Top 21 news stories featuring Augsburg faculty, staff, students, alumni
Members of the Augsburg College community were featured in more than 220听international, national, and statewide media stories in 2014. Faculty, students, alumni, friends, and staff shared expertise on scholarship and pedagogy, experience as Auggies, and insight on current and special events.听Here we take a look at a very small fraction of the many times Auggies made the news听during the year. Thanks to all those who shared their time and stories and helped put Augsburg at the table on so many topics.
International Stories
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John Zobitz spoke with the International Business Times. John Zobitz talks to听International Business Times:听Associate听Professor of Mathematics and environmental science researcher John Zobitz听helped to answer the question posed by many in the wake of a recent record-setting snowfall in the Buffalo, N.Y. area听鈥 Why is it so cold and snowy in November?听The reason is global warming, according to Zobitz and other scientists studying the Earth鈥檚 climate.听听about how changes in the Earth鈥檚 temperature influence weather patterns on the International Business Times website.
- Auggies in the Augsburger Allegmeine: Three Auggies were featured in a story in the Augsburger Allegmeine鈥檚 series, 鈥淲e are all Augsburger.鈥 Natalya Brown听鈥14, Kayla Feuchtmann听鈥14, and Jens Pinther听鈥14 shared photos of themselves on campus, their areas of study, and comments about Augsburg College鈥檚 namesake with the German newspaper鈥檚听Nicole Prestle. See the story on the .听Click on the photo in the story to go to a gallery of photos of the three students.
National Stories
- Katie Clark in Girls’ Life magazine: Nursing instructor and the director of the Health Commons, Katie Clark, spoke in July with Girls鈥 Life magazine to answer questions posed by the magazine鈥檚 readers. The publication, which has a readership听of more than 2 million girls ages 10-15, is sold at many major bookstores throughout the nation. Clark answered a range of questions for the听听August/September issue of the magazine.
- Stephan Eirik Clark all over the place:听Augsburg Assistant Professor Stephan Eirik Clark听was featured in media across the nation after his听debut novel, Sweetness #9, received the 鈥淐olbert Bump鈥澨齩n The Colbert Report. In many instances, Augsburg College听was听mentioned. See a range of the听coverage on the News and Media blog under the tag “.鈥
- Yemi Melka听鈥15 featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education:听Yemissrach 鈥淵emi鈥 Melka 鈥15, a chemistry and international relations student, recently spoke with Beckie Supiano of听The Chronicle of Higher Education听about Melka鈥檚 participation in the Model United Nations. Melka, a Peace Scholar, is interested in exploring how scientists can use their expertise to promote international peacemaking. Listen to 鈥.鈥
- Alex Peterson 鈥16 talks with The Scientist: Augsburg College StepUP student Alex Peterson 鈥16 was interviewed for the cover story in the February edition听of The Scientist magazine for an article titled 鈥淧ain and Progress: Is it possible to make a nonaddictive opioid painkiller.鈥 Peterson, a student in Augsburg鈥檚 successful StepUP program for students in addiction recovery, shared his story and perspective on opioids. Read the article .
- Hans Wiersma in Christian Science Monitor:听Hans Wiersma, associate professor of religion, spoke with the听Christian Science Monitor听about whether a Baptist church in Kansas could continue after the passing of its charismatic founder. Read Wiersma鈥檚 comments in the article 鈥.鈥
State Stories
- Janice Gladden听鈥14 talks with WCCO:听WCCO profiled the graduation from Augsburg College of Janice Gladden 鈥14, who left college 35 years earlier. Gladden put on hold the education her father urged her to pursue while her husband developed his baseball-playing career, going from an amateur free agent to major league star. Her husband would become a champion left- and center-fielder for the Minnesota Twins and go on to play in two World Series. She shares the story of returning to pursue her college education, of finishing what she started at the urging of her daughter (also an Auggie), and of her early years working to support her husband. Dan Gladden shares his pride in seeing his wife graduate. Watch the WCCO story, 鈥.鈥
- Tenzin Yeshi Paichang 鈥16 talks with media:听Auggie Tenzin Yeshi Paichang ’16 spoke at length with media in the days before the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Forum about meeting His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at several junctures throughout Paichang’s life. Read 鈥,鈥 by Maja Beckstrom, Pioneer Press.听Paichang also shared his story with WCCO. Watch听鈥,鈥 by Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, WCCO. Additional coverage of the NPPF — totaling more than 40 stories — is on the News and Media blog by searching for 鈥.鈥
- President Paul Pribbenow talks to MPR:听Minnesota Public Radio鈥檚 higher education reporter,听Alex Friedrich,听visited Augsburg College鈥檚 campus to experience a day in the life of an Auggie. Friedrich blogged throughout the day听about his experiences and found that Augsburg College has a wide variety of traditions and experiences to offer听to its students, faculty, staff and alumni, and听also to its neighboring communities, as well. During the visit, he met with Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow to discuss Pribbenow’s vision for the College, his commitment to Augsburg students, and his passion for bow ties. Read听鈥.鈥 More stories from the MPR visit are featured in 鈥.鈥
- Jennifer Simon talks with KSTP 5:听Jennifer Simon, director of Augsburg College鈥檚 American Indian Student Services, talked to KSTP TV about the College鈥檚 6th Traditional Powwow. Simon shared highlights of the powwow, including recognition of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for a gift of $250,000 for endowed scholarships to support American Indian students.
Stories Featuring Faculty
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Phil Adamo on set with Diana Pierce at KARE 11. Phil Adamo on KARE 11: Associate professor of history and director of Medieval Studies at Augsburg College, Phil Adamo,听was a guest on KARE 11 on Halloween to talk about the origins of the holiday. Adamo shared with Diana Pierce and viewers how Halloween started as a Celtic festival that celebrated the final harvest and eventually was incorporated into Christian traditions to lure non-Christians into the Church. He also discussed the origins of the bonfire, jack-o-lanterns, and Halloween candy. Watch the segment 鈥淗alloween History 101鈥澨齩n KARE.
- Andy Aoki on听KARE 11:听Political Science Prof. Andy Aoki spoke with KARE 11 about the importance of creating diverse police departments in the cities听of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The story, which took a look at local police departments, was being explored in light of recent clashes between the public and police听in Ferguson, Missouri. Watch the interview on 鈥淔erguson fallout: Looking at local police diversity.鈥
- Joseph Erickson in the Pioneer Press:听Professor of education and former member of the Minneapolis school board听Joseph Erickson听spoke with the paper for perspective on contract talks between the St. Paul Public Schools and the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. Erickson told reporter Mila Koumpilova that the agreement, which averted a strike, represents a 鈥渃reative mix of contract changes, addendums to the contract and board resolutions.鈥 听on the Pioneer Press听website.
- Jenny Kluznik听鈥13 in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine: Assistant Professor听Jenny Kluznik 鈥13 MPA, who teaches in the听physician鈥檚 assistant program, spoke with Mpls. St. Paul Magazine about her decision to return to college so she could join the fast-growing PA field. Kluznik shared听her decision to become a PA, why she picked Augsburg College, and shared advice for those considering going back to school. The profile of Kluznik was part of a longer story that explored education needs behind some of Minnesota鈥檚 fastest-growing careers. Read 鈥.鈥
- Joyce P. Miller in OR Today: Joyce Miller,听an assistant professor of nursing, was profiled in OR Today about her nearly 40-year career as a nurse, transition to the classroom, and work in diverse communities through the Health Commons projects. Miller, DNP, RN, shares in the story her perspective on transcultural nursing, actively listening to the needs of patients, the complexity of healthcare, and the importance of establishing rapport and trust with patients. Read 鈥溾 in the online edition of OR Today.
- Michael Wentzel on KSTP 5:听Mike Wentzel, assistant professor of chemistry at Augsburg College, spoke with KSTP TV about a new study that found听marinating meat in dark beer reduces the cancer-causing carcinogens that form when grilling. Wentzel said that a chemical in beer is shown to lessen the formation of harmful molecules during the grilling process and, therefore, can help lower the harm to people who eat grilled meats. Watch the KSTP story 鈥淎ugsburg chemist: Marinating meat in beer reduces cancer-causing chemicals.鈥
For more faculty听featured in the news, search the category on the News and Media blog.
Stories Featuring Alumni and Friends
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Edor Nelson 鈥38 was presented a special jersey in honor of his 100th birthday. StepUP supporters speak with MinnPost: Kevin听and Polly Hart, mentors for Augsburg鈥檚 StepUP Program,听were honored听at the annual StepUP Gala for their avid support of the program. The Harts, who have volunteered with StepUP for several years and are in recovery from addiction, were presented the听Toby Piper LaBelle Award for their dedication to serving students in recovery. Kevin Hart spoke about the honor and his work with the recovery community in “.鈥
- Edor Nelson 鈥38 earns statewide attention: Legendary Auggie coach, athlete and instructor Edor Nelson 鈥38 died August 27 at the age of 100. Nelson, who led the Auggie football and baseball teams for nearly four decades, died only nine days after a centennial birthday celebration at Augsburg where hundreds of friends and Auggies听turned out to听honor听him. Nelson鈥檚 birthday celebration and his death garnered听an outpouring of attention thanks to the hard work of staff in the Athletics Departments. See the coverage in 鈥.鈥
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Kuoth Wiel ’13 played a role in The Good Lie featuring Reese Witherspoon. Amineh Safi听鈥14 in Star Tribune:听Star Tribune columnist Gail Rosenblum featured Augsburg College student听Amineh Safi听鈥14 in a recent story examining news coverage of Muslims. In the column, Safi described findings from her research on the portrayal of Muslims in the media and her experiences with diversity in college. Safi鈥檚 research opportunity was offered through the McNair Scholars program at Augsburg and conducted under the mentorship of Diane Pike, sociology professor, who also was quoted in the column. Read 鈥淭ime to look at news coverage of Muslims鈥 on the Star Tribune website.
- Kuoth Wiel 鈥13 in national media: Social psychology major听Kuoth Wiel 鈥13, a star in the feature film 鈥淭he Good Lie,鈥 has garnered听a plethora of media coverage. The film, which was released听in Minnesota Oct. 17,听has been well received and is generating听Oscar buzz. Augsburg has received several media mentions thanks to Wiel, both prior to her graduation when the College sought to place her story with media, and since the film’s release. Check out the most recent coverage in 鈥.鈥