Michael Wentzel has been named the inaugural Terry 鈥�73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professor of Chemistry at 海角社区, effective June 1, 2024.聽
鈥淲e are so fortunate to have Michael Wentzel on our faculty,鈥� said Paula O鈥橪oughlin, provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs. 鈥淗e is an extraordinary teacher and an outstanding scientist. Even more significant is his generosity as a colleague and mentor. By engaging undergraduate students as partners in his own impressive research program, he helps students unlock possibilities they never imagined before, both for themselves and for a more sustainable future.鈥澛�
Wentzel is an organic chemist whose research focuses on the growing field of green chemistry, a systems-based approach that incorporates sustainability considerations into the the design, development, and implementation of chemical products and processes. As one of the first green chemists to be named a fellow by the Science Communication Network in 2018鈥�19, he also works to help students and other researchers communicate their methods and findings to the public more effectively.聽
Wentzel received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Minnesota in 2011. He joined Augsburg鈥檚 chemistry department in 2013, where he currently oversees STEM summer research and serves as department chair. He also serves as interim director of Augsburg鈥檚 Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity.聽聽聽
鈥淢ichael Wentzel鈥檚 approach to teaching and scholarship is exactly the kind of leadership Terry and Janet Lindstrom desired to support with their transformative investment in our new School of Natural Sciences,鈥� said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. 鈥淲hether in the lab, in the classroom, or on the chemistry club intramural basketball team, he is steadfast in his commitment to hands-on learning and in saying 鈥榶es鈥� to helping our students reach their goals.鈥�
The Terry 鈥�73 and Janet Lindstrom Endowed Professorship of Chemistry was established in 2024. Terry Lindstrom, a current member of Augsburg鈥檚 Board of Regents and a retired distinguished research fellow at Eli Lilly and Company, holds numerous patents supporting life-changing drugs, including Evista and Cymbalta. Together, the Lindstroms have provided generous philanthropic support to Augsburg students for more than 40 years.
Upper-division students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can apply for new academic merit scholarships for as much as $7,000 per year beginning Fall 2012.
At the Minnesota High Tech Foundation awards ceremony held earlier this month, mathematics and physics major Jazmine Darden ’13 [left] was one of eight Minnesota undergraduate students to receive a Tekne Scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to students seeking careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields or in STEM teaching.