Karen (Paulson) Fretheim ’63 Matthew ’94 and Sara (Eckblad) Frick ’95

DeLyle ’61 and Carolyn Fure Lori (Wogen) Haaland ’65 Sarah (Quamme) ’94 and Lon Haenel Ami (Shoup) Hall ’96 Susan Jorgensen Herney ’69 and John Herney Sarah (Reisinger) ’00 and Frank Hester Elaine Ottmers Hill ’77 and Paul Hill Jerald Johnson ’83 and Larry Montan Haldis (Solem) Kaasa ’81 Volker and Kathleen Kientzle Pamela Olson ’77 Lynn ’76 and Ruth (Hanna) Paulson ’78 Myrna Petersen-Konajeski ’69 and Keith Konajeski Thomas Rossing ’50 Julie Serra Lund ’80 and Philip Lund Frederic ’07 and Kaitlyn (Myers) Smith ’08 Richard ’74 and Mary (Edwards) Steinberg ’76 Jonathan Twedell ’99 Deb Wiley ’77 and John Schmidt

Every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. If an error has been made, please accept our apology and contact the Luther Development Office at 800-2 ALUMNI or email giving@luther.edu so we may correct our records.

Endpage

ach year, Luther’s Center Stage Series (CSS) brings to campus performers and musicians of the highest caliber. These artists put on a great show in Decorah, and often they engage with Luther students on another level, by entering classrooms, leading workshops, and having rich conversations about their art. When So– Percussion, an unconventional percussion foursome, was in town for a CSS performance in February, its members made time to teach a master class with student composers. The four musicians, who are artists in residence at Princeton University, sight-read Luther students’ compositions and offered feedback. Earlier that month, the Liepzig, Germany–based a cappella quintet Calmus led a workshop with the Norsemen and Aurora choirs. Last semester, the LA-based Versa-Style hip-hop troupe taught a hiphop master class, shown above, that exposed students to techniques that they might not otherwise have learned. CSS performers also enrich student learning through deep conversation. When L.A. Theatre Works was on campus last November for a performance of Judgment at Nuremberg, the cast participated in a post-performance discussion. Paideia students, for whom the play had been required reading, got a lot out of it, says Victoria Christman, associate professor of history and director of the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement. “To be able to ask questions of the performers themselves adds a whole other layer of insight into the characters and meaning of this play,” she says. Christman believes the performing arts are vital to student education, saying, “They can serve as a mirror for the audience or cast new light onto issues that we are hesitant to confront directly. They give people courage to see things differently than they have in the past and engage in conversations they might otherwise avoid.”

Luther Alumni Magazine

Calendar Luther Commencement Sunday, May 21 Luther College

Decorah NAA Benefit Golf Tournament Monday, June 5 Oneota Golf and Country Club

Reception in Honor of HM King Harald and Queen Sonja’s 80th Birthdays

Madison Mallards Tailgate Party and Baseball Game Saturday, June 10 Warner Park Madison, Wisconsin

The Boys of Fall ’85–’92 A Norse Football Reunion

KIRK JOHNSON ’82

Tuesday, June 6 Hosted by President Paula Carlson and representatives from five other Lutheran colleges Akershus Fortress Fanehallen, Oslo, Norway The annual Luther men’s basketball reunion was held on Jan. 28. Alumni were invited to watch both the women’s and men’s Iowa Conference basketball games that day against the newest member of the Iowa Conference, Nebraska Wesleyan University. At halftime of the men’s game, members of the 1967 Iowa Conference championship team were recognized. Among the players who returned to campus for the reunion were (left to right): Jerry Winger ’70, Jim Helgason ’70, Bob Bishop ’69, Alex Rowell ’68, Barry Bishop ’69, Jim Winberg ’68, and Don Tresemer ’69.

Friday, June 23–Sunday, June 25 Luther College

Fourth Annual Des Moines Metro Norse Classic Golf Outing

Twin Cities NAA Benefit Golf Tournament

Wednesday, July 12 Tournament Club of Iowa Polk City, Iowa

Monday, June 26 Medina Golf and Country Club Medina, Minnesota

Luther Comes to the Heartland Picnic

Holocaust Site Tour

Sunday, July 16 Heartland Park Park Rapids, Minnesota

Tuesday, July 11– Friday, July 28 Hosted by Norma J. Hervey Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland

Chicago Cubs Tailgate Party and Baseball Game Saturday, August 5 Tailgate at Barb Kiely ’71 and Gene Berens home Game at Wrigley Field Chicago

Iowa State Fair Booth Thursday, August 10– Sunday, August 20 Iowa State Fairgrounds Des Moines, Iowa

Luther Family Weekend Friday, September 22– Sunday, September 24 Luther College

Alumni Council and Class Agent Meeting

Vietnam and Cambodia Tour Friday, November 3– Monday, November 20 Hosted by Ann Highum and Jerry Freund

Christmas at Luther Thursday, November 30– Sunday, December 3 Luther College

Friday, October 6 Luther College

Luther Homecoming Friday, October 6– Sunday, October 8 Luther College

Luther alumni events are open to all alumni and friends of the college, including parents and other family members of graduates and students. Please note that some dates listed are tentative; specific information about upcoming events will be mailed or emailed to alumni, friends, and parents who live near the event sites. If you need more information or if you’re interested in planning an event in your area, call the Alumni Office at (800) 225-8664. We’d love to hear from you!

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK,IL PERMIT NO. 467

Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045

J-term adventures: Aubree Tsurusaki ’17, studying elementary education, submitted this photo of herself and Elle Ross ’18 after they climbed Koko Head Crater on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, during January Term 2017. Tsurusaki was in Hawaii for a teaching methods practicum course in Mililani Town on Oahu, and Ross was completing an independent study through Luther’s nursing program. The hiking trail, Tsurusaki says, “consists of over 1,000 steep steps that are the remnants of an old railroad track. The top provides a breathtaking 360-degree view of the south end of Oahu and the Pacific Ocean.” See more study-away photos inside.

NONPROFITORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK,IL PERMIT NO. 467