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Augsburg Innovation Scholars Present to Mayo Clinic Leaders

Posted on March 30, 2023

鈥淲hen we went up there, it was our job to know about everything鈥攖he pros, cons, the disease, all of it,鈥� said Connor Thorsten 鈥�24. 鈥淎s much as public speaking is a fear for a lot of people, we went up with confidence and did a great job.鈥澨�

With a who鈥檚 who of Mayo Clinic licensing managers and innovators in the audience, Thorsten and his teammates鈥擳om Erickson 鈥�24, Lorraine Wongbi 鈥�23, and Lily Yang 鈥�23鈥攚eren鈥檛 just delivering a typical class presentation. Their subject? A challenging biomedical tech transfer project focused on an implantable cardiac med tech device.

The presentation to Mayo Clinic leaders in early March was the culmination of months of study, research, and preparation the students undertook as participants in the . Working at the intersection of science, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, Innovation Scholars brings interdisciplinary teams of outstanding liberal arts students from 12 Minnesota private colleges and universities together to solve real-world problems in real time.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the best opportunities for students that I鈥檝e seen as far as real-world application and being interdisciplinary,鈥� said Jacob Enger, assistant professor of business administration. Enger served as one of two faculty mentors for Augsburg鈥檚 team this year, along with Tim Monko, adjunct instructor in biology. Each group was also paired with an MBA student mentor from Augsburg or the University of St. Thomas.听

Throughout the fall and winter, Augsburg鈥檚 team met weekly or more to research the tech transfer project they were assigned by the Mayo Clinic. (Tech transfer refers to the process of moving from research to application and commercialization.) Bringing expertise in biochemistry, biopsychology, finance/accounting, and physics, they tackled questions like: Is it safe? Is it effective? Is it helpful? What is the potential patient population? Who are the competitors? What is the path to finishing product development and bringing it to market?听

鈥淭he experience made me more aware of the different moving parts that come into play during the roll-out of an innovation,鈥� said Wongbi. 鈥淚t really put into perspective the heart and dedication of the inventors, as much of the process requires patience.鈥�

In addition to writing a 40-plus page research paper and preparing the content of their presentation, the team practiced and strengthened their presentation skills, from holding a microphone to taking turns fielding questions.听

鈥淭he experience provides such a wide range of areas for students to grow and develop, all with skills they can speak to on a r茅sum茅鈥� said Enger. 鈥淪tudents both collaborate and specialize within their area of expertise, whether science or business.鈥澨�

While confidentiality agreements limit how much they can share about the project, the Augsburg students came away feeling celebratory. Thorsten, a member of Augsburg鈥檚 2023 national champion wrestling squad, credits teamwork for their success in Rochester.听

鈥淚t was one of the best out-of-school, real world experiences I鈥檝e had,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a lot of very hard work鈥攃runch time got very busy鈥攂ut we divided and conquered, and when one of us was struggling, we focused on helping them and vice versa.鈥�

Students can participate in Innovation Scholars for credit or to fulfill their Augsburg Experience requirement. The application for the next cohort will open in the fall. To find out more, reach out to URGO or .听

Podcast: Augsburg Enrollment Leaders Talk College Access

Posted on November 11, 2022November 5, 2024

Robert Gould, vice president for strategic enrollment management, and Stephanie Ruckel, director of admissions operations, joined host Jay Fedje as featured guests on a recent episode of the Enrollment Edge podcast by enrollmentFUEL.听

The episode focused on the power of direct admissions鈥攁 simplified approach in which students are admitted based on high school GPA, in some cases before they have even applied鈥攖o break down college access barriers.听

鈥淓ssentially, what we鈥檙e trying to do is remove as many barriers as we can for students, and give them the most options to enroll in whatever institution is a good place for them,鈥� said Ruckel. 鈥淲hen you start thinking about the student鈥檚 perspective, you can start questioning the [admissions] process a little bit differently. Why are we requiring these things? How are we using this data? Are we using this information?听

鈥淭he challenge in doing this is really stripping down the application鈥攎aking sure we are collecting what we need to collect, but keeping it as simple as possible.鈥�

Augsburg鈥檚 participation in pilot programs with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Common App, as well as significant changes to the Augsburg application itself, puts the university at the leading edge of this new policy movement.听

鈥淚 want to credit the whole team,鈥� said Gould. 鈥淲e鈥檝e literally taken the admissions process and the system and changed it in one cycle. We had some good thoughts about how it fulfilled our mission as an enrollment division, but I think more importantly, people had the appetite for it鈥攚anting to build deeper relationships and wanting to eliminate barriers for all students.鈥�

Listen to the episode here: Direct Admission: Unpacking College Access

Augsburg Music Professor Wins Entrepreneurship Prize

Posted on September 29, 2022September 29, 2022

Intrigued by the potential of online education, J. Anthony Allen started a small company in 2018 to provide music instruction via the web. It grew organically at first, with a handful of classes and a few licensing agreements with larger platforms.

Then came the pandemic.听

鈥淚t was really a question of the right place and the right time,鈥� said Allen, an assistant professor of music, media, and management at Augsburg. was already established when the world saw a huge increase in demand for online classes of all kinds in 2020. Today, it serves more than a million students from every corner of the globe.听

Allen entered Punkademic in the prestigious entrepreneurship contest earlier this year. The competition, which is based at the University of Minnesota鈥檚 Carlson School of Business, provides seed funding and support to emerging entrepreneurs from across the state. His goal was to make it past the first round in order to connect with a mentor from the ed tech world.听

Punkademic did make the first cut. And the next one. In September, it was named a semifinalist for the grand prize and took first place in the Education and Training division.听

Allen plans to invest the $25,000 MN Cup award in marketing and general operating infrastructure for the company, which remains a slim operation despite its explosive growth. Punkademic鈥檚 flexible model offers individual class purchases as well as structured courses on a subscription basis. The site鈥檚 most popular offerings include courses on music theory, composition, film scoring, sound design, and ear training.听听听听

Allen sees a clear connection between his 鈥渟ide hustle鈥� and his work at Augsburg, where he teaches classes in music business and technology, runs the music production minor, manages Augsburg鈥檚 recording studio, and serves as interim music department chair.听

鈥淭eaching is a practice. All of this work online has informed my teaching style and abilities,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ere in the music business program we also talk about how all of music is an entrepreneurial act in one way or another.听

鈥淔or me, Punkademic is proof of that concept.鈥澨�

To learn more, or .

(Photo of J. Anthony Allen by Jade Patrick)

Augsburg Faculty Publish New Books for Kids, Parents

Posted on September 15, 2022September 20, 2022

Augsburg students benefit from world-class faculty with deep academic expertise and a love of teaching鈥攁 major reason the university is so for undergraduate teaching.听

Many Augsburg faculty are also dedicated public scholars, whose work reaches beyond the academy to shape conversations in the public square. Two recent faculty books hold broad appeal for children and parents.听听听

Matt Maruggi, associate professor of religion and previous co-director of Augsburg鈥檚 Interfaith Scholars program, is the co-author of 鈥�.鈥� The book aims to make the world’s major faiths accessible to kids ages 8鈥�12, sharing the complexities of different religious traditions in language young people can understand. Maruggi calls it a 鈥済orgeous, content-heavy picture book,鈥� with sections on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as Native American traditions, Sikhism, Taosim, shamanism, secular humanism, interfaith families, and interfaith cooperation.听

Maruggi and his co-authors Sonja Hagander and Megan Borgert-Spaniol interviewed children from different traditions about the most meaningful aspects of their faith traditions. The book highlights their perspectives as well as famous individuals (like Dorothy Day and Muhammad Ali) and organizations (like Sewa International and Bread for the World) whose religious convictions are visible in public life.听

Christina Erickson, professor of social work and environmental studies, is the author of 鈥�,鈥� a deep dive into the long-accepted practice of hitting children for learning and obedience. 鈥淪panked鈥� explores the historical roots, cultural supports, and social dynamics of spanking鈥攁 practice that is illegal in 62 countries, but still widely accepted here in the U.S.听Erickson, who also chairs Augsburg鈥檚 social work department, comes to this topic as a social worker, a researcher, and a parent herself. In the book, she traces more than a century of research into spanking outcomes to critically assess the common narrative: 鈥淚 was spanked, and I turned out fine.鈥澨�

Erickson was featured by columnist Laura Yuen in a recent The book gives parents, health care providers, educators, social workers, faith leaders, and anyone interested in power and family dynamics a platform to respectfully discuss what spanking communicates to children.

Congratulations to Auggies Named to the 2022 Summer Dean鈥檚 List

Posted on August 31, 2022

More than 50 海角社区 undergraduate students were named to the 2022 Summer Semester Dean鈥檚 List. The 海角社区 Dean鈥檚 List recognizes those full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and those part-time students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in a given term.

Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a .

Reinaldo Moya Receives McKnight Composer Fellowship

Posted on August 24, 2022

Reinaldo Moya, associate professor of composition, has been named one of four 2022听. Funded by the McKnight Foundation, the fellowship provides $25,000 in unrestricted support for outstanding mid-career artists living in Minnesota. He plans to use the award to record an album of his compositions, and to pursue additional training and equipment to widen his musical horizons.听

A graduate of Venezuela鈥檚 El Sistema music education system, Professor Moya is the recipient of the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Van Lier Fellowship, and the Aaron Copland Award, as well as a previous McKnight Composer Fellowship. He was the winner of the Ellis-Beauregard Foundation Composer Award, leading to the commissioning of his Piano Concerto for Joyce Yang and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Professor Moya鈥檚 works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, the San Diego Symphony, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Sim贸n Bol铆var Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, and the New Jersey Symphony. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School with masters and doctoral degrees.听

Learn more about his works at . Congratulations, Professor Moya!

Reggie Agyen-Boateng 鈥�21 Anchors Hennepin Ave Public Art Project

Posted on August 19, 2022November 5, 2024

A young man stands with his back to the camera looking up at a billboard photograph of a Black journalist with one fist raised — Photo via Instagram: @kusi_photos

Towering over Hennepin Avenue, the black-and-white photograph of a journalist with fist raised stops people in their tracks.听

The artist behind this complex, arresting image? Reggie Agyen-Boateng 鈥�21.

Agyen-Boateng majored in sociology at Augsburg and now works professionally under the name Kusi Photography. He is one of seven artists featured in 鈥淚t鈥檚 the People,鈥� a public art installation in downtown Minneapolis coordinated by the Hennepin Theatre Trust. His portrait of independent journalist King Demetrius Pendleton was chosen to anchor the project with a multi-story billboard on 900 Hennepin Avenue for the next year.听

鈥淢y participation in 鈥淚t鈥檚 the People鈥� is my way of honoring the countless victims who have lost their lives to police violence,鈥� said Agyen-Boateng in his artist statement. 鈥淚t also allows me to give back to my community in a meaningful way after the suffering that Minnesota has endured over the years.听

鈥淲orking with King Demetrius Pendleton to capture his lived history in a single portrait challenged me to think about the complex layers and intersectionality of Black identities and lived experiences. This way of examining identity moved my work as an artist forward into new territory. It also became a way to document and truth-tell through images.鈥�

Now in its fourth year, the 2022 project also features large-scale photos of theatre artists, arts leaders creating programming with youth experiencing homelessness, concert venue staff, Indigenous restauranteurs, student artists, and queer leaders. Learn more about 鈥淚t鈥檚 the People鈥� from Hennepin Theatre Trust.听

Congratulations, Reggie!听

Professor Tim Pippert Interviewed About Diversity Marketing in The Chronicle of Higher Education

Posted on July 7, 2022July 8, 2022

Tim Pippert, Augsburg鈥檚 Joel Torstenson endowed professor of sociology, was recently interviewed for The Chronicle of Higher Education about how some colleges attempt to create the appearance of a more diverse student body than they actually have. The article cited a paper in which Pippert and his co-authors analyzed more than 10,000 photographs from the admissions brochures of 165 four-year colleges. The 2013 study found that Black students were overrepresented in admissions brochures by nearly twice their actual numbers on campuses.

One implication of the findings, Pippert said, is that over-representing minorities in marketing materials could hurt students who choose to attend colleges expecting more diversity than actually exists.

Augsburg Faculty Awarded Fulbrights in Ireland and Slovenia

Posted on June 8, 2022

George Dierberger

Joseph Erickson

Augsburg faculty members George Dierberger and Joseph Erickson have been named Fulbright Scholars for the 2022鈥�23 academic year. Each year, the Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board select roughly 800 U.S. citizens to receive the Fulbright Scholar award for international travel, study, and teaching.

A competitive Fulbright application requires strong academic merit, demonstrated leadership potential, and a good match between an applicant鈥檚 strengths and a host institution鈥檚 needs.听But for both of Augsburg鈥檚 faculty recipients, there鈥檚 a personal connection that makes receiving the Fulbright particularly rewarding this year.

Dierberger, an associate professor of business administration who also directs Augsburg鈥檚 MBA program, is mindful of family history as he prepares to spend three months in residence at the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. While this will be his first trip to Ireland, his great-great-grandfather hailed from County Cork. During the fall semester, Dierberger will develop case studies, lecture on innovation, help to build out a curricular focus on entrepreneurship, and partner with the Letterkenny business community to create an advisory council and internship opportunities.

Erickson, a professor of education and a psychologist by training, first visited Slovenia in 1994 through connections made by former Augsburg colleague Magda Paleczny-Zapp. Several of the graduate students tasked with assisting the Erickson family during that trip are now faculty themselves鈥攊ncluding a department chair at the University of Ljubljana. Erickson will spend the spring collaborating with a team in Ljubljana to adapt a tool used to measure racial attitudes in the U.S. for the Slovenian context. He and his colleagues will shape the new scale around nationalism, a key issue for a society at the crossroads of western and eastern Europe and a way station for refugee migration.

In addition to these faculty awards, Augsburg was recently named a top producer of Fulbright students among U.S master鈥檚 institutions, with three students receiving scholarships to teach English abroad in 2021鈥�22.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government鈥檚 flagship international educational exchange program. For over 75 years, the program has provided more than 400,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to challenges facing our communities and our world. 鈥嬧€婩ulbright alumni include 61 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 40 who have served as a head of state or government.