As of fall 2025, news and media updates have been integrated with the Augsburg Now alumni publication. This site archives news stories from before September 16, 2025. Please visit augsburg.edu/now or select "Augsburg Now" from the left navigation for current news.
Patrice Salmeri, director of Augsburg College’s StepUP program, was featured in Recovery Campus magazine to discuss her role as聽incoming president of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
Salmeri, who has overseen聽the StepUP program since 2002, began her tenure as president of ARHE in June 2014. Taking on the new role while continuing as director of StepUP has her exactly where she wants to be in life.
“This work is my calling; I have no doubt about it,” she said. “It has been confirmed over and over again. I am exactly where I need to be right now.”
Read Salmeri’s story on the Recovery Campus website.
Lars Dyrud ’97, CEO of OmniEarth — a data analytics and imaging company — was featured by Forbes magazine for a collaboration with Ball Aerospace, a similar company.
OmniEarth partnered with聽Ball Aerospace to create聽a聽collection of 18 imaging satellites which聽are scheduled to be in space by 2018. The satellites, Dyrud said, are significantly different than earlier models.
鈥淲e鈥檙e focused on small, low-cost satellites. Something that wasn鈥檛 even conceivable 5 or 10 years ago,” he said.
Herb Chilstrom ’54聽was highlighted in Arizona’s Green Valley News thanks to his newest book, “My friend Jonah and other dogs I鈥檝e loved.”
Chilstrom, who was the聽first Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, captured the heart of a Green Valley News editor –聽Dan Sheare – after he聽reviewed聽the book for the news site. The book, Sheare said, “…relates stories that provide plenty of evidence that dogs can be great teachers 鈥� if you鈥檙e paying attention.”
Dave Conrad, Augsburg College’s assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, wrote in his latest Post-Bulletin column that employees’ trust of their managers聽is essential for a successful business.
Conrad said employees should feel a sense of camaraderie toward their managers — camaraderie that needs to be obtained over time.
“…managers can’t demand respect and loyalty; they have to earn it,” he said. “In the long run, it’s difficult 鈥� if not impossible 鈥� to be an exceptional manager without employee trust.”
To read Conrad’s聽column, visit the Post-Bulletin news site.
‘The Science Guy’ talks Feb. 14 on聽how science can save the world
What
Bill Nye 鈥淭he Science Guy鈥� will share his love for science when he speaks Feb. 14 at Augsburg College in an address that is open to the general public. Nye, who will be on campus for the College鈥檚 Scholarship Weekend, will speak with academic depth and humor about planetary science, climate change, evolution, environmental awareness and more in his address 鈥淗ow Science Can Save the World.鈥�
Who
Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer who wants the world to know and appreciate the passion, beauty, and joy (the P, B & J) of science. Nye鈥檚 show, 鈥淏ill Nye The Science Guy,鈥� has garnered 18 Emmy awards. Nye won seven of those Emmy awards as host and head writer of the show. These days, Nye travels the globe exhorting audiences to change the world. He has a day job as the CEO of The Planetary Society, the world鈥檚 largest non-governmental space interest organization. Nye鈥檚 newest book, 鈥淯ndeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation,鈥� was released in November.
Where
Augsburg College鈥檚 Kennedy Center, located in Si Melby Gymnasium (715 23rd聽Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454)
When
Doors open at 10 a.m., Feb. 14
Presentation from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Feb. 14
Ticket Information
Sale begins at 10 a.m., Dec. 8
Students: $12
General Public/Adults: $28
A $3 service charge will be applied to each ticket at the time of checkout.
Purchase tickets at
About Augsburg College
Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.聽The Augsburg experience is supported by an聽engaged community committed to intentional diversity聽in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence聽in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values聽of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.
Rod Greder, Augsburg College business instructor and founder of聽Awear Technologies, was mentioned in the Twin Cities Star Tribune after Awear was named聽one of 12 companies to receive recognition聽at the 15th annual Tekne Awards.
The yearly award ceremony, held by the Minnesota High Technology Association, honors individuals and companies that have聽made聽significant聽advancements in technology.
Greder’s company, with help from聽the University of Minnesota and other partners,聽develops specialized eyewear for students with learning disabilities.
To read the article,visit the Star Tribune news site.
To learn more about Awear Technologies and other award recipients, visit the Tekne Awards site.
Stanford Nelson ’43聽was honored by the Minnesota Vikings football team聽for his聽faithful military service and accomplished coaching and teaching career.
The Vikings hosted Nelson and his family as part of their annual Salute to Service game.
Nelson, who was recently inducted into the MN Football Coaches Hall of Fame, said learning accountability聽was possibly his greatest聽life lesson-not only as a coach, but as a soldier as well.聽鈥淚 think the biggest thing I learned was that if you were given a responsibility, that you better carry it through because your life and the lives of many others was connected to carrying out that mission,鈥� he said.
Olivia Muyres ’15聽was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Year.
Muyres, who helped Augsburg win its first MIAC championship, was featured in the Rochester Post-Bulletin for her accomplishments in the Nov. 22 NCAA Division III Tournament. Muyres scored聽the winning goal in overtime during the first game.
Delissa Hernandez ’14 was profiled in the Minnesota Private College Council newsletter in November.
Hernandez, who was the first of her family to enroll in college,聽was interviewed about the pros and cons associated with聽paying for a college education.
Although she received financial aid as a first generation student, she will have student debt after graduation. Hernandez said she isn’t worried聽about the debt as she believes the benefits of聽gaining a college education聽far outweigh the costs. “I already see how worth it this investment truly is,” she聽said.
Augsburg’s new Veterans’ Lounge was聽featured in the Minnesota Private College Council newsletter in November.
The lounge, which opened recently聽as a聽gathering place for veterans on campus, has become a sanctuary–of sorts–for some student vets and offers a place to escape, relax, talk, and study.
To , visit the Minnesota Private College Council site.
Learn more about the dedication of the lounge, which was made possible through contributions from U.S. Bank, on the Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations blog.
Patrice Salmeri, director of Augsburg College’s StepUP program, was featured in Recovery Campus magazine to discuss her role as聽incoming president of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
