Gustavus Peer MALTs help first-year students navigate the ins and outs of the college experience.

A First-Term Seminar (FTS) at Gustavus looks a little different than it does at other colleges. For starters, the people students go through orientation with are also their classmates for the required FTS they take during their first semester on the Hill. Although it’s only the first step into the rest of your time at Gustavus, it’s also one of the most meaningful. I’m still friends with some of my FTS classmates, and one of them even became my roommate and sorority sister! 

The other big FTS difference: it’s where one class per week is led by a junior or senior Gustavus student, called a Peer MALT, for Peer Mentor, Academic Leader, and Teacher. It’s a thoughtful and engaging process for first-year students, and for the Peer MALTs as well. I know this because my positive experience with my own Peer MALT during my first year motivated me to become one myself. 

Among other things, my Peer MALT helped me get more involved on campus by encouraging me apply to be a Finance Student-at-Large for the Gustavus Student Senate. I would have never thought about this opportunity if not for her, and my time in the Senate has led to realizations about myself and the post-grad career I envision. 

Peer MALTs are chosen through a selective application process each spring. Some are encouraged to apply by professors or previous MALTs; others apply on their own whim. Selection ultimately comes down to availability of the students applying and the schedule of the courses available, as well as to student/professor preference pairings. The Peer MALT section of the FTS is about helping students be successful at Gustavus, academically and socially, as well as maintaining positive mental and physical wellbeing. 

Twice a week, the MALTs meet to discuss lesson plans, wins and difficulties in the classroom, and personal philosophies toward teaching. This “non-departmental learning course” counts as the PeerMALTs’ Challenge Seminar because of the various projects and techniques they use throughout the semester. 

Being a Peer MALT has brought a different perspective to my own education. Meeting with younger students is one of the things I look forward to the most every week. Each student has their own set of excitements and worries that I can respond to and incorporate into my lessons. Each Peer MALT gets up to three “MALT Choice” days where the MALT decides what to teach, with lessons ranging from Arboretum tours to how to use Career Center services.

Having a Peer MALT in the classroom is a great opportunity for students to ask all their questions, ranging from the funny and curious to the serious and personal. It allows students to let their guard down during the sometimes difficult transition from high school to college. One of the most engaging lessons I chose focused on the Campus Safety Office and its services, aside from their general practice of monitoring parking and issuing parking tickets. My students had questions ranging from Lost and Found to where and how to buy a parking permit. It was such a gratifying moment to leave the classroom that day knowing I had answered so many questions, soothed their worries, and celebrated their successes. Some of them were finally getting their car on campus later that month, which was a fun moment to celebrate, too!

Evolving from a PeerMALT’s student into a PeerMALT myself has opened my eyes to what it means to be part of a group, as a student and as a leader, and it has given me the opportunity to reflect on my experiences when I first got to Gustavus and recognize how far I have come. My FTS and initial Peer MALT experience even led to the declaration of my major, Classical Languages, which I chose in part because of the example my Peer MALT set about how much you can do with that degree. Without my FTS and my Peer MALT, my Gustavus experience would be far different than it is today, and I’m grateful for the opportunities the College offers to new students and the Peer MALTs who help guide them. 

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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The 2024 Gustavus Adolphus Alumni Association award winners (L–R): Randall "Randy" Richert ’85, Denise “Dennie” Gordon ’74, Jamesetta “Jamie” Alexander Newland ’72, Ari Silkey ’99, and Stephanie Swanson ’14.

The Gustavus Adolphus College Alumni Association Board of Directors has named two Gustavus alumni as recipients of the College’s 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award and recognized three others for their contributions to their respective fields. The recipients were recognized at the annual Alumni Association Awards Celebration on Friday, October 11.

The Distinguished Alumni Citation recipients are Jamesetta Alexander Newland ‘72 and Randall Richert ‘85. This honor recognizes outstanding and exceptional career achievement of graduates of the College and includes criteria such as the difficulty of accomplishment; quality, creativity, and distinctiveness of performance; humanitarian achievements; recognition by peers; and lasting contribution to the world of ideas and affairs. 

In addition, the Alumni Association Board has given Dennie Gordon ‘74 the Golden Anniversary Award, Ari Silkey ‘99 the Silver Anniversary Award, and Stephanie Swanson ‘14 the First Decade Award. Each of these honor the recipients’ “outstanding and exceptional” achievements at various stages of their post-graduate careers.

The Board also named Stephen Bennett, Gift Planner in Advancement, and Richard Leitch, Associate Professor in Political Science, as this year’s “Honorary Gusties.” This award recognizes those who, while not having graduated from or attended Gustavus, are formally considered bona fide “Gusties” by the Alumni Board because of their length of dedicated service to, interest in, and enthusiastic support for the College as professor, instructor, teacher, administrator, coach, staff member, clergy, parent, friend, or spouse of a graduate.

To determine each year’s honorees, the Board works with the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement to review nominations from classmates and fellow alumni, faculty, staff, and others. The Recognition Committee of the Board carefully reviews nominees, researches their backgrounds, and thoroughly evaluates their accomplishments before narrowing the field to a proposed slate of winners. The Committee then brings their recommendations to the full Board for another round of review and discussion and a final vote. “Every year we take on this monumental task of evaluating extremely qualified candidates in a number of different categories,” Deb Johnson Rosenberg ‘79, President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, told the assembled guests. “This process reinforces the foundations of the Gustavus education and its ability to propel our grads to amazing adventures here and around the world. I can quite honestly say that every year we are totally blown away by what our fellow alumni have accomplished.”

The career highlights of each of the 2024 honorees are outlined below. To learn more about the Alumni Awards, visit gustavus.edu/alumni.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI CITATIONS

Jamesetta “Jamie” Alexander Newland ‘72 — Distinguished Alumni Award

Jamesetta “Jamie” Alexander Newland is a highly accomplished medical professional, teacher, and administrator. She is considered an expert in Nurse Practitioner education whose services have been sought internationally by schools of nursing in Botswana, China, Japan, and Lithuania. She has earned many awards for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and for her leadership in education management, practice, and research. She also has numerous scholarly publications and serves as the editor-in-chief of The Nurse Practitioner, a highly respected peer-reviewed clinical journal for nurse practitioners.

Randall “Randy” Richert ‘85 — Distinguished Alumni Award

Randall “Randy” Richert is a retired Colonel in the US Air Force. As a member of the Air Force for 28 years, he served in numerous leadership positions in missions around the world and at home, receiving several awards and commendations. He holds multiple degrees, including an MS in criminology and an MA in defense studies from Canberra University, Australia, and has taught as an adjunct professor at two universities. He also has served in first responder roles, including as a New Jersey firefighter, as a city marshal for Bossier City, LA, and as a deputy sheriff in St. Clair County, IL. He has simultaneously had a long football coaching career at the international, professional, college, and high school levels and has returned to Gustavus several times over the years to speak to the football team.

OTHER ALUMNI AWARDS

Denise “Dennie” Gordon ‘74 — Golden Anniversary Award

Dennie Gordon has been a trailblazing director her entire career, which has spanned the worlds of feature films, television series, miniseries, and branded content. Her range of genre-busting entertainment spans an unusual spectrum of comedy and drama. After leaving Gustavus, she graduated from Yale’s School of Drama with an MFA in directing and later directed network television, feature films, and commercials, winning awards in every sector. Among her more well-known credits are Ally McBeal, Legion, Grace & Frankie, The Office, 30 Rock, What a Girl Wants, and many others. 

Ari Silkey ‘99 — Silver Anniversary Award

Ari currently serves as the General Manager of North American Surface Transportation at Amazon. He has been recognized as an innovative thought leader devoted to providing Amazon with leadership and innovative solutions that will help decarbonize the organization’s fleet and achieve its goal of net-zero carbon by 2040. He has led the successful development and deployment of more than 100 products that have positively impacted transportation safety, productivity, and sustainability. He also serves on multiple boards and councils focused on designing and shaping the future of technology in transportation.

Stephanie Swanson ‘14 — First Decade Award

Stephanie graduated from Gustavus with a degree in Communications and Political Science, holds a Masters in Public Health from UMass Amherst, and is currently the director of the Providers Clinical Support System Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder at the American Society of Addiction Medicine in Washington, DC. During her career, she has managed numerous projects that address substance use prevention and has written and secured several multi-million dollar grants that culminated in a partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has served in several leadership positions, setting strategic direction and providing leadership to federally funded overdose preparedness and response projects, and she also has served as a subject matter expert on substance use prevention.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Professor Ursula Lindqvist has been a member of the Gustavus faculty since 2013.

Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN has established the Thorstensson, McKnight, Nordstrom Endowed Chair in Scandinavian Studies, which launched at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year. The endowed position was created this past spring by Steve Heim ’81 and Susie Björling Heim ’83 of Edina, MN. Gustavus Professor Dr. Ursula Lindqvist (Scandinavian Studies; GWSS; Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies; Comparative Literature; African & African Diaspora Studies; LALACS; Film & Media Studies) has been appointed as the new Chair’s inaugural faculty member. 

The post is named in honor of the three professors who in the 1970s founded Gustavus’ highly regarded program, which became the Department of Scandinavian Studies in 1981: Dr. Roland Thorstensson, Professor Emeritus in Scandinavian Studies; Dr. Roger McKnight, Professor Emeritus in Scandinavian Studies; and Dr. Byron Nordstrom, Professor Emeritus in History and Scandinavian Studies. 

Upon donating the funds, Steve Heim and Susie Björling Heim (daughter of Anders Björling ’58 and Janet Neidt Bjorling ’58, and granddaughter of Jussi Björling) expressed their “wish to support the humanities at Gustavus Adolphus College, specifically Scandinavian Studies. Additionally, [we] wish to honor the legacies of three outstanding professors whose distinguished careers helped shape the Department of Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus.” 

Endowed Chair positions at Gustavus require a minimum $2,000,000 commitment, and this particular endowment reflects the College’s pronounced connection to its roots. 

“Growing out of the College’s heritage as an institution founded by Swedish immigrants, our Scandinavian Studies program is a living embodiment of our continued relationship with Sweden and Scandinavia,” President Bergman said. “I am grateful to the Heims for their generosity and desire to recognize the dedicated faculty members who built and nurtured this program.” 

Professor Lindqvist expressed her gratitude for being named to the post and stressed her commitment to enhancing this academic field of study.

“It is such an honor and a privilege to hold a Chair position named for our three founding faculty in Scandinavian Studies,” she said. “This Endowed Chair also signals to the world that Gustavus continues to lead in this distinctive interdisciplinary field, which intersects with many other fields of study. In Sweden, where I’m currently conducting sabbatical research, my Nordic colleagues are impressed to hear that Gustavus now has an Endowed Chair in Scandinavian Studies.”

This Homecoming Weekend, the College will hold a luncheon at The Dive in the Center for Inclusive Excellence to formally announce and celebrate with the donors, alumni, current students, emeriti, and current faculty in Scandinavian Studies.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Alpha Sigma Tau's Philanthropy Night benefitting CADA (Committee Against Domestic Abuse).

Bama Rush. TikTok. Legally Blonde. Even Scream Queens. Greek life in pop culture’s colleges and universities is quite different than it is at Gustavus. When I first arrived here, I knew there was some kind of Greek system, but I didn’t really know what it was compared to what I had seen elsewhere. 

To begin with, one of the largest differences is that you have to be a sophomore or older to join a chapter. This is to “…ensure [that] students have a solid grasp of life at Gustavus before jumping into a commitment,” said Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment Arie Bergeron. When it came to going through recruitment myself, this felt sensible because I had the time to establish myself first as a college student: Who I was on campus, what I was already involved in, how I enjoyed spending my free time. The “delay” helped me figure out which chapter would be the best fit for me. 

Gustavus has seven chapters: three fraternities—Kappa Sigma Chi (aka Kappas), Tau Psi Omega (Reds), and Epsilon Pi Alpha (Eppies), and four sororities—two national chapters, Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri-Sig) and Alpha Sigma Tau (Alpha Tau or AST); and two local chapters, Delta Phi Omega (Deltas) and Theta Xi Omega (Thetas). All the fraternities are local chapters, which means their recruitment process looks a little different from the sororities’. Recruitment is more formal for sororities, as there are different standards the College has to follow because of the connection to national chapters.

Gustavus has no dedicated sorority or fraternity houses, so instead of visiting house to house, each chapter sets up in a room and PNMs (Potential New Members) take turns visiting and getting to know more about each chapter.

There are four nights of formal recruitment, each with a particular theme that typically relates to leadership, philanthropy, and belonging. The last night is Preference Night, aka “Pref Night.” This is different from the other nights in that you don’t go to all four sorority rooms. Instead, you select your three favorites to attend. Chapters invite their top recruits for a final opportunity to connect and inspire them to join their sisterhood. PNMs then visit the rooms they prefer.

Each year’s recruitment looks a little different as the sororities always try to make subtle improvements. This year, for instance, recruitment took place in Jackson Campus Center rather than in Confer-Vickner, and having a Panhellenic Council means the College’s national sororities require the Inter-Greek Council (IGC) to have a Panhellenic representative. “Panhellenic at Gustavus is working to take over recruitment such as Formal [Recruitment], 365 [Recruitment], and other informal events,” said Panhellenic President Kaylee Cepress ‘28. “Our main goal is to get the student body involved in Greek life and to view it as a positive environment, rather than one that offers many negative connotations and viewpoints surrounding fraternities and sororities.” 

After formal recruitment ends, PNMs input their top two preferences online. Chapters submit their bid lists of students they are extending an offer to. From there, the algorithm in the program Gustavus uses, Campus Director, matches up PNMs to chapters and sends the bids. The following four days are a “silent period” for all chapters. Sorority members cannot talk about recruitment to PNMs during this time, which relieves pressure on the PNMs who are deciding which bid to accept. At other schools, this silent period typically begins on the first day of formal recruitment, rather than after Preference Night. Members can still interact with PNMs about other topics or events, but the silent period ensures that no PNM feels pressured to choose their chapter based on someone else’s opinion. 

Once all bids are extended, the silent period is over and it’s time to celebrate! Fraternities and sororities welcome new brothers and sisters with New Member Education throughout October and via other events, such as the large speaker event that the IGC  hosts to kick off New Member Education.

For me, sorority life at Gustavus has opened up an entire world of opportunities. After going through recruitment and seeing what Greek life was like here, Alpha Sigma Tau felt like the place I belonged. Without AST, I wouldn’t have met the wonderful women I call my sisters today. I have been to research presentations, theater performances, and sporting events I might have never attended or heard about without them. Life at Gustavus has opened up to me tenfold since adding sorority involvement to my time here on the Hill.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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The 2024 rankings celebrated Gustavus for academic quality, student outcomes, faculty excellence—even great food.

It’s rankings season in higher education, and Gustavus has once again landed some impressive recognition from multiple outlets.

Although the methodologies vary by publication (see below), Gustavus scores particularly well on measures such as social mobility (how well a school graduates economically disadvantaged students), economic opportunity (how well a school’s grads leave college with manageable debt), excellence of faculty, and overall quality.

Among the 2024 highlights:

• US News and World Report’s flagship rankings placed Gustavus as the #66 national liberal arts college overall, up one slot from last year, and #4 in Minnesota. The publication also named Gustavus the #14 national liberal arts college for social mobility, reflecting how the College attracts Pell-eligible students, graduates them on time, and prepares them for professional success.
• Forbes named Gustavus the #2 private college in Minnesota and the #3 college, public or private, in the state. The magazine’s rankings focus on schools “that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.”
• Washington Monthly recognized Gustavus in multiple categories, including #18 nationally among liberal arts colleges, #15 for Pell performance in that cohort, #19 for social mobility, and #10 in community and national service. The publication also cited Gustavus as #1 in Minnesota for Pell performance; #25 among all Midwest colleges in “Bang for the Buck,” which measures how well schools “attain marketable degrees at affordable prices”; and #16 nationally among all colleges for the opportunities it creates for STEM-focused women in mathematics and natural resources.
• Niche.com named Gustavus one of the top 10 colleges in Minnesota for professor quality (#2), our Education and Communication departments (#3 for each), Political Science (#4)—even best food (#5).
• CollegeRaptor.com slotted Gustavus as the #25 college overall in the Plains region.
• Earlier this summer, Money magazine, which evaluates schools based on affordability and student outcomes, gave Gustavus 4.5 stars (out of 5) in its annual rankings, citing the College’s community service, close-knit culture, and breadth of major options.

As this volume and variety of recognition indicates, Gustavus remains broadly competitive during a pivotal time in higher education, respected by evaluators and peers across the country for our ability to serve a wide variety of students and thoroughly prepare them for future success. Keep it up, Gusties!

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Spouses Jeremy Gilbertson '21 and Bri Jol '20 discovered the professional possibilities of GIS training while at Gustavus.

Written by Brian Lucas.

When Chloe Shaw ‘19 walked into her first Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class during her junior year at Gustavus, she had no idea the class would end up changing the course of her career. “I didn’t know what GIS was when I started college,” Shaw said. “I had an interest in ecology, biology, and statistics, so my advisor recommended the class. Now GIS is my job, and it can take me to so many places.”

Chloe Shaw ’19

GIS is a tool that helps people to organize and analyze different kinds of data to figure out how they physically relate to each other in the world. The uses range from studying wildlife migration, to planning transportation infrastructure, or even helping map the human brain. “The way we teach GIS at Gustavus is that it’s a tool for solving problems,” said Jeff La Frenierre, Professor in Environment, Geography and Earth Sciences (EGE) at Gustavus. “We teach students how to ask good questions and use data to examine the relationships between things, looking for answers.”

In addition to teaching GIS courses, La Frenierre also leads Gustavus students on fieldwork trips in Ecuador and Sweden, using GIS tools to track changes to glaciers over time. Shaw participated in two of these adventures and said they made a huge impression. “Standing on a glacier, putting out canvas tarps as targets, and flying drones over the glacier in really windy conditions, was one of those amazing moments I never could have dreamed of,” she said. “I got to see how GIS can help us understand things like climate change in new ways, so it really opened my eyes.”

Jeremy Gilbertson ‘21 also found inspiration from studying GIS at Gustavus. Gilbertson says he always loved maps and figuring out how things fit together. In his junior year, a classmate—Bri Jol ’20, now Gilbertson’s wife and a fellow GIS worker—recommended he take La Frenierre’s class. “I ended up loving it,” Gilbertson said. “Jeff had a way of teaching that gave us just enough tools to solve the problem, but didn’t hold our hand to the point where we didn’t have to make connections and discoveries on our own. I specifically remember sitting in class thinking, ‘Wow, I can see exactly how I can use this in the real world and make a career out of it.’”

Jeremy Gilbertson ’21

After graduation, Gilbertson joined a startup company called TroutRoutes, which was later purchased by onX Maps. He is now a Senior Geospatial Analyst focused on gathering and analyzing data related to trout fishing. He uses GIS to help people know where they can fish, where certain species of fish live, and other relevant information across the lower 48 states.

Shaw has also put her GIS passion to work. She got a job with the National Parks Service, working on-site at locations including Denali, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Park. During the 2023 wildfires in Yellowstone, her work played a critical role in helping map damage, which helped determine safety and mitigation responses. Today Shaw is based in Seattle, where she uses GIS to help the Parks Service make decisions about potential land acquisitions.

La Frenierre says Shaw and Gilbertson are merely two great examples of how Gusties can use GIS to follow their own paths and ambitions; other past students of his have moved into fields such as urban planning, public health, and social justice work. Most of them came from the EGE Department, but he says the tool can be useful for anyone who’s detail oriented and interested in solving problems. “Often students don’t find their way into GIS until junior or senior year, and then the lightbulb goes off and they see the power of this tool,” La Frenierre said. “It’s an excellent skill, and one that employers need. The possibilities are endless for where it can take you.”

Shaw says her exposure to GIS at Gustavus has made a huge difference in how she sees the world. “Being spatially literate and knowing how to look at things differently can set you up for success no matter what path you choose,” she said. “You’re able to understand different applications and work with many different experts who rely on the information that you can deliver.”

Gilbertson says no matter what career someone is pursuing, taking a GIS course can provide them with valuable perspective and skills—while taking them on journeys that they may never have imagined. “I’d tell students [considering a GIS course] to just give it a shot!” he said. “At first, all the different software and lingo can seem intimidating, so focus on the bigger picture and how the different pieces fit together. There’s tons of free data out there on whatever you might be interested in, and some very simple operations can lead to pretty amazing results.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Rachelle Sherden—"Coach Ro"—coaching at the first practice of the 2024 season. Gustie Volleyball is ranked 12th in the nation.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Leah Wong '02 will join the Gustavus Marketing and Communications team on Monday, Sept. 16.

Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN has hired Leah Wong as its Chief Marketing Officer. Wong brings a wealth of experience to the position, most recently at the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC), where she led a comprehensive and successful “Downtown Reanimation” strategy after the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice-related demonstrations that roiled the city in the summer of 2020. Her marketing, outreach, and communications work on these award-winning endeavors helped more than quadruple downtown building occupancy, revitalize events in the area, and sharply increase residential growth.

Wong spent 16 years with the MDC, where she designed and led the organization’s digital and print marketing and branding efforts, along with its community relations strategy. This helped achieve the goals of the MDC before and since 2020 by boosting its vibrancy and the public’s embrace of the area’s amenities. Wong deployed a multipronged approach that included marketing communications, external relations, partnerships and memberships, fundraising and sponsorships, and public relations projects executed by large collaborative teams.

She has also worked as a longtime marketing consultant, utilizing strategic planning and implementation to boost the brand presence and visibility, while achieving tactical KPIs, for mid-sized, large, and foundation clients. At Gustavus, from which Wong received her bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies, she will be tasked with shepherding the school’s marketing efforts through a competitive period for higher education enrollment. Her depth and breadth of skills and background in forging cost-effective and productive partnerships, engaging diverse audiences, and leading high-performing teams that produce tangible, positive results will serve the College well as it seeks to expand and enhance its profile in the higher education marketplace.

“We are excited for the energy and experience that Leah brings to the Gustavus community and to our marketing and communication team,” President Rebecca M. Bergman said. “From leading major events to digital transformations, Leah’s track record of success aligns with higher education’s need for bold storytellers who can connect with multiple audiences.” 

Wong’s first day at Gustavus will be Monday, September 16. “Gustavus influenced my passion for community, collective action, and meaningful impact,” she said. “I am thrilled to be joining the leadership team during this pivotal time for the College and higher education. I’m excited to bring my drive and experience as we continue to tell the Gustavus story and create first-class experiences for students, alumni, and friends of the College. I look forward to growing and deepening connections across campus, with prospective students, and within the business communities that will continue to propel the futures of our graduates. Go Gusties!”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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A new Gustie family hauls their son's belongings into Norelius on Move-In Day 2024

More photos from Move-in Day 2024 are available here.

On a pristine late-summer Friday, dozens of jubilant Gustie Greeters and staff members welcomed hundreds of new students and their families to Gustavus to kick off the 2024-25 academic year.

More than 540 first-year Gusties will arrive on the Hill this fall to embrace all the academic, co-curricular, and social opportunities our community has to offer. They’re returning to physical improvements to the campus such as the South Mall native prairie landscaping (which has been in full bloom all summer), the vibrant El Barrio plaza behind the Center for Inclusive Excellence, a host of new and improved signage all over campus, and the First Stop kiosk in the Jackson Campus Center, which will be all students’ go-to starting point for questions about College programs and services.

Our students also will be returning to a revamped curriculum that’s launching this term. This includes new schedule blocks, simplified general education options, a May term replacing J-term (which also moves Commencement 2025 from late-May to early-May), enhanced Advising Day services, and more. The highlight of these changes will be the new Signature Experience (aka, SigX), which creates multiple new or expanded pathways between a Gustavus degree and future professional opportunities.

But before all that can unfold, the first-year students are focused on getting acquainted with their new home. On Friday, Benjamin and Lisa Adams helped their son, Allen ’28, move into Pittman. Upon putting Allen’s poker chips into a desk drawer, “He has to earn money somehow,” Lisa joked. Allen is the couple’s only child, “So we’re a little nervous,” she said. “But the Greeter enthusiasm was so infectious and joyous. It started the crying early.” 

Carley Malm ’26, a first-time CF (Collegiate Fellow) in Pittman, noted two early perks of her new position: “The girls I’ve met are all excited to be here, [and] I get my own sink!” 

Also moving into Pittman was Matthew Verwest ’28, with help from his family. Verwest comes to Gustavus all the way from Fort Myers, FL Matthew’s father, Mike, works with a medical partner, Jane Simonsen Lukowicz ’70, who extolled the Gustavus virtues. “She said to me, ‘Gustavus is the reason I got into med school,’” Mike said, “I was like, whoa. And the patients of mine who [are alumni] all said, ‘I loved it!’ I never heard anyone say ‘Gustavus was just okay.'” For his part, Matthew wanted a school where he could perform at a high level as a swimmer and a student. “I knew it was great here when I visited,” he said.

Before sending our new Gustie families off for their proud and teary goodbyes, President Rebecca Bergman led the opening Convocation ceremony in Christ Chapel with a charge to students and their families. “We want [students] to learn and to stretch themselves,” she said. “We prepare you for a purposeful life. And you parents have entrusted these young adults to a place with a strong mission that is centered around education of the whole person, where we stretch their minds, encourage them to get involved, help them to serve their future career aspirations, and equip them to be able to act on the great challenges of our time. I urge you, parents and friends, to be strong cheerleaders for these students while they are here. Support them through both their trials and the inevitable challenges they will encounter.”

She closed with words of encouragement to the first-years so important that she purposely said them twice: “I expect you to make good choices and to help others to do the same each and every day. So make a promise to yourself right now that you will strive to be your very best self every moment of every day as a Gustie.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Summer researchers at Gustavus get plenty of lab work—and many other useful long-term skills as well.

When Gustavus summer research students sign up for lab projects, they’re getting a lot more than just deep-dive explorations of scientific discovery; they’re also developing valuable knowledge and abilities that will serve their future careers.

Life on the Hill invariably quiets down between May and September, but the Gusties who remain on campus for programs such as the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE), Second-Year Experience at Research (SEAR), and other summer employment opportunities stay busy with a host of webinars, field trips, and in-person sessions that help them zero in on their long-term goals and provide the tools to realize them.

Faculty organizers who these students know from the classroom and the lab also advise them on writing resumes and CVs, cover letters for job applications, and personal statements for grant programs. These lessons go well beyond the mere crossing of Ts and dotting of Is by inviting students to think deeply about what skills they already have and which ones they need to develop. Students also explore how they’d like their post-Gustavus path to reflect their own personal values, a particularly useful exercise for a generation that understands the value of a manageable work-life balance.

Multiple times per summer, these current Gusties meet with STEM-focused alumni, in career stages ranging from grad school scholar to established professional, who discuss how they chose and pursued their paths and how their Gustavus education helped them get where they are today. “These sessions were very informative and taught me some important things to keep in mind as I plan the next step in my career,” said Maddie Chaplin ’26, a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major who has been in the research program each of the past two summers. “They ranged from basic foundational knowledge about the hierarchy of lab jobs or grad school research, to more personal aspects like quality of life.” The Gustie grads in these sessions talked (and answered questions) about everything from finding the right mentor and work or grad school culture, to the surprising variety of job types in the STEM world.

In addition, summer researchers travel to area corporations such as Medtronic, Hormel, and 3M to learn about the virtually limitless career options they could have after graduation. “I didn’t realize how big of a company 3M is, and how many different opportunities there are within that company, just by having basic chemistry knowledge,” said Ross Hebel ’26, a Chemistry major. “Obviously, a lot of people there have PhDs and master’s degrees, but there are others who don’t that are still super valuable and make professions out of it. It gives you an idea of the difference between a corporate life in chemistry versus a more academic route.”

Chaplin said her summer research experiences have helped her winnow and clarify her goals, which while “not set in stone,” may include working with the College Fellowship Office to pursue something like a Fulbright Scholarship and doing research abroad. Hebel, on the other hand, has found that the wealth of knowledge and experience he’s gained this summer have opened doors for him that he didn’t even realize were there. “If anything, it’s actually created more questions for me,” he said with a laugh. “It would have been easier for me just to hate this and say, ‘Alright, I won’t go to grad school; I’ll just go find a job somewhere.’ But I’ve liked how fun it is to think things through and follow procedures while also being able to make my own decisions about what I want to do and what I think I should do to get a better result. So, I have more questions about which path to take, but it’s definitely cemented the idea that I really like chemistry.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Tricia Stenberg's Gustavus job is awarding and rewarding.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Genesis Tompkins '23 leverages her recent undergrad experience into attracting prospective students to the Hill.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
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507-933-7510

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Martha Ndakalako is an assistant professor in English, African Studies, and Comparative Literature.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Erin Coleman '25 has spent the past two summers conducting research at UC Davis and Caltech.

Gustie Erin Coleman ’25 has landed two highly competitive academic awards that will help her continue her plans to eventually pursue a PhD in astrophysics.

The Physics and Mathematics and Computer Science double major earned a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in March, the seventh Gustie to earn this scholarship in the past six years. The award was established by the United States Congress in 1986 and is given to exceptional sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

A short time after learning of the Goldwater award, Coleman became one of 11 students at Lutheran colleges in the U.S. to win a Rossing Physics Scholarship, the second time she’s earned that honor. It is bestowed by the Thomas D. Rossing Fund for Physics Education, which created the awards in partnership with the Foundation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Dr. Rossing was an accomplished physics scholar who wanted to support academically exceptional physics majors.

Coleman said both scholarships will help her pay for her final year at Gustavus, and they’re especially timely given that her younger sister is about to start her own college journey. “It will be tough for my parents to help pay tuition for both of us, so this was very welcome news,” she said.

Coleman has been building her research skills since she arrived on the Hill. It started with a First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) with the Physics Department’s Darsa Donelan. Then, in summer 2023, Coleman earned a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF REU) at UC Davis to conduct research in which she made novel discoveries, based on mathematical modeling, of a galaxy’s gas flow. She’s now spending summer 2024 conducting research on gravitational waves at Caltech. “I’ve been super interested in space since I was little, and the FYRE work really cemented my interest in research,” said Coleman, who also finds time to play in the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra and the Women’s Nordic Ski Club, among other co-curricular activities. “FYRE gives our students a really unusual opportunity to do research at a high level, and I think it definitely made my applications for subsequent summer research opportunities a lot more competitive.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Written by Eric Vrooman, Jennifer Ackil, and Kate Wittenstein.

Gregory Lawrence Kaster, of Minneapolis, passed away unexpectedly June 22 at the age of 70 surrounded by his partner, spouse, and best friend of 38 years Kate Wittenstein and loved and loving friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Theodore and Wilma Jean Kaster of Park Forest, Illinois. He is survived by Lawrence and Elizabeth Kaster of Los Angeles; Jessica and David Barranco of Paradise Valley, Arizona; Andrew and Vicki Wittenstein of Brooklyn, New York; cousin Alice Arnold of Chicago, Illinois; and many loved nieces, nephews, great nieces, and nephews.

Greg attended school in Park Forest, Illinois, and received his BA (1975) and MA (1978) from Northern Illinois University, and his PhD (1990) from Boston University before joining the Gustavus Adolphus College History Department in 1986. His PhD dissertation examined the language that he called the “labor jeremiad” of organized workingmen in nineteenth-century America. His research and teaching interests included labor history, the history of masculinity in America, slavery and abolitionism, the Civil War, film, visual culture, biography, dissent, and memory and history. His publications include a chapter comparing the films Django Unchained and Lincoln in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (Bloomsbury, 2014), an essay on the American labor movement, 1790-1860, in Encyclopedia of American Social Movements (M.E. Sharpe, 2004), and “Labor’s True Man: Organized Workingmen and the Language of Manliness in the USA, 1827-1877” in Gender and History (April 2001). The latter grew out of a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar for College and University Teachers directed by distinguished labor historian Melvyn Dubofsky.

In the classroom, there is nothing Greg liked more than informed and energetic discussion of the course materials or what he called “working out” with the sources. An outstanding, compassionate, and gifted teacher, his work in the classroom was recognized when he was named the 2018 winner of the Edgar M. Carlson Award, the College’s highest teaching honor. He particularly enjoyed teaching courses on the U.S. Civil War, the 1960s, and recent U.S. history.He also served as the inaugural holder of the James and Patricia McPherson Endowed Professor of American History position from 2019-2023. 

Above all, Greg will be remembered by the Gustavus community as a passionate advocate for the power of the liberal arts, especially the humanities, and for being a trusted mentor to faculty and students alike. He was instrumental in bringing many notable speakers to campus, who helped the Gustavus community appreciate the value of the liberal arts in understanding and navigating the present. He was the creator and host of Learning for Life @ Gustavus, an in-depth podcast celebrating Gustavus, its people, and the liberal arts. The podcast recently aired its 150th episode. Those interviewed include Jillian Hiscock ‘05 (owner of A Bar of Their Own, the only bar in Minnesota devoted entirely to women’s athletics); English Department colleague Dr. Martha Ndakalako (whose areas of study include Namibian women’s digital literatures and the #ShutItAllDown feminist protest movement); Representative Samantha (Sam) Vang ’16 (one of the first two Hmong American women to win a Minnesota House seat); and Dr. Bernard Powers ’72 (Professor Emeritus of History at the College of Charleston and founder/director of the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston). Greg was a leader on campus in many ways, most visibly in chairing the Faculty Senate and Faculty Personnel Committee. He also worked closely with the Board of Trustees, holding several Board committee positions over the years.

A proud Chicagoland native and New Yorker by marriage, Greg was a city person who delighted in the political-cultural energy and diversity of vibrant cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. Among his favorite pastimes were dining out with family and friends and shopping at different food purveyors in the Twin Cities. His favorites included Eli’s black and blue burger, the hollandaise sauce at Our Kitchen, octopus at Gardens of Salonica, sandwiches and meat at Clancy’s, and feta and olives from Bill’s Imported Foods. He also loved Greek Town restaurants in Chicago (serving horta and saganaki), Union Oyster House in Boston, Zabar’s in New York, and going from the Logan airport directly to lunch at the Daily Catch on trips to Boston’s North End. His love of good food was matched by his love of conversations about food with servers, chefs, fellow diners, family, and friends. Every Wednesday, he drove to Sun Street Bakery in Minneapolis to get doughnuts for the breakfast group at Grant Park. Greg also enjoyed walking city streets and parks; traveling; going to the movies, jazz clubs,  and the theater; following politics; and working on his courses and projects amid the life-affirming sounds and smells of a great coffeehouse.

He loved celebrating and supporting colleagues, students, alumni, and friends through food, notes of encouragement, and phone calls and catalyzing connections between them. Greg loved children and was so proud to be adopted uncle or grandpa to many. He took children and their ideas and feelings seriously and treated them with much dignity. He not only had an inherent magnetic capacity for human connection on a personal level, but also a compassion for humanity in a universal sense.

Greg and Kate, also a member of the History Department at Gustavus Adolphus College, were the happy companions of a black lab named Sam, who was predeceased by his and their feline companion, Cooper (named by Kate in honor of the brilliant African American scholar, feminist, and writer, Anna Julia Cooper).

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Greg’s name to the Shelf of Hope (at Agate Housing and Services), the National Endowment for the Humanities, or a cause of your choice. A memorial service will be held at the Elliot Park Hotel (823 5^th Ave. South, Minneapolis) on Sunday, July 28^th at 1:00p.m. An additional memorial will be held at Alumni Hall at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN on Saturday, October 12^th at 9:00 a.m.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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The desk of poet and retiring Gustavus professor Phil Bryant ’73 as he works.

On this Juneteenth, the second as an official U.S. holiday, here is a prose poem alum and retiring Gustavus professor Phil Bryant ’73 wrote 10 years ago, before the vast majority of Saint Peter and White America knew what Juneteenth was.

His next book of poetry is forthcoming from Norton sometime next year.

Juneteenth Finally Comes to Saint Peter

Juneteenth of course, will pass quietly and unmarked in Saint Peter like all the rest of the Juneteenths past and present and most likely future, going all the way back to that fateful day in Texas when someone just so happened to let drop the news that the Union forces had finally “drove old Dixie down,” like more than a whole year before, with news then, I guess, traveling slow, and the slaves as a result were, well, free to go. You can imagine the jubilation created by the news of sudden emancipation, so much so that this albeit late arriving proclamation created such a sensation that black Texans have marked the day as their very own 4th of July, Independence Day holiday ever since. But not so here, in fact I’d bet the whole bar at Patrick’s a round of beer, if any of my fellow townspeople had ever heard of Juneteenth, not to speak of them knowing what it actually signifies. So to paraphrase Garrison Keillor I’d say that this Juneteenth would be like any other quiet day in Lake Woebegone. The 19th of June falls this year on a Tuesday that will surely pass like all the other June 19th Tuesdays in southern Minnesota, maybe warm, sunny and clear; the breezy summer air filled with the sweet smell of Daisies and Daffodils, still in bloom, no big parades, speeches by local politicians or barbeques, just me maybe, waiting at the checkout line at the Econo Foods with one of the three other African-Americans in town with me suddenly blurting out to her loudly, “Happy Juneteenth, baby!” and she turning and smiling, knowing enough of our sad troubled history to know what I meant and without a doubt, she returns a happy Juneteenth to me, just as loud. As our other fellow townspeople in line with us now look so curious, totally lost and in the dark, wondering what the hell this Juneteenth business is all about.

—2014

1. How did this poem come about?

I call it one of my “homer” poems, my townie poems. When I wrote it, I was noticing more people of color, more Black people, in this town, not associated with the college. How would Juneteenth look in Saint Peter?

My DNA is Chicago, but I have been in Saint Peter for 35 years. Back then, I’m sure I was one of about three people in the whole town that knew anything about it, and that’s including my wife, Renee [Reek Bryant ’73]!

I mean, wow, man. Should I write poems about Saint Peter? Can I? Am I allowed? I gave myself permission to venture into that.

2. Why did you feel the need to give yourself permission to write this poem?

It’s an interesting perspective to have, being an outsider-insider. There’s both assimilation and isolation going on. I feel isolated [as an African American man], but also assimilated since I’ve lived here for so long, gone through blizzards and tornadoes and MAGA and all that sh*t.

I mean, people still come up to me and ask, “How long have you been here?” And I say, “As long as you’ve been born, and longer!”

I don’t think people really expect Black people to write about White spaces like this. Is this a White space because I live here? Our kids went to school here, they have friends here, they were raised here, they have roots here. They are Saint Peter-ites.

In my latest book there will be more poems about Saint Peter.

3. What do you think when you read this poem today?

I’m very basic, you know? I’m a worker poet. I know what works and what doesn’t work. I’m not going for a message. It came in a sentence or two, a phrase, I don’t sit down and say, “I’m going to write this.” My poems are all food for thought.

Poetry, for me is about that. It’s engagement. I’m not trying to sell this to you. These are just things you can hopefully read and get something out of it, engage your thought processers and that’s it.

I think it still works, and I think it’s kind of funny.

4. How will you celebrate Juneteenth?

We’ve usually had quiet celebrations. We always play Black music in our household. We’ll do something close to what we do on the Fourth of July—quietly tip our mugs to the ancestors.

5. Do you think anyone will wish you a happy Juneteenth?

That’s stretching it, unless it’s a friend of mine. I still think people don’t know what Juneteenth is. It’s like, “Oh, we have the day off? Great.” I don’t think White people will necessarily think too deeply about it. They don’t think Black history really affects them. Because it’s Black, you know? But if there was no Black history, there would be no American history. When you ban Black history, you’re amputating both legs, both arms. I mean, what do you have left?

Now that Juneteenth as a national holiday, maybe I can have that now. Maybe one of my fellow townspeople who is not of the African American persuasion might wish me a happy Juneteenth. And that is all good.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Leo Mellum '28 won the first-ever Gustavus Premier Music Scholarship after an audition this past spring.

Incoming first-year student Leo Mellum ’28 has been awarded the inaugural Premier Music Scholarship, which was established by Music Department faculty for the rarest and most exceptional talent in music performance.

Premier Scholars must audition for the scholarship in person or via an unedited video submission, and the winner receives $25,000 annually. It is the highest award for musical excellence awarded by Gustavus. Private lesson study on the accepted instrument—for Mellum, the piano—is required every semester, and Premier Scholars will participate in Gustavus Music ensembles every semester. Five finalists were selected by faculty, and the four runners up will each receive a $12,500 annual scholarship.

Mellum, who is from Edina, MN and studied at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, learned of his award earlier this spring. “[The audition] was probably my favorite environment for an audition I’ve done so far in my life,” said Mellum, who’s played the piano since he was four years old. “Going into it, I already knew I was going to get a certain level of scholarship [as a finalist], so I was really relaxed.”

He said Gustavus was already his top choice for college going into the audition, and winning the scholarship clinched his decision. He was familiar with the College because multiple members of his family are Gusties. (This includes his sister Morgan ’23, a decorated student who is currently in a master’s degree program in geology at the University of Texas-Austin.) “From the start, I was looking for a smaller, liberal arts, private school, and once I visited Gustavus I really liked the atmosphere,” he said. “The academics, the Music program, and the Swim Team were all factors for me.”

Mellum said he plans to double major in Music and something else, in addition to joining the Men’s Swim Team. “I’m also interested in studying something like Math or Computer Science,” he said, “but I’m pretty open right now to anything.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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“Gusties Get More” is a continuing series of profiles examining the many paths Gustavus alums have taken since graduation.

Q: Gustavus graduation year/hometown/current location/profession

• Graduation year: 2020
• Hometown: Lake Crystal, MN
• Current Location: St. Paul, MN
• Profession: Senior Engagement Associate at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Q: How did you choose your major(s)?

• I had known that I wanted to pursue a Political Science degree since I was in 8th grade. My junior high social studies class had an assignment that asked us to follow the 2008 presidential election and color in the map blue or red as the states were called the night of the election. I stayed up way later than I should have watching the news so that I could do the assignment and found how interesting the issues, elections, and politics in general were to me. The next morning, I realized that almost none of my classmates felt the same way. That was a big wake-up call to me that this is what I should pursue, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to know!

Q: How has your major(s) influenced/assisted your career so far?

• I found the field that I ended up getting into, non-profit fundraising, simply because of my personal passion for this kind of work. But my major [Political Science] and my minor [History] helped me immensely in securing this position and being promoted within a year of my start date. First, political science helped me to learn how to effectively communicate a point and speak/present in front of groups. I use this on a weekly basis in my career when I speak to sponsoring groups and corporate partners to try and convince them to support our work financially or increase their giving. My major courses gave me the skills to present a convincing argument in a professional and productive manner. My minor courses did something similar, but with the written word instead of the spoken one. History classes required me to do much more writing and helped me improve my professional communication skills, which I use everyday by writing things like newsletters and emails to volunteers and other stakeholders.

Q: How did Gustavus (and the liberal arts) prepare you to “make your life count” and get where you want to go, personally and professionally?

• Gustavus prepared me to “make my life count” professionally by teaching me how to market myself and the degree that I decided to pursue to potential employers, as I noted above. Personally, Gustavus prepared me to “make my life count” by connecting me to my best friends and some of the best people I have ever met in my life and still talk to on a nearly daily basis. I learned what real friendship is in college and how a real friend makes you feel loved and valued. Gustavus also prepared me personally by giving me some of the best memories that I have. Not a day goes by that I don’t look back fondly at my time on the Hill!

Q: Was there anyone specific at Gustavus, in or out of the classroom, who influenced you?

• Many people at Gustavus influenced me and set me on the best path possible to start my career. However, two professors stand out in my mind: Chris Gilbert (Political Science) and Greg Kaster (History). These two really helped to shape me in their own way. Chris was my academic advisor and was always supportive and gave great advice. One of those pieces of advice was to pursue the Washington Internship Institute, a study-away opportunity I completed my senior year that allowed me to live and intern in Washington DC and explore my favorite city in the country. And Professor Kaster is the sole reason that I pursued a History minor. After taking an introductory History course with him, he asked me if I had any interest in completing the requirements for a History major or minor, and after we met in his office later that week, I was convinced I would enjoy taking more classes. Greg made class so enjoyable and was the best advocate I’ve ever met for pursuing a degree in the field you enjoy and not just thinking about what will make you the most money. I learned a lot from him and owe a lot of my professional development to him.

Q: What jobs did you have after graduation but before this one?

• The only other position that I have held since graduation is an AmeriCorps VISTA position at Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana in Butte, MT from December, 2020–December, 2021, which I loved.

Q: Where do you see your career progressing from here?

• I don’t really know what to expect for the future, but I certainly hope to see myself grow professionally and continue to gain more responsibilities in my current field and with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. I truly love my job and the field I have chosen for myself. This job allows me to get paid to make a difference in my community and help people achieve their dream of owning their own home. But I still have a strong passion for politics and have certainly not ruled getting involved in that world more as I get older.

Q: Is there anything you miss or remember fondly about Gustavus?

• There are many aspects of life on the Hill that I miss! Having my friends so close by, eating in the Caf, playing basketball at Lund…but I really miss the people that make Gustavus so special. The faculty and staff! The relationships I built with my professors, the librarians, the staff in the Cafeteria and across the campus were so special! I felt like a part of the family on campus and couldn’t walk for more than a couple of minutes without seeing someone that I knew and stopping to chat.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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The 2023-24 Gustavus Innovation Scholars team (clockwise from left): Nana Akua Boakye Agyemang ’25, Tyler Teichmiller ’24, team leader Xavier Conzet from the University of St. Thomas, Ally Regenold ’24, and Cecilia Gerlach ’25.

This past February, the Gustavus Adolphus College Innovation Scholars presented their project recommendations to mySHO, an early-stage medical company affiliated with Medical Alley, as a culmination of the 2023-24 Innovation Scholars Program.

The presentation was the capstone on four months’ work for this year’s Innovation Scholars: Nana Akua Boakye Agyemang ’25 (Financial Economics major, French minor); Cecilia Gerlach ’25 (Mathematics major, Computer Science minor); Ally Regenold ’24 (Business Management and Psychological Science double major); and Tyler Teichmiller ’24 (Mathematics and Statistics double major, Computer Science minor). Lynnea Myers ’05 served as the students’ campus mentor, and the team’s leader was MS Business Analytics student Xavier Conzet from the University of St. Thomas.

Innovation Scholars is an experiential learning program that engages teams of liberal arts students in the complex processes of translational medicine, taking an idea “from the bench to the bedside.” Project partners include the Mayo Clinic and early-stage Medical Alley companies including MySHO, which provides AI-based mental health therapy digital applications tailored to individual circumstances, such as language preference, psychology, cultural identity, or health challenges.

After being invited to join the Gustavus Innovation Scholars following a written and video application process, the multidisciplinary team of four Gusties spent four months tackling a challenging tech-transfer project focused on MySHO’s innovative evidence-based mental health therapy platform, which features an artificial intelligence chatbot that offers another means by which to expand access to mental health services.

On the Gustavus Health Professions Podcast in April, participants Tyler Teichmiller and Ally Regenold described their experiences with the program. Teichmiller said the Gusties’ multifaceted team proved to be an asset when it came to dividing the project’s tasks. “It was interesting to be in our first meeting together not having known each other that much besides passing each other in the halls or on campus,” he said. “But each of us found the things we were good at and used that to our advantage, and our open communication helped us accomplish what we were supposed to do.”

Regenold cited the benefits of having researched MySHO before the team’s first meeting with company executives and applauded the Innovation Scholars program’s flexibility within the project parameters. “[Xavier] helped us stay on task but also let us figure out things for ourselves, and [Myers] helped us connect with right people here and also met with us one on one every week,” she said.

The project built toward the February presentation at Coloplast, a medical products company in Minneapolis, in front of executives and similar teams from other area colleges that were working with other companies in the program. (Because of the sensitive nature of these early-stage technologies, all Innovation Scholar participants must sign NDAs.) Regenold and Teichmiller agreed that the Gustavus team’s extensive preparation helped soothe any nerves leading up to the high-intensity sessions. “We practiced and re-read the info 1,000 times,” Teichmiller said, “so by the time we went up there, we ended up going over our allotted time because the audience had so many questions. You could really tell how engaged everyone was.”

Regenold added that her biggest takeaway from the experience will serve her well in the sales management training program she’ll begin this summer with Sherwin Williams. “I wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone and see if I could do it, and I realized I could,” she said. “It’s been very valuable to learn these skills and realize that I can believe in myself.”

Teichmiller will begin a statistics PhD program this fall with an eye toward eventually returning to academia as a professor. He said he would have been unlikely to have a co-curricular opportunity like this—working closely with inventors and entrepreneurs—had he not attended a school like Gustavus. “In addition to the work itself, I also gained the ability to network for the first time,” he said. “I had never done that, but it was easier than I expected. It also made me more willing to make mistakes; it’s not a detriment and will help you figure out things in the long run.”

Regenold echoed that, encouraging future Gusties to keep trying new things even if they don’t initially seem like a fit. “Don’t worry if you think your skill sets don’t match what they’re looking for,” she said. “Just apply and see what happens.”

Read more about Innovation Scholars at innovation-scholars.org.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

Dr. Hayley Russell, HES, accepts the Edgar M. Carlson Award on Commencement Day 2024.

On Commencement Day 2024, Dr. Hayley Russell was named this year’s winner of the Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching, the College’s signature honor for teaching achievements. The 2023 winner, Communications Studies Associate Professor Martin Lang ’95, presented the award at the end of the ceremony.

Although rainy weather shortened Saturday’s Commencement, forcing Professor Lang to abridge his introduction, his remarks appear below in full. He touched on the many ways Russell, an Associate Professor and the Department Chair for Health and Exercise Science (HES), has made an enduring impact on her students since her arrival to Gustavus in 2016. In accepting the award, Russell said, “I’m so incredibly honored to win this award and so incredibly proud of the Class of 2024.”

It is with utter joy that I introduce you to this year’s winner of the Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching. This award recognizes excellence and innovation in teaching and advising and is generally considered to be the highest honor bestowed to a faculty member on our campus.  

This year’s winner has earned a reputation for setting high standards for their students, whether working with them in the classroom or collaborating with them on research projects published and presented at national venues. Students describe this prof’s classes as places where they know they’ll work hard, but not, as one student described it, “fluffy” work.  As another said of her course experience, “I always felt like I was getting something out of it.”

This professor establishes high expectations and engages students not only in doing the work but in thinking about the work they do. Through a practice of performance, reflection, and improvement, students in their courses acquire disciplinary content and skills but alsobecome empowered to step back, gauge their own growth and development, and chart a trajectory to achieve their own meaningful goals—which may not necessarily align with the learning outcomes of the class they’re enrolled in!

The evidence clearly shows that this professor’s high expectations are accompanied by high levels of support. “She has so much on her plate,” wrote one nominator, “but she never turns down a meeting, even if it is just to talk and serve as a mentor to me.” Another student suggested this professor seems to follow the mantra, “Tell me what help you need, and I will help you to get it.”

Students and peers describe this professor’s classrooms as “exciting,” “community-oriented,” and “responsive to students’ needs.” These classes also reflect their high levels of regard for the unique perspectives, motivations, and abilities of each individual. One former student notes that they experienced a “foundational trust that students [will] take their work and themselves seriously, and that trust [is] reciprocated in the classroom and beyond.”

It is to everyone’s benefit that this professor does not hold their teaching and advising gifts in reserve but shares them with the campus broadly, whether offering first-term seminar courses or helping to prepare another generation of academic leaders and mentors within our student body.

I will say that I always know if I have one of this professor’s advisees or research collaborators in my own classes, as they inevitably leak praise about her in some form or other. Sometimes, as happened to me just this year, this comes as a gentle critique when my own teaching comes up a little short of the high standards she has set. Not surprisingly, it seems even previous award winners have a lot to learn from this year’s new inductee.

Perhaps this student nominator sums it up most succinctly: “Hayley Russell is the greatest professor I have had at Gustavus.”

Dr. Hayley Russell has been a member of the Gustavus faculty since 2016. She holds a bachelor of arts from St. Francis Xavier University, a master’s in sport and exercise psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. She is now also the winner of the 2024 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Gustavus Class of 2024 celebrate a job well done at Commencement Day.

To view pictures from Commencement Day 2024, visit this link.

On Saturday, May 25, the 451 members of the Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2024 celebrated their graduation in front of family, friends, faculty, staff, and special guests. Although appropriately “Gustie” breezes kept the bugs at bay, a slightly rainy forecast forced a juggling of the day’s agenda.

This was the first Gustavus class whose time on the Hill happened entirely during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Commencement remarks frequently touched on that experience, acknowledging how unusual and challenging this period has been for young people.

Gustavus Board of Trustees Chair Marcia Page lauded the Class of 2024 for their perseverance and achievements. “You did it. We are so happy to be celebrating this accomplishment with you,” she said.  “All of us here today are well aware of the fact that, for most of our graduates, your high school commencement was canceled or looked significantly different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, four years later, we share in your celebration of an on-campus commencement ceremony!”

The Class of 2024’s senior speaker, Andrea Cruz Bracamontes ’24, also cited the many challenges faced and lessons learned by her class in the past four years. “As I reflect on our collective journey during our first year on this campus, I am reminded of the remarkable resilience exhibited by the Class of 2024,” she said. “Despite the challenges brought forth by a global pandemic, we have shown unwavering determination and perseverance. Through it all, we have leaned on each other for support, finding solace in the shared experiences and bonds of friendship that have come to define our time here at Gustavus.”

If anything, the unprecedented hurdles have only strengthened the Class of 2024’s embodiment of the College’s Core Values. “As Gusties, we’ve dedicated ourselves to acts of service to our community and the world,” Bracamontes said. “Our shared passion for creating positive change has bound us together, whether through research endeavors, caring for animals, mentoring youth, or building houses across the country. Each of us has invested our talents and time in service to others. I implore you to hold onto the values you’ve embraced at Gustavus and let them guide your path forward.”

After the conferring of degrees, as per tradition, Martin Lang ’95, associate professor of Communications Studies, the winner of the 2023 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching, announced this year’s winner, Hayley Russell, associate professor and Department chair in Health and Exercise Science. Before sending the newly minted graduates off into the world and out of the light rain, President Rebecca Bergman asked them to express their gratitude for all the support they’ve received from others—namely, the people who gathered to honor them at Hollingsworth Field or watched the event remotely. “Graduates, I ask that you join me in recognizing the individuals who are celebrating with you today in person and online,” she said. “They have provided support and encouragement for you during your days as students here at Gustavus. They have assisted you by providing an opportunity for you to attend Gustavus, and they have supported you, loved, and believed in you throughout all your days here on the Hill. They are surely busting with pride over your many accomplishments and full of hope for your future.”

You can view the recording of the 2024 Gustavus Adolphus Commencement Ceremony at this link.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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The Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2024 will graduate on Saturday, May 25.

Three seniors will be featured speakers this weekend as their Class of 2024 graduates from Gustavus.

The Commencement Day events kick off on Saturday morning, May 25, beginning with back-to-back Baccalaureate services in Christ Chapel at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The graduation processional begins on Hollingsworth Field at 1:45 p.m.

Kate Dario

Kate Dario ’24 and Angel Maame Afua Obiorah ’24 will speak at the Baccalaureate services, and Andrea Cruz Bracamontes ’24 is this year’s Senior Commencement Speaker. The three were chosen by a committee of students, faculty, and staff from a pool of graduating seniors.

Dario is a Communication Studies major from St. Paul, MN, with minors in Film & Media Studies and Theatre Design & Technology. She’s been involved in a variety of campus activities during her time on the Hill, including Adoption Recognition Community, Student Philanthropy Council, working an internship with the Gustavus Human Resources Department, and a member of the Tri-Sigma Sorority. She serves as an ambassador for DEIB and the Center for Inclusive Excellence, and she created The Compassion Initiative, a recurring program that sought to promote kindness and inclusivity around campus. Dario’s Baccalaureate address will focus on that program and how she hopes the principles from it will continue to blossom and benefit the Gustavus community.

Angel Maame Afua Obiorah

Obiorah is a Chemistry major on the pre-med track. The Ghanaian-Nigerian American has been involved in many Gustavus organizations, including the Pan-Afrikan Student Organization, Diversity Leadership Council, Proclaim, and Prepare Ministries. She also served as an ambassador for the Center for Inclusive Excellence. Her address will discuss the many ways her faith has been strengthened during her time at Gustavus.

Bracamontes is a Political Science and Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies Major with a minor in Spanish from St. Paul. She has held leadership

Andrea Cruz Bracamontes

positions in the Organization of Latin American Students, the Diversity Leadership Council, and Model United Nations; and has served as a Peer MALT and on the President’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also is a member of the Tri-Alpha, Phi Beta Kappa, and Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Societies. During the Commencement ceremony, she will discuss how she and her fellow classmates overcame the Covid-related challenges at the beginning of their Gustavus years—with the help and guidance of many advisors and mentors along the way—to create a genuine sense of community as they walk the stage this weekend.

Congratulations to all our Class of 2024 graduates!

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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Caroline Southworth '24 will study Farsi in Tajikistan this summer before heading to Johns Hopkins' International Relations graduate program.

—Written by Brian Lucas

 For Caroline Southworth ‘24, the journey to this weekend’s Gustavus graduation has never been a straight line. Over the last four years, Caroline has crossed the globe seeking new perspectives, experiences, and adventures. Luckily, she found mentors at the College who supported her dreams and helped unlock her potential.

“My Russian Language professor, Annalise Rivas, along with Pamela Kittelson, my Fellowships Director, have been incredible sources of inspiration for me,” Caroline said. “They helped me identify my own path, finding programs and opportunities abroad and helping me apply. They’re like my moms. I consider them to be, honestly, some of my best friends here.”

From an early age, Caroline has been focused on making a difference in the world. Her parents attended the Air Force Academy and helped Caroline develop a sense of duty, an understanding that your choices should mean something. Their perspective drove her to learn about other cultures and languages and also inspired her passion for travel.

Caroline applied to Gustavus because she was interested in studying Russian. After she was admitted but before she made her decision, she received a full-tuition merit scholarship, making it an easy choice to head east from her Helena, MT hometown and become a Gustie.

At the start of her college career, Caroline briefly considered pre-med, but she quickly decided instead to pursue an individualized major. She created a program called, “International Political Economics and Diplomacy” that combines elements of psychology, political science, and economics. (Caroline is also a Russian and Eastern European Studies major and a Russian language minor.)

In addition to her academic work, Caroline has dived into a variety of activities on campus, including serving as a Collegiate Fellow residence hall adviser and a member of the College’s Curriculum Committee. She’s also active in Model UN and the Eastern European Club. “People say that Gusties are always over-engaged everywhere, all the time, and that’s really true,” she said. “It can be challenging, particularly when things overlap, but it does encourage this exploration of yourself that I don’t think you would get any other way.”

As immersed as Caroline has been when she’s on campus, her passions have also taken her around the globe. With the help of her mentors, she has found numerous opportunities for international study. Caroline completed a State Department internship in Vienna, Austria. She was awarded a coveted Boren Scholarship to study Russian in Kyrgyzstan and has received two U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholarships. The first enabled her to study Russian in Tbilisi, Georgia. The second will take her to Tajikistan this summer to learn Farsi.

Caroline’s unconventional path through Gustavus has tested her organizational skills. She had to develop a color-coded spreadsheet to keep track of all her graduation requirements. Her advisors helped her along the way while also encouraging her to pause and enjoy this unique time in her life. “There have been many, many moments where they have said, ‘Just enjoy yourself. Go outside and smell the roses. You’re doing great,’” Caroline said. “They believed in me, sometimes more than I have believed in myself.”

Looking past Commencement Day, Caroline will attend the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Relations, where she will pursue her master’s degree with a focus on security, statecraft, and strategy. After completing that program, she will fulfill a one-year requirement working in national security as part of her Boren Scholarship. She says each of these steps will take her toward her eventual goal of engaging in policy around Russia, Eurasia, and the Middle East.

No matter where her future endeavors take her, Caroline said she will always be thankful for the support of her mentors at Gustavus. “I know I can always go back to Annalise or Pam or the people in the Provost’s Office, or to the Registrar and ask for advice,” she said. “I spent a lot of time working with them as I was doing all these crazy things, and I know they’ll be there for me when I need them.”

Caroline’s Gustavus experience might have been somewhat atypical, but she says it prepared her for success. As graduation approaches, she finds herself looking back on how far she’s come. While much of her Gustavus journey was spent traveling the globe, Caroline says the relationships and experiences in Saint Peter have helped ground her, and having such diverse interests and a non-traditional path exposed her to a wide variety of people and perspectives that will help shape her next chapter. “When I was a freshman, there were some people who were seniors that I was very interested in knowing how they got where they are,” she said. “And now I’ve become that person. I’ve had those experiences and I’m ready to go out into the world. It feels very full circle.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

Being a Gustie means trying different things and seeing what works for you.

In a previous article, I mentioned that when I first came to Gustavus during the pandemic-infused autumn of 2020, I spent most of my time outside class guzzling down Doritos and making myself comfortable in front of YouTube.

That version of me, like all of us, faced an unprecedented challenge right as we were making a massive transition out of high school. Every coming-of-age tradition we expected to experience was gutted in favor of (in my case) sitting at my desk in front of a slideshow of high school graduation and playing Zoom bingo. Like many of my peers, I was pretty down, to say the least.

I emerged from the pandemic reflecting on why I was here at Gustavus. The obvious answer is that I was getting an education, but that doesn’t really capture it. There were opportunities at Gustavus that I hadn’t considered until I’d been here a few years, but in January 2023, I realized that I wanted to try something new. So, I sat down and I started typing on my laptop. It was an application for a writing position at a little newspaper called the Gustavian Weekly. 

Writing has always been a talent and an interest of mine, but it wasn’t until later in my time at Gustavus that I actually realized I could do anything with it other than “pen” books about unicorns. Starting with the Weekly, though, and eventually continuing to this writing position with the College’s Marketing Department, was a game changer. It forced me to sit down and put something to the page, consistently, every day. And little did I know that that was the start of getting me pretty entrenched into the Gustavus community.

The funny thing about writing news is that you end up with one foot in a lot of different doors, learning at least a little—and sometimes a lot—about a variety of things you’d never even thought about before. You get a sense of how the Student Senate works, and learn about the Fulbright Scholarship. You get to talk to everyone from the Provost, to the person leading our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging efforts. You might even get more acquainted with the work of famous guest lecturers.

I found a vocation that I latched onto, and it was at that moment that Gustavus opened up to me.

I’ve thought about that a lot, in connection to one statement we’ve all heard but has always slightly confused me: “Make Your Life Count”. Those four words never rang true for me until now. Not so much because I feel like I am part of some mythical Gustavus Powerful People Club, but because I found a vocation that I latched onto, and it was at that moment that Gustavus opened up to me.

I never would have thought that tapping away at a keyboard would land me the opportunity to use this platform for this entire College. Nevertheless, I have had the utmost privilege of writing to and for all of you for the past year, and it’s been an absolute blast.

I can’t thank all of you who read enough for taking the time to read my stories; and in particular, I can’t thank those of you enough who complimented me either via email, or at Patrick’s on Third, or anywhere else.

Elliot Steeves ’24

You all kept me going, with all sorts of positive reinforcement, and pushed me to write about NLE Choppa and the Counseling Center and all sorts of other niche topics I might have never thought about. And it certainly helps to have people behind the scenes here who helped me polish my abilities.

It doesn’t stop with me. One of the best ways to learn more about something is to cover it. This doesn’t mean everyone should go out and be a reporter, but doing this kind of work could reveal opportunities you never knew were out there. In my case, it’s helped me land my first post-graduation job, as a general assignment reporter at the Anoka County Union Herald, where I’ll get to write—and learn—about a whole new community.

That’s why I’d encourage any of you with similar interests and skills to write for the Weekly or  look into this writing internship with the Marketing Office. It got me posting here and helped me figure out how I want to make my life count, and it could do the same for you.

And with that, I’ll sign off. See ya, Gusties!  

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

The Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2024 will graduate on May 25.

The 451 students of the Gustavus Adolphus College Class of 2024 will graduate on Saturday, May 25, at an on-campus Commencement ceremony. The processional for the event begins at 1:45 p.m. on Hollingsworth Field, weather permitting.

In addition to the conferring of degrees, the ceremony will feature remarks from President Rebecca M. Bergman, Provost Brenda Kelly, and Gustavus Board of Trustees Chair Marcia Page ’82; an invocation from Chaplain Betsy Hoium; a benediction from Executive Chaplain Grady St. Dennis ’92; and the presentation of the Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching. Senior Commencement Speaker Andrea Cruz Bracamontes ’24 will talk to her classmates and attendees about resiliency, an especially meaningful topic for this year’s graduates.

Like many of their peers around the country, members of the Class of 2024 will be walking across a graduation stage for the first time, having been deprived of that experience by the Covid pandemic when they were high school seniors in 2020. This resilient group of students has overcome the social isolation and the related challenges of that period to achieve admirable accomplishments in a wide variety of academic, athletic, artistic, and co-curricular areas.

Among this talented class are Fulbright scholars, first-generation college students, social media mavens, politically active and engaged advocates, musical performers and actors, current and future artists, multifaceted activists, innovative creators, a host of athletic champions and decorated scholar athletes, and many more.

Use #Gusties24 on social media to share the excitement, messages of gratitude and advice for the graduating seniors!

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors to Lund Center Arena (ice arena), where tickets will be required. Each graduate will receive three tickets to distribute to guests. Additional guests may watch the ceremony from the Lund Forum.

Schedule for Saturday, May 25

Following Commencement exercises, all in attendance are invited to a complimentary reception on Eckman Mall, weather permitting. Look for signs with directions to the appropriate divisional areas on the mall. No reservations are necessary and there is no cost to attend.

If weather conditions preclude an outdoor reception, divisional gatherings will be held in the Lund Center Forum (basketball court)

• Education
  Departments of Education; Nursing; and Health and Exercise Science; and the Library. 
• Fine Arts
  Departments of Art and Art History; Communication Studies; Music; and Theatre and Dance
• Humanities
  Departments of Greek, Latin and Classical Studies; English; History; Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy; Religion; and Scandinavian Studies; and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies 
• Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  Departments of Biology; Chemistry; Earth Science, Geography, Environtmental Studies; Mathematics, Computer Science & Statistics; Physics
• Social Sciences
  Departments of Business and Economics; Political Science; Psychological Science; and Sociology and Anthropology; and Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies 

See the complete schedule or watch the livestream of the Commencement ceremony at gustavus.edu/commencement.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

Ethan Moudry '27 will travel to Latvia this summer to study Russian with Project GO.

A first-year Gustie has earned a coveted language scholarship to study Russian overseas this summer. Ethan Moudry ’27 will travel to Latvia this summer with Project GO! (Global Officer), a Department of Defense initiative “aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise, and intercultural communication skills of future military officers.”

Ethan is a member (alongside multiple Gusties) of the Mankato-based Maverick Battalion Army ROTC, which he joined after arriving at Gustavus this past fall. The Farmington, MN native and Russian and Eastern European & Eurasian Studies major didn’t initially plan to go the ROTC route—he actually told his parents as a youngster that he had no intention of ever joining the military—but after learning about ROTC from his aunt and researching the program, he changed his mind. “I was looking into doing something service based because I had a really great childhood, and I’d like to give back, and this would be a way I could do it,” he said. “I’m physically capable [of what ROTC demands] and I just liked the idea of having a job based on protecting people by doing really cool and interesting work around things like security and intelligence.”

Once on campus, Ethan met some people affiliated with ROTC and attended presentations about the program, one of which was from a cadet who’d completed a Project GO assignment, which provides language and cultural training to ROTC students in support of Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC programs, training future military leaders for national security and defense readiness positions. “I was planning on learning Russian in college already, so when I heard about Project GO, it sounded amazing,” said Ethan, who has studied with and been mentored by his Department’s director, Annalise Rivas. “You get to travel abroad and study new languages. So, I looked into applying, and it seemed great just to go somewhere else besides the Midwest.”

As an Army ROTC cadet, once he’s officially under contract, Ethan will accept scholarship money for his final three years of college in exchange for four years of active-duty service, and then four years of reserve service. “Technically, at this point, I’m not committed, and I can leave at any time. But I don’t believe in that mindset,” he said.

He’s already experiencing the discipline that’s an inherent part of ROTC and military life, albeit with a carve-out for his academic priorities. “They always push that school comes first, and your grades are really important in how they rank you and put you up for various opportunities,” Ethan said, adding that early morning training sessions have already helped his overall productivity. He takes a Military Science Leadership class once a week that will scale up in difficulty and time commitment over the next three years, along with Leadership Labs that apply classroom knowledge practically, in a team setting. “What they can do is teach you basic Army skills; what they can’t do is change your attitude,” Ethan said. “If you fail at something, that’s okay, we just keep failing forward. I think anyone could have success in the program if they wanted to.”

To that end, Ethan’s ROTC experience has created different types of bonds than conventional college friendships. “Even though I’m not yet in the military and haven’t been put in any life-threatening situations whatsoever, you still form a sort of brotherhood or sisterhood with the people you’re around, especially when you’re all giving it your best,” he said. “It physically sucks sometimes, but you embrace it, and when the people around you are pushing you, you form something different, a little bit more than a friendship. It’s crazy to have already experienced that a little bit, as someone who hasn’t even finished his first year of college, and then this summer I get to go overseas to learn Russian. So it’s been pretty sweet.”

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

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As the 2023-’24 school year comes to a close, two of the First-Year students from our “First Impressions of First-Year Gusties” article this past fall reflect on how their experiences and learnings have evolved throughout the year. 

Chavy Ngov ‘27

Chavy reports that despite the initial shock he felt with the harder curriculum, increase in independent work, and fast-paced classes, Gustavus has gotten easier throughout the year. “College is still hard, but definitely doable if you put effort into it,” he said. As a busy Nursing major, he emphasizes the importance of time management, stating that he’s had “to learn how to choose and prioritize what you do with your downtime.”

Chavy Ngov ’27

Chavy added that his favorite part of his time here has been participating in campus events and hanging out with friends, and he was excited to report that “the cafeteria food is a lot better than most college food.” With over 20 daily entrees and side dishes, Chavy praised the Market Place for providing “lots of choices and giving [him] the opportunity to practice creativity with food combinations.”

In his sophomore year, Chavy is looking forward to joining the Peer Assistants (PA) organization on campus. Through educational programs, awareness campaigns, social activities, and assisting students with health/wellbeing resources, Gustavus PAs work to inform and empower Gusties to make choices that contribute to their personal and communal well-being. Additionally, Chavy is excited about his classes for next year and “hope[s] to develop a better schedule and continue to use the study skills [he] gained this year.” He also realized that prefers earlier classes and intends to develop a schedule that will allow him to “get stuff done earlier in the day.”

Jade Anistine ‘27

When asked how Gustavus compares to what he was anticipating, Jade said that “it surpassed [his] expectations.” Previously, he thought he wouldn’t be able to get involved on campus given his busy Nursing major and participation in Men’s Track & Field, but to his surprise, Jade has found that “the balance for getting into everything has been very accommodating.” Despite his more complex class schedule in second semester, he expressed how getting involved has provided him with lots of new friends and fun. “I just have to be more organized and practice time efficiency with the track season to accommodate for meets, but overall, the second semester has been very good,” he said.

Jade Anstine ’27

Anistine named his J-Term trip to Alaska as the highlight of his year. “Through my career exploration in Alaska, I learned a lot about medicine and all the practices in the health field, and I  participated in activities like dog sledding, hiking, mountain climbing, and other cool ways of experiencing Alaska,” he said. Jade earned class credit for the trip and was grateful to the Health Professions Office for helping him figure out how to fit everything he wanted to do into his schedule. “[The College] has made a big emphasis on getting involved and figuring out what’s best for you,” he said. “I’ve been able to find myself through the many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that Gustavus offers.”

Selected as a Gustie Greeter for next year, Jade looks forward to leading and helping incoming students during First-Year Orientation. “I had so much fun during my First-Year Orientation Week, so going back and helping the future first-years is gonna be a lot of fun,” he said. He’s also applied to two campus jobs and looks forward to working as a tour guide and in Health Services. “I’m overall looking forward to pursuing more leadership positions in organizations that I’m involved in,” he said. “Also, my roommate and I will be living in the International Center next year, so I’m excited to experience a wide variety of cultures (and air conditioning).”  

Congratulations to our first-years for making it through the frightening yet exhilarating inaugural year of college! We’re excited to see what amazing things these Gusties achieve in their coming years on the Hill.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

As Dr. Justin Knoepfel completes his first academic year as the permanent conductor of the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra (GSO), he’s looking to make his collaboration with students even broader and deeper than he has during his initial decade on the Hill.

Knoepfel was named the GSO’s permanent conductor last fall after having assumed the role on an interim basis for the previous year. He had been conducting the College’s Philharmonic Orchestra for 10 years, so stepping into GSO was a natural fit. “I am delighted to continue the excellence and strong music-making of the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra,” Knoepfel said. “It is a privilege and absolute pleasure to connect with the students, creating moving musical experiences together each and every day. In particular, I look forward to the fruitful years ahead, lifting up not only this fine ensemble but all of the talented students and faculty that contribute to the arts at Gustavus.” 

The GSO is one of the College’s most prestigious music ensembles and an integral contributor to the Gustavus music experience. Featuring talented and dedicated students from diverse majors, the Orchestra performs a variety of symphonic repertoire and is a key contributor to many of the College’s signature events, including Christmas in Christ Chapel and the Nobel Conference.

Knoepfel first came to Gustavus in 2009. In addition to the GSO position, he is a viola instructor and currently serves as chair of the Department of Music. His career path unfolded gradually, as Knoepfel had played violin at Luther College and only took up the viola after graduating. He also worked as an accountant before obtaining a master and doctoral degree in viola performance from the University of Minnesota. From there he landed at Gustavus as an adjunct viola instructor, and he’s been in Saint Peter ever since. His extensive body of work outside Gustavus includes performances with multiple symphonies and festivals, and as a freelance musician with the Eagles and Idina Menzel, among others. He also has taught music clinics and served as a judge in classical competitions.

As a string player-turned-conductor, Knoepfel understands the demands and complexities needed from the podium, and what an orchestra’s musicians need and expect from the person wielding the baton. Now that he’s fully ensconced in the GSO as it prepares for a spring 2025 tour with the Gustavus Jazz Ensemble to Ireland and Scotland, Knoepfel has long-term plans to expand the orchestra’s reach and repertoire.

“Gustavus has a rich history of excellence in the fine arts, and the Symphony Orchestra is one of our major ensembles that connects talented students with regional, national, and global audiences,” President Rebecca M. Bergman said. “It has been exciting to watch Dr. Knoepfel engage with our GSO students to develop their talent as musicians and enhance their performance as a dynamic ensemble.” 

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

These first-gen faculty and staff know what it can be like. Left to right: Lisa Dembouski, Education; Tim Kennedy ’82, Marketing and Communication; KP Pauly, Admission; Eric Elias, Biology; Pamela Kittelson, Biology

Except for a few striking differences, the stories of these Gustavus faculty and staff members of the Tri-Alpha fraternity for first-generation students are remarkably similar to today’s first-gens.

“I have a distinct memory in junior high of asking my dad if he would teach me how to plaster,” says Tim Kennedy ’82, Vice President of Marketing and Communication at Gustavus. “He emphatically said, ‘No! It is a good life, but it is really hard on your body, and you are going to go to college and have a career that you are passionate about.’ It sounds corny but I was motivated to go to and succeed in college because I did not want to let my parents down.” 

“My parents scraped by to afford a home in a school district that was ‘highly rated,’” says Pamela Kittelson, professor of Biology, who attended Colorado College as an undergraduate. “None of us had any real idea what we were doing or what to ask or look for.” The message, she says, was “keep my GPA high and do not get pregnant or drop out.”

All five of these firsts had parents who endorsed their higher education pursuits in theory. It was harder in practice. 

“My family and I did not know the difference between tech and community college, public and private, residential and non-residential,” says KP Pauly, assistant dean of Transfer Admission and MAT & PSEO Coordinator, who received their undergraduate and graduate degrees from Minnesota State University, Mankato. “The financial aid process was a whole other ball game for us, too. I really had no understanding of my student loan situation until after I graduated from undergrad.” 

Biology continuing instructor Eric Elias had parents who expected he would go to college, “but I recall feeling the burden of cost,” he says. “Campus visits to [far away] schools would have meant spending money on gas and overnight stays in hotels—expenses that I knew would stretch budgets.” When he got to the University of Minnesota, “all of it felt like flying by the seat of your pants all of the time. It was a lot of trial and error.”

“I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and I didn’t know THAT I didn’t know.” —Professor Lisa Dembouski

Says Lisa Dembouski, professor of Education, who attended the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, “I needed to listen to others, ask questions, find people who could help guide me, and/or just fumble my way through, because I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and I didn’t know that I didn’t know.”

How did these five make it through? “My friends during undergrad really helped me acclimate to the environment,” says Pauly. “Then I connected with Residential Life, and that really was a community I leaned on.” For Kittelson, “No one helped me navigate college beyond providing the ingredients necessary to ‘get the job done.’  No one talked about ‘first-gen’ then.” Gustie alum Kennedy had mentors beginning on Move-In Day. Still, “I had to keep assuring myself that I belonged, even if at times I thought I was a little out of my league. It seemed like the students whose parents had gone to college or had siblings go had a better idea of how to navigate the process.” 

“The academic advising I received in the 1980s pales in comparison to what students experience now at Gustavus.”
—Professor Pamela Kittelson

Now for the key differences. Today, Gustavus first-generation college students and first-generation immigrants still have college knowledge gaps, but the level of support is far greater. These professors and staff members know it—and they are part of it too. 

“Unlike my experience, Gusties have access to multiple, excellent advisors and mentors who can help them navigate their journey,” says Kittelson. Today, as a professor as well as Director of the Fellowships Office, she is particularly attuned to the needs of first-gen students. Says Pauly, “Some students are timid and lack information, so I get to be the person to provide support to them. Others are very thorough, doing most of their college checklist items on their own. I spend a lot of time speaking with them to ensure they are experts at understanding their financial aid.” Says Dembouski, “I try hard to make myself and my work transparent and clear, to anticipate questions or potential points of confusion and mitigate those right away, and make myself accessible and approachable so my students know they can ask for whatever they need. ‘The only stupid question is the unasked one,’ is my mantra.”

This is what Tim Kennedy, who has mentored hundreds of first-generation college students at Gustavus, knows about his fellow firsts: “They are smart, driven, and hungry for experience. They are not afraid to ask for help and they are grateful for the opportunity to get a college education.” He tells them Gustavus, “is the best investment you can possibly make in yourself, and that they are absolutely worth that investment.”

Elias agrees, “because people at Gustavus are deeply invested in their success with the support, resources, and services to overcome many of the barriers and challenges.”

“I can also say the liberal arts have the power to change lives,” says Kittelson. “I know because they changed my life.” 

Support for Today’s Firsts, and Others Too

The Gustie Guarantee is a minimum of $100,000 in scholarships ($25,000 per year; filing the FAFSA is required). For families in Minnesota that make less than $80,000 per year, a student’s first-year tuition is free, with continuing support the following three years. And if a student can’t finish in four years, a ninth semester’s tuition will be covered too.

GAIN Institute, from the Center for Inclusive Excellence, provides mentoring to incoming Gusties who identify as first-generation, multilingual, a person of color, and/or indigenous. It’s a pre-college week of team building, resource connections, networking, college-level academic previews, and campus and community wayfinding.

First Forward Network provides guidance, direction, and resources as students transition from high school to college—and as they continue to navigate their journey through college. 

Peer MALT (Mentor, Academic Leader, and Teacher) is a third- or fourth-year Gustie student who comes into a First Term Seminar each week to share their experiences, discuss the transition to college, and inform first-years about college resources.

Advising Day is a whole day each semester dedicated to personalized academic and career advice tailored to a student’s journey (in addition to their real human advisor from day one).

 Tri-Alpha is a national honor society for first-gen students (current or past), chartered at Gustavus in 2022.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source

Philip Bryant '73 will retire from teaching in 2024 but will continue writing and working on other projects.

Gustavus Adolphus College Professor in English and African Studies Philip Bryant ’73 received the 2024 Faculty Scholarly Achievement Award at the College’s annual Honors Day Convocation on Saturday, May 5.

The award is nominated by the Gustavus faculty and is the highest accolade a faculty member can achieve for distinguished scholarly accomplishments.

Bryant, who is retiring at the end of this academic year after 35 years on the Gustavus faculty, was lauded by Provost Brenda Kelly for his many achievements during his time at Gustavus, including publishing four books of poetry and biographies for young readers, and for work that has appeared in such notable publications as The Iowa Review, The American Poetry Review, and The North Coast Review.

The man students fondly refer to as “Professor B” also has won a Jerome Foundation Grant, the Minnesota Voices Literary Competition, a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Fellowship, and he was also nominated for the Minnesota Book Award for poetry. Bryant has also served on the governing board of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and has twice been a fellow of the Minnesota State Arts Board. He is currently the Hanson-Peterson Endowed Professor of Liberal Studies and previously won the 2021 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching

Grant proposals Bryant wrote collaboratively for the Minnesota Humanities Commission in the 1990s funded two literary reading series, “Yes, Poetry Matters” and “Yes, Literature Matters.” Both series brought nationally recognized writers to the Saint Peter community. And although he is retiring in 2024, Bryant will continue writing and is currently working on another book of poetry.

In addition to his productivity outside the classroom, Bryant is best known around the Hill for what he brings to the everyday learning experience. Students repeatedly have applauded his engaging storytelling, nurturing demeanor, and sense of humor, and the way he uses every opportunity with students to expand the discussions around a lesson. As much as he has inspired them, the feeling is mutual. “The students, they’re so surprising in what they bring to the classroom,” Bryant said upon winning the Carlson award. “Not just information, but a part of themselves. The intellect grows in that kind of environment.”

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First awarded in 1986, the Faculty Scholarly Achievement Award was reestablished in 2004 and is now announced during the annual Honors Day Convocation. Award recipients are nominated for this honor by fellow faculty members based on professional accomplishments regarding research activities in private, public, or corporate settings; publication; presentations at scholarly meetings or conferences; and exhibits or performances.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Source