Summer 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2012,
 
Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times and, for a variety of reasons, a few Class Agents were unable to write their class letters this spring. We look forward to sending you a letter from your agent this fall, but, in the meantime, we wanted to send you an update from the college and your class notes.

Luther College has just wrapped up a spring semester like no other. Our students participated in remote learning, connecting with their professors and classmates online and on Sunday, May 24, we celebrated the Class of 2020 with a virtual commencement . It certainly wasn't the spring semester we imagined, but the Luther community responded with resiliency and creativity.

In the midst of the uncertainty of a worldwide pandemic, in the United States and at Luther, we also confront centuries of racism that has led to oppression, injustices, and inequities.
 
We must strive to make this world a better place for our neighbors who experience systemic oppression. Luther College is preparing to be a leader in the difficult and painful conversations that will take place over the coming months and years and I invite you to view Pres. Ward's message regarding the college's action steps .

Especially now, gifts to the Luther Fund can make a big difference in supporting students as they navigate all that's ahead. If you can, please consider making a gift today.

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during these times.

Many thanks for your steadfast love and support.
 
Mariah Bringer Smith ‘95
Director of Development, Current Gifts
College Updates:



  • ICYMI (in case you missed it): the second issue of Norse Notes is available!

  • Luther is now a Bee Campus USA affiliate, recognizing the benefit to pollinators that Luther has been providing through our sustainability and land stewardship efforts over the years.

  • Luther's Ideas and Creations blog is an excellent way to keep up with what we're talking about in our community. The latest post, What is Juneteenth, by Professor of Religion, Guy Nave, is timely and informative.


  • Luther College and Northeast Iowa Community College are partnering in an effort to meet growing workforce needs in the social work field. The two institutions partnered to create an A.A. to B.A. Social Work Transfer Pathway. This agreement will provide students the opportunity to complete an A.A. at NICC with credits that directly transfer to Luther, allowing them to obtain their B.A. in social work in only two additional years.

  • Beginning in the fall of 2020, Luther College will offer a program to equip students with the knowledge and skills to improve the health and wellness of people worldwide. The new program, global health, is an interdisciplinary field that addresses health, health equity, and socioeconomic concerns of people around the world. Students will be trained to understand the complex interactions among social, political, environmental and cultural forces that shape the health status of populations across the globe.They will be encouraged to understand the implications of inequalities domestically and globally and begin to take steps toward positive change. After students graduate from Luther with a degree in global health, they will be qualified for careers such as health program coordinators or policy analysts in a variety of domestic and international health organizations. They will also be prepared to pursue a master's degree in public health, global health or another health-related field, and have the option to gain further expertise through a doctoral program.

‌

 CLASS NOTES
Eric Eitrheim of Oklahoma City is an assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Mathematics and Science at the University of Central Oklahoma. He was named a Virtual, Inorganic, Pedagogical, Electronic Resource (VIPEr) Fellow in an innovative national study. The study will use classroom observations, analysis of student work, student surveys and faculty interviews to study how changes in the classroom affect student learning, interest and motivation.

Jeff Emerson is research associate II at Kemin Industries in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kristi (Holmberg) Grieder graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary and is pastro at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Waterloo, Iowa.

Erik Hageness is home sales counselor at Plus Relocation Services in Minneapolis.

Shelby Klein is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor at Zumbro Valley Health Center in Rochester, Minn.

Augie Lindmark earned the medical doctorate from the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed an Oryema Fellowship in social medicine. He also received a Nicholas Skala Health Activist Award for work related to health reform and Medicare for All advocacy. He is a resident physician in primary care and HIV medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn.

Samantha McAllister earned the MS degree in genetic counseling from Augustana University, and is a licensed genetic counselor at Integrated Genetics in Los Angeles.

Heidi (Darrington) and Bryce Muenchow ‘15 live in Horicon, Wis. She is youth and family leader at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, and he teaches grades 6-12 music for the Dodgeland School District.

Erin Mykleby earned a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Iowa. She is assistant athletics director for development at New Mexico State University in Carlsbad, N.M.

Daniel Ridenour earned the MS degree in exercise science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is senior performance specialist at Ignition Athletic Performance group, and director of athletic performance at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio.

John Stender earned the MM degree in organ and sacred music from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He is director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Rochester, Minn.

Jessica Streeter earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from the University of Iowa and completed a postgraduate family nurse practitioner program at the University of Cincinnati. She is practicing at the Pella Regional Health Center’s Diabetes Management Clinic in Pella, Iowa.

Jake Wittman is a PhD student in entomology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.


MARRIAGES

EMILY BERKELAND and Logan Van Scoyk, Nov. 23, 2019

MELISSA ERICKSON and MICHAEL CROWE '13, Oct. 26, 2019

KATRINA HOUMES and Sean Atwell, Oct. 12, 2019

MELANIE KIRK and Matthew Gibbs, Sept. 14, 2019

ABBY KRIENER and Alex Abreu, July 28, 2018

KATIE MOAN and T.J. Dexter, Aug. 3, 2019

KAYLA NORMAN and CHRIS NEVALA-PLAGEMANN '11, Aug. 24, 2019

AMY SANDAGER and Mark Lobas, July 5, 2019

DREW WOJCIEHOWSKI and Rebecca Rabideaux, Oct. 5, 2019


BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS

Ben Erik, in October 2019, child of KATE (DOTY) and Jarrod Batchelder

Lottie Marie, in November 2019, child of CASSIE (TYSLAND) '10 and JACOB FOUTS

Taygan, in July 2019, child of ASHLIE (PATTEN) LEE and CORY LEE '09

Parker Jerome, in September 2019, child of MANDIE (MICKELSON) and GREG SIEMS

Oliver Dean, in May 2018, child of Kalee and ALLAN SWEET