Thursday, April 23, 2015
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Public Safety and Facilities Announcements

New - Compostable Hand Towels

You may have noticed new hand towel dispensers/towels in campus rest rooms. Not only are these towels more sustainably manufactured with less water, they are compostable. As a pilot program, starting TODAY in Foss and Music buildings, you will see compost containers in the rest rooms. Please place all used hand towels in the labeled compost container and all other trash in the smaller trash container nearby. An Edina high school student is assisting Augsburg with this effort as an environmental studies project. Thanks for your participation in this "Green by 2019" initiative.

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Teaching and Learning

Michael Kidd: New Director of Medieval Studies

After 10 years of service, Phil Adamo is stepping down as Director of Medieval Studies. Associate Professor Michael Kidd in the Department of Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies will begin as Director as of June 1.

During Phil's tenure as Director, the Medieval Studies Program gained national attention with press coverage in the "Chronicle of Higher Education," the "Chicago Tribune," and Minnesota Public Radio. Articles and presentations on the Medieval Connections course (HUM 120) inspired professors on other campus to adopt Augsburg's pedagogical methods for teaching the Middle Ages. Phil will continue to offer medieval history courses.

Michael Kidd comes to the Medieval Studies Program with a fresh set of eyes and ideas. Currently Department Chair in Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies, Michael received the Ph.D. from Cornell University. He is a specialist in Spanish literature and Classics, especially Spanish theatre of the late medieval and early modern periods. He has written, for example, on the sixteenth-century poets and playwrights Juan del Encina and Lope de Vega. Michael is the recipient of Fellowships from the Mellon Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. In addition to his scholarly work, he is also a translator and creative writer.

Please join the Medieval Studies faculty in welcoming Michael to this new position.

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Live Abroad - Meet With URGO To Learn About Fulbright

Juniors and Seniors, are you interested in living abroad for a year after you graduate? Meet with URGO before you leave for the summer to learn how to apply for Fulbright! Email urgo@augsburg.edu to make an appointment.

The Fulbright US program provides grants for English Teaching Assistant Programs (no teaching experience required) or individually designed study/research projects abroad. During their year abroad, Fulbrighters will meet, work, live with and learn from the people of the host country, sharing daily experiences.

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Good Food, Wonderful Company and Creative Energy

Do you wish you had uninterrupted time to write/work on scholarship? If so, you will want to take advantage of the annual Jessica Nathanson Scholarly Writing Retreat. Jess established a tradition of allowing faculty and academic staff time away from campus to focus entirely on scholarship. There is no schedule for this retreat - it is simply time and space to work on scholarship. The Provost and the Center for Teaching and Learning will cover the cost of the retreat.

The retreat will take place Sunday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m. (after lunch) through Tuesday, May 19 at 1:00 p.m. (after lunch). Please email ctl@augsburg.edu to reserve your space.

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Deadline is Fri. - Co-Curricular Assessment Committee

DEADLINE TO NOMINATE IS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 24:

Seeking nominations for co-curricular assessment subcommittee

Are you curious about assessment of student learning? Do you wish you had better insights into what our students are learning through the co-curriculum at Augsburg? Do you dream of having evidence you can use to inform your programming for students? Would you enjoy being part of a group charged with bringing a greater focus to this work at Augsburg?

If so - we invite you to nominate yourself (or someone else) for a newly-formed group focused on co-curricular assessment of student learning. We are seeking diverse perspectives from a variety of co-curricular areas on campus. Extensive assessment experience is not required, but we hope you will bring openness to learning and a passion for growing a culture of assessment at Augsburg.

Committee charge:
Supporting the implementation of an established strategy for co-curricular assessment and supporting campus colleagues in growing a culture of assessment at Augsburg.

To nominate, please complete the online form here by April 24: http://tinyurl.com/pu2kqrk

Questions? Contact Michael Grewe, Maggie Heier or Katy Risner - members of the Augsburg College Assessment Committee.

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Sign Up for Augsburg GRE Prep Course On Campus

Graduate programs often require applicants to take the Graduate Records Exam, referred to as the GRE. URGO offers an eight week GRE prep course each summer for students, alumni, and staff at a cost well below those found at private test centers. This course is taught by Augsburg faculty and staff and walks students through each section of the general test. Throughout the course students complete sample test questions and receive in-depth feedback and instruction. The registration fee also includes a six-month subscription to the online GRE study tool, Magoosh.

Tuesdays, May 12th-June 30th

5-7pm @ Sverdrup 206

Cost: $80

Register at www.augsburg.edu/urgo

If you have any questions about the course, please contact Kirsten O'Brien at urgo@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1446.

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Register Your Summer Internship for Augsburg Exp.

If you are completing a summer internship that you would like to count for your Augsburg Experience, don't forget to register for a non-credit internship (AUG EX3) before starting your experience this summer.

To get started, please attend the following Internship Registration/Orientation Session in the Strommen Center (Christensen Center, Suite 100):

Tuesday, April 28 from 10:30-11:30am*

Who should attend?
- Students who have an internship lined up for the summer that is related to their major and/or career goals
- Students who want the internship to count for their Augsburg Experience graduation requirement

If you have questions about non-credit internships, please see our website: http://www.augsburg.edu/strommen/non-credit-internships/

*If you cannot make it to this session and need to set up an alternate meeting, please contact us at strommen.internships@augsburg.edu

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Summer = Meet With URGO To Talk About Grad School

Thinking of applying to graduate school in the fall? Come meet with URGO staff before you leave, or come in over the summer for advising on how to create a timeline, select programs, prepare for standardized tests, and ultimately put together your best application.

To make an appointment you can call the URGO office at 612-330-1446 or email us at urgo@augsburg.edu.

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Pippert Presents at Diversity Summit

On April 15th, Sociology Professor Tim Pippert spoke at the University of Tennessee's first system-wide Diversity Summit. The event was attended by administrators, faculty and staff from the various University Tennessee campuses as well as administrators from the UT system offices. Tim, one of only six invited speakers, discussed research he published with former students Laura Essenburg and Edward J. Matchett examining the commodification of diversity in college recruitment materials.

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General Announcements

Campus-Wide IDI-Guided Development Reboot

In response to student input from the spring 2014 focus groups and the fall 2014 survey, and the "Great Colleges to Work For" survey, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee Core is implementing five initiatives, one of which includes increasing the intercultural competence of faculty and staff (and students when applicable). An associated action step includes the campus-wide revitalization and reboot of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and IDI-guided development process first implemented in 2010.

The IDI is Augsburg's preferred tool of measurement of intercultural competence and the IDI-guided development process offers Augsburg faculty and staff a confidential Individual Development Plan to support movement on the development continuum, i.e. growth in personal intercultural competence. Ultimately, Augsburg would like to have all faculty and staff complete the inventory and plan on a rotating basis so that individuals have an opportunity to monitor their personal growth.

Human Resources, in partnership with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee Core, is pleased to support five cohort groups completing the IDI. In addition to completing the IDI, each participant will receive a confidential Individual Development Plan with a consultant before the end of this fiscal year. This cohort group mainly includes new hires, individuals who have expressed interest in taking the IDI, and individuals from critical roles (such as supervisors) and departments with a high volume of student contact. Within the next few days these individuals will receive invitations to participate in the cohort group. For individuals who are not included in this May cohort group, please note that we are budgeting for additional cohorts in the new fiscal year. It is our goal to have all faculty and staff integrated into a rotation within the next couple of years.

Questions can be directed to Joanne K. Reeck at reeck@augsburg.edu.

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Food Service Specials

Thursday 4/23/15

The Nabo Special of the Day is a Thai Coconut Chicken Rice Bowl.

There is Sliced Tuna at Lunch in The Commons Today!

Come to Nabo and try some Blackeye Bottled Cold Brew Coffee, brewed in St. Paul. Blackeye is a company formed by Augsburg Alum Matt McGinn.

Enjoy some of the new options at The Salad Bar in The Commons! Featuring locally grown items!

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Summer Tour Guide Positions Available $$$$$

Admissions is looking to hire current students to show perspective students around campus during the summer months. You would be sharing your personal campus experiences and helping out students with their college search. If you like to meet new people and are looking for a summer job (5-20 hours/week), please go to the HR home page and click on the link for this opening.

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Food Service Hours

Thursday 4/23/15

Nabo is open from 7:30am-8:00pm.

Einsteins is open from 7:30am-9:00pm with the Late Night Menu starting at 7:00pm.

The Commons is open from 7:30am-7:00pm. Market Place is serving Seasoned Chicken Breast, French Fries, Sesame Green Beans, and Sweet Potato Mash. Vege is serving Horseradish Potatoes, Rice with Lime & Cilantro, Carrots with Sesame Dressing, and Vegan Burgers.

On Thursday April 30th Einsteins will be closing at 1:00pm. On Friday May 1st all Food Service Locations will be closing at 1:30pm. All Food Service Locations will be closed May 2nd and 3rd. Starting on May 4th Einsteins will be open Monday-Friday from 7:30am-1:30pm with a limited menu, Nabo will be open Monday-Friday from 10:00am-2:00pm with a limited menu, and The Commons will be closed.

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Career Quick Stop - Winding Down

Students! Next week is the final week of Career Quick Stop for the semester. Stop by Suite 100 of the Christensen Center Tuesday from 2:30-4:30 p.m. or Wednesday and Thursday from 1:00-2:30 p.m. These walk-in hours are meant for quick career questions and short resume reviews. Appointments will be limited to 15 minutes and students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Quick Stop will resume in the fall!

The Strommen Career and Internship Center will be open all summer for one-on-one appointments. Career coaches can assist you with career exploration, resume writing, interviewing, and more! Call 612-330-1148 to schedule an appointment.

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Event Announcements

Daily Chapel: Bev Stratton Preaching & Blessing

Join us for worship in the chapel today at 11:30am: Dr. Bev Stratton preaching, "Freedom from Musterbation,*" and receiving a blessing upon her retirement, music by The Chapel Brass. *A term coined by American psychologist Albert Ellis for the irrational belief that one *must* do certain things.

Tomorrow:
Friday, 4/24, at 10:40am: End of Academic Year Celebration, Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres preaching. Blessing for Patrick Joiner, Pastoral Intern, as he finishes his internship at Augsburg.

We gather in Hoversten Chapel - Absolutely everyone is welcome!

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History and Political Science Year-End Picnic

Please join the Departments of History and Political Science for our annual end-of-the-year picnic. We hope to see you on Friday, April 24, from 3:30PM-5PM in Murphy Square (OGC 100 in case of rain). All are welcome. Free food and drink! Bring a friend and a frisbee.

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Final Focused Conversation Session: TODAY

The final Focused Conversation of the year is today, Thursday, April 23, at 3:40 p.m. in the Marshall Room. President Paul Pribbenow will facilitate the session, which is focused on the seven institutional initiatives of the Augsburg2019 strategic plan.

Click the link below to add the session to your calendar:

Thursday, April 23: 3:40 p.m. - Marshall Room - http://bit.ly/1xwjuA2

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May Augsburg Total Wellness Event Announcement

Auggies in Service to our Community,

The Augsburg Total Wellness program is calling for volunteers to join our team to pack meals for the Feed My Starving Children organization. This is a great opportunity to use your community service time to serve our global community. Together we can make a difference.

Join the Augsburg team on May 26 from 9:30 - 11:30 AM at the Coon Rapids Feed My Starving Children packing location.

Follow the instructions below to sign up:

Go to: http://volunteer.fmsc.org/Register/Group/JoinGroup.aspx?gid=671479
Reserve your spot by clicking: CONFIRM
You will be prompted to accept the terms of volunteering. Click: ACCEPT
You will be prompted to create an account; it will take just a few seconds to follow the steps
Click: CONTINUE
You will receive an email confirmation of your registration

An email will be sent to each registered participant with details for the day of the event. If we fill the available slots, we can add more - so encourage your colleagues to join you in this rewarding work!

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Berggren at berggren@augsburg.edu.

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Migration Stories in History 122 on Monday

Migration Stories

by students in HIS 122: 20th Century U.S. History with Professor Michael Lansing

Monday, April 27, 12-1:30PM, OGC 111

This semester, HIS 122 partnered with the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota as well as Augsburg's Student Services staff to create three to five-minute long digital stories that share the experiences of migrants and immigrants in and around our Augsburg community. Students have been working all semester on these videos, and they're anxious to share them with you.

Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Please join us!

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Library Director Candidate Presentation, 4/24

Please join us this Friday, April 24, in Oren Gateway Center, Room 100, from 11:15 a.m.-12:10 p.m., to hear finalist Jill Markgraf speak on the topic of leadership in today's academic library. We hope to see you there!

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Keeping Track of Auggies

Clark '14 Presents Bio Research on Capitol Hill

Congratulations to Anika Clark (Biology '14) who will present her research at the Capitol in Washington, DC this evening as part of the Council on Undergraduate Research event, Posters on the Hill. Anika spent the summer in Uganda conducting research with mentor Dr. Kevin Potts (Biology) and will present her poster titled, "The Chimpanzee Social Network: Identifying the Potential Targets of Ebola Vaccination in Wild Chimpanzees" for representatives from federal funding agencies, members of Congress, and Congressional staff. She will also have the opportunity to meet with Keith Ellison and Amy Klobuchar individually to discuss the impact of undergraduate research.

As the Council on Undergraduate Research noted, "[We] are proud to recognize and congratulate the students, faculty mentors, and institutions, which will be represented at this year's 19th Annual Posters on the Hill. As the undergraduate research community works to ensure that those in the U.S. Congress have a clear understanding of the research and education programs they fund, nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than a student participant's words, work, and stories. Hosted on April 23, 2015, CUR will invite representatives from federal funding agencies, members of Congress, and Congressional staff to attend the evening poster session."

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Augsburg's Best Showing In Goldwater Competition

Juniors Fikre Beyene (Physics) and Lyle Nyberg (Biology and Chemistry) have been selected as Goldwater Scholars, and junior Andris Bibelnieks (Math, Physics & Computer Science), as Goldwater Honorable Mention. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type for students pursuing research careers in STEM.

Winners receive up to $7,500 for undergraduate education costs. More valuable than the monetary award is the moniker "Goldwater Scholar," which serves as a shorthand to graduate and fellowship programs that these STEM students are among the nation's top undergraduates in their respective areas. For example, recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 86 Rhodes Scholarships, 123 Marshall Awards, 123 Churchill Scholarships, and numerous other distinguished fellowships, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships.

Lyle, Fikre, and Andris were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,206 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. Each college, regardless of the size or kind of institution, can nominate only four candidates. Candidates are carefully vetted by each sponsoring institution so the resulting field is formidable.

This year, among Minnesota private schools, Augsburg had the highest number of scholars (Augsburg with two and St. Olaf and Gustavus each with one), and when honorable mentions are included Augsburg rose to the top as well.

All Augsburg nominees participated in research on campus under the guidance of faculty mentors. Augsburg's STEM departments are dedicated to creating opportunities where students can play a significant role in the research process. These experiences helped students develop a deeper understanding of their projects and their fields, as was evident in the quality of their applications.

Profiles:

Fikre Beyene (Sundquist Scholar, McNair Scholar, Rossing Physics Honorable Mention '14, Rossing Physics Scholar '15, and AugSTEM scholar) has worked in Dr. David Murr's space physics lab and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Cosmology and conduct research investigating dark matter and the early stages of the universe. He will continue his research with Dr. Murr this summer.

Lyle Nyberg (Lindstrom Scholar) has worked with Dr. Vivian Feng at the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology housed at the U of M. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and enlist in the Air Force where he hopes to conduct research aboard the International Space Station. Last fall he was selected to participate in an informational weekend at the famous Scripps Research Institute in Florida In April, he co-presented (with Augsburg student Hilena Frew) his research on nanotechnology at Harvard University. This summer he will be conducting research at University of Pennsylvania.

Andris Bibelnieks has worked with Dr. Ben Stottrup and Dr. Pavel Belik and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and conduct research to create new composite materials. This summer he will return to the Boundary Waters as an outfitter, where his interest in composite canoe materials first was sparked.

URGO wants to thank the applicants for their hard work, the faculty letter writers who took great care to write meaningful and convincing letters, and research mentors and classroom teachers for developing these students as researchers.

It's a great time for science as Augsburg.

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Auggie Athletics

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Housing Available in Midtown Phillips

One of my housemates just bought a house and moved out, so there's a room available in a lovely house in Phillips filled with lovely people! Two young-ish people, two old-ish people, and a husky live in the house. It's a half-hour walk or 10 minute bike ride to Augsburg... and there's a porch to welcome you home at the end of the day! The house is actually for sale, so this would be temporary housing, but we're probably safe to stay put through the summer at least. Let me know if you want more details!

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Car for Sale

Make: Oldsmobile
Model: Cutlass 88
Year: 1994
Miles: 170,000 roughly
Asking Price: $1000 or best offer
Please contact Jess Linck at 612-481-6066 if you are interested.

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Looking to Purchase a Used Car

I am looking to purchase a used car. Please contact tilton@augsburg.edu

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