Summer 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2015,
 
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.

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CLASS NOTES


Timothy Bumpus received the The Gordon Hammes Scholar Award which honors the young scientists responsible for the very best papers published in Biochemistry and seeks to recognize those at the bench – graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates – for the outstanding work they do. The award is sponsored jointly by Biochemistry and the ACS Division of Biological Chemistry. Timothy was selected as this year’s winner from a large applicant pool based on his first-author paper, “Ex Uno Plura: Differential Labeling of Phospholipid Biosynthetic Pathways with a Single Bioorthogonal Alcohol,” published earlier this year as part of the Future of Biochemistry Special Issue. Timothy presented a talk and received his award during the 256th ACS National Meeting & Exposition at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Bumpus is currently a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Kaley Herman is data manager for Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health in Duluth, Minn.

Nils Johnson is an associate attorney in the litigation division of the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa.

Karly Karst earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing, and is a registered nurse at Southside Community Health Services in Minneapolis.

Sarah King is a strategic planner at EXOS in Phoenix, Ariz.

Kat Marlow is a supervisor at Estep & Company in Columbus, Ind.
Emily (Betts) and Christian Moore ‘17 live in Cottage Grove, Minn. Emily is senior manager of operations at Self Esteem Brands, and Christian is program manager at Basecamp Fitness.

Hannah Parker is milieu treatment coordinator at Orchard Place in Des Moines, Iowa.

Victoria Peters is an adjunct music history professor and academic administrative assistant for the College of Fine Arts at North Central University in Minneapolis.

Alli (Kephart) and Andrew Tjossem ‘13 live in Fort Collins, Colo. She teaches K-5 music for the Poudre School District, and he is a software engineer at Keysight Technologies.


MARRIAGES

TAYLOR BALOGA and SPENCER LOUFEK, Aug. 3, 2019

KATE BJERKE and MICAH BALLEW '13, Sept. 14, 2019

SARAH FLODEN and Patrick Kolker, June 1, 2019

EVAN GARDNER and EMMA STIVERS '17, Aug. 10, 2019

CARRIE KILEN and JW SLAUSON, Dec. 14, 2019

ANDREA MALEK and JAMISON ASH '13, Aug. 10, 2019

KATE MANNING and Jordan Moberg, July 13, 2019

BAILEY MULHOLLAND and Michael Martof, June 8, 2019

SHELBY POFAHL and Derek Beilke, Aug. 25, 2018

KRISTEN SYVERUD and ZAC PEARSON '14, Sept. 29, 2018

EMMA ZITTERGRUEN and Zach Kockler, Nov. 11, 2018


BIRTHS

Aaron William, in June 2019, child of STEPHANIE (LAKE) and Nicholas Eliason

Eleanor Josephine, in January 2018, child of HEATHER (MARKING) and Josh Moechnig

Clara Catherine, in August 2019, child of ELIZABETH (REED) and Nathan Wiese