This section of the News and Media Services department site tracks stories in print and broadcast media that feature Auggie faculty, students, and staff. The area also is home to material developed for University-related programs, events, and more.
2025 marks two important milestones in the relationship between Norway and the United States—the 200th anniversary of the first organized emigration from Norway to North America and the celebration of 100 years of Norwegian-American educational cooperation. Here at Augsburg, it is also the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Augsburg Choir to Norway.
A Century of Educational Cooperation
At an event in Oslo on May 15, Augsburg University alumni joined President Paul Pribbenow and His Majesty King Harald V in recognition of the deep and enduring educational ties between the U.S. and Norway
The event, held at Fanehallen in Akershus Fortress and co-hosted by the Norway-America Association, brought together alumni from from six sister universities, all founded by Norwegian immigrants—institutions which for generations have been bridge-builders between Norway and the United States. With academics, diplomats, business leaders and guests from Norway and the United States, the evening served as a tribute to shared history, knowledge, and future cooperation. Former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee, Ine Eriksen Søreide, gave the keynote speech.
The six universities—Augsburg, Augustana University, Concordia College, Luther College, Pacific Lutheran University and St. Olaf College—were all founded by Norwegian immigrants. For over a hundred years, they have welcomed Norwegian students and maintained strong ties to Norway. At the event, Pribbenow delivered remarks about the importance of the long-term cross-Atlantic collaboration.
“At a time when transatlantic relations are being challenged, it is more important than ever to strengthen student exchanges. The relationship with the United States is about more than trade and defence—it is also about knowledge, understanding and common values,” said Hanne K. Aaberg, Secretary General of the Norway-America Association (NORAM).
NORAM works to promote mutual knowledge and understanding between Norway and North America. For over 100 years, NORAM has worked for transatlantic cooperation and helped more than 5,000 students with scholarships and advising.
Music and Memory
On May 17, members of the 1975 Augsburg Choir returned to campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their choir tour to Norway.
The October 1975 issue of Augsburg Now covered the tour: “In late spring of this year, the Augsburg Choir traveled to Norway as the cultural ambassadors for Minnesota to the first ceremonies in the National Theater in Oslo on Syttende Mai (Norwegian Independence Day – May 17). They traveled under an invitation from Nordmann’s Forbundet, who made all arrangements for them in the Scandinavian countries. Due to Nordmann’s Forbundet arrangements, the choir was well received in 19 cities throughout Norway and Sweden. The reviews were fantastic including, “Without a doubt they (the choir) rank among the ‘world’s elite’ as choirs …” Romesdals folkebald, Molde, Norway … The choir was the first group to be invited to Norway as part of the Sesquicentennial celebration.” Augsburg continued to be heavily involved in the year-long sesquicentennial celebration of the Norwegian immigration to the United States, culminating with a visit to campus by King Olav V in October 1975.
Of the 65 alumni who participated in the 1975 tour, 49 were present for the 2025 reunion, along with several partners and spouses. It was a meaningful day filled with reconnecting, reminiscing, and joining together in song and laughter. The reunion was a special opportunity to honor the lasting friendships, shared history, and enduring power of music that have united Auggies for decades. View photos from the reunion event.
Thor Heyerdahl International Days: November 5–6
Looking ahead, the celebration of 200 years of Norwegian immigration will continue this fall with Thor Heyerdahl International days, a special event to be held November 5–6 on Augsburg’s campus in collaboration with the Thor Heyerdahl Institute (Vestfold Museums), alongside Vestfold and Telemark County Councils, and the Norwegian Crossings 200 Committee. This two-day event—“Migration: Building a Better Future”—will explore the roles of higher education institutions in creating successful immigration stories.
Augsburg University’s Master of Arts in Nursing program has a new name: Nursing Leadership to Advance Health Equity.
The name change, effective in Fall 2025, reflects Augsburg’s deep, long-standing commitments as well as a core focus of the discipline of nursing for the future.
“Nurses are on the front lines when it comes to improving health outcomes for diverse and underserved populations,” said Associate Professor Katie Clark MAN ’10, DNP ’14, who chairs Augsburg’s nursing department. “Our alumni are passionate leaders who are equipped to advance health equity and address the social determinants of health at every level—in the clinic, within complex health care systems, and beyond.”
Students in the nursing leadership program take a total of 33 semester credit hours — eight 3-semester credit hour courses plus 9-semester credits of practicum. Local and global immersion practicum experiences provide opportunities for students to apply knowledge and gain experience partnering with diverse care providers, populations, and communities to address health inequities in creative and relevant ways. Short-term immersion experiences are offered in places like Mexico, Guatemala, Namibia, and Italy.
“At Augsburg, our commitment to mission is not just a discussion—it’s a call to action, and it is woven into everything we do,” said Clark. “This name change represents more clearly who we are as a department and who we aspire to be as a collective with our students.”
Within Augsburg’s School of Health, nursing students focus on interprofessional collaboration to foster just and inclusive care, alongside students studying social work, physician’s assistant/physician’s associate studies, and clinical psychology. In addition to the Master of Arts in Nursing Leadership to Advance Health Equity, Augsburg offers a range of nursing programs and pathways:
On May 8, the Augsburg University community gathered to recognize outstanding faculty contributions during the 2024–25 academic year. This annual celebration recognizes length of service; tenure and promotions; committee, program, and department leadership; grant applications; and individual awards chosen by students and faculty peers.
Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
Three individuals were recognized for their achievement in receiving tenure and promotion to associate professor, effective Fall 2025.
Moumita Dasgupta, physics
Amy Larson, computer science
Juyoung Lee, music therapy
Promotion to Full Professor
Three individuals were recognized for their promotions to full professor effective Fall 2025, in recognition of their exemplary practice and mastery in teaching, scholarship, and leadership.
George Dierberger, business and economics
O. Evren Guler, psychology
Robert Groven, communication studies
Augsburg Day Student Government Excellence in Teaching Award
Summer May ’26 has been awarded a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. Through a highly competitive selection process, the Udall Foundation awards 55 scholarships annually to college sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, public service, academic achievement, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.
May, a member of the Red Lake Nation, is the third Augsburg student to receive a Udall Scholarship. Alongside her environmental studies major, she serves as a teaching facilitator at Red Lake Nation College. In this role she works with tribal elders to co-create online curriculum resources based on Indigenous traditions, values, and ecological knowledge and supports instructors in teaching Anishinaabeg language, history, and culture. She previously co-taught Intro to Anishinaabe Studies and Intro to Ojibwemowin at Red Lake Nation College and served as an Ojibwe language PSEO instructor at Robbinsdale High School.
“These experiences have helped me to realize that each of us has a strength that can be utilized to better the well-being of our community,” said May. “We are all born with the responsibility to uphold and use this strength for those presently, and those seven generations from now. It’s an honor to be able to serve my community and aid in the preservation and continuation of the Ojibwe cultural language and teachings.”
Through her work and her studies, May aims to further establish environmental curricula and programs that are grounded in Anishinaabeg values, with a goal of helping Red Lake Nation College and other institutions transition toward environmental sustainability. Ultimately, she hopes to develop outreach programs that make eco-centric knowledge available beyond academic spaces.
“Summer listens closely to folks of every sort and shares wonder without naiveté,” said Professor Michael Lansing, who nominated May for the Udall Scholarship. “Her ability to be true to herself, her considerable insights, and her closely-held commitments is matched by her willingness to learn from and honor others. It’s a potent combination, one that builds on a foundation of personal and intellectual integrity, and one that ensures she has an especially bright future.”
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship honors the legacies of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. Udall Scholars receive up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses and benefit from professional development and training opportunities with environmental and Native professionals, other scholars, and the Udall alumni network.
Augsburg University will celebrate the class of 2025 at an in-person commencement ceremony at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Friday, May 9. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m.
The ceremony recognizes candidates in Augsburg’s two doctoral, nine master’s, and three bachelor’s degree programs:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Master of Arts in Education
Master of Arts in Teaching
Master of Arts in Leadership
Master of Arts in Nursing
Master of Business Administration
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Master of Music Therapy
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Master of Social Work
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Science
Augsburg’s commencement ceremony includes an address by a student speaker and the presentation of two student awards. the Richard J. Thoni Award is given to one member of the graduating class whose actions, commitments, and future aspirations represent commitments to community, hospitality, and innovation. The Marina Christensen Justice Award is given to one member of the senior class whose actions, commitments, and future aspirations most profoundly exemplify Augsburg’s motto: “Education for Service.” Flags displayed at commencement represent sovereign nations of American Indian students and countries of the international students graduating in the ceremony.
Tickets are required to attend in person, but the ceremony will also be livestreamed. Follow the celebration through the hashtag #AuggieGrad on all social media platforms, where students will be sharing images of the celebration.
Amy Cooper has been named Augsburg University’s athletic director effective June 1, 2025.
“After a nationwide search for our next athletic director, we could not be more pleased to welcome Amy Cooper to the Auggie athletics family,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow. “With experience as a student-athlete, coach, and administrator, Amy is a seasoned leader who has operated at every level of NCAA athletics. Most importantly, she grounds her expertise in a deep commitment to ensuring that every student-athlete, regardless of background, has the opportunity to succeed.”
Cooper currently serves as senior associate athletics director at the University of St. Thomas, where she has led the university’s transition to NCAA Division I. In her current role, she oversees compliance, financial operations, and gender equity, and holds sport administration responsibility for baseball, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, and volleyball. She previously served as associate athletic director of administration at Howard University, director of athletics at Trinity Washington University, and in coaching roles at South Carolina State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, and Prairie View A&M University.
“Returning to my Minneapolis roots in a leadership role at Augsburg is an opportunity to serve the community that shaped me,” said Cooper, who grew up in South Minneapolis and attended Washburn High School. A standout student-athlete and Athena Award winner at Washburn, she competed in soccer, track and field, basketball, and swimming and diving, earning all-metro, all-conference, and all-state honors in soccer. As an undergraduate, she played for HowardUniversity, the only HBCU with a women’s soccer team at the time, and became the first femaleHBCU player to earn all-conference honors (All-Big South). She holds a Master of Education from Prairie View A&M University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University. Earlier this year, she received the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award from the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership.
“Augsburg’s mission aligns deeply with my own commitments to access and student-centered learning,” Cooper said. “Throughout my career, I have championed spaces where all student-athletes feel valued and empowered. I believe athletics is a transformative vehicle, and I want to continue fostering that experience at Augsburg.”
More than 400 Augsburg student-athletes compete across 22 varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level. Reporting directly to the university president, the athletic director is responsible for the leadership, strategic planning, management, and administration of the athletic program. In this role, Cooper will oversee budgets, personnel, planning, fundraising, marketing, media contract negotiations, and the student-athlete experience. She succeeds Jeff Swenson ’79, who will transition to a special assistant role in the Office of the President at the end of May.
Two Augsburg undergraduate students, Ethiopia Kebede ’25 and Mitchel Munzing ’26, have been named 2025–26 Goldwater Scholars. The Goldwater Scholarship, one of the top undergraduate STEM awards in the country, recognizes outstanding students who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Kebede, a physics major, aims to pursue a PhD in astrophysics with a focus in stellar physics and eventually teach at the undergraduate level. In addition to conducting space physics research at Augsburg with Professor Emeritus Mark Engebretson, she creates and shares free math videos via YouTube to address the shortage of STEM educators in remote places.
“One of my memories from grade school is rotating the handle of a generator in a physics lab,” said Kebede. “I remember feeling satisfied when the generator finally lit up the bulb attached to it. From then on, I enjoyed science as a clever way of solving problems. I am excited to pursue a lifelong career in the subject that I love—physics.”
Munzing, a biochemistry major, intends to pursue a PhD to continue research in organic and green chemistry. Outside of the classroom, he is a member and incoming captain of the Augsburg men’s soccer team, where he has been recognized with the Ed Saugestad Award for outstanding student-athlete.
“This past summer I had the opportunity to conduct research in an organic chemistry lab with Dr. Michael Wentzel,” said Munzing. “While at the start the experiments I ran didn’t go as planned, eventually I was able to synthesize biologically significant compounds. Spending the necessary time to [become an expert in a specific field] requires patience, but the reward of discovery makes it worth it.”
This year, Augsburg is one of Minnesota’s top producers of Goldwater Scholars. Applicants for the Goldwater Scholarship are nominated by faculty, sponsored by their academic institutions, and selected by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. Kebede and Munzing were chosen from a pool of 1,350 applicants nationwide.
“To have two winners is really terrific,” said Professor Jacqueline deVries, who supports students through the application process as director of major grants and fellowships in Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO). “The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships an undergraduate can win in science, engineering, and mathematics.”
The University of Chicago Divinity School announced this week that Paul Pribbenow, AM ’79, PhD ’93, president of Augsburg University, has been named the 2025 Alum of the Year. This honor recognizes Pribbenow’s distinguished career in higher education, his commitment to civic engagement, and his leadership in fostering inclusive and ethical communities.
Since assuming the presidency of Augsburg University in 2006, Pribbenow has been a champion for access and equity in education, working to expand opportunities for students from myriad backgrounds. Under his leadership, Augsburg has strengthened its commitment to urban education, interfaith dialogue, and community-based learning, reflecting a deep alignment with the Divinity School’s mission of rigorous inquiry and engagement with society’s most pressing moral and ethical questions.
“I am deeply humbled and honored by this recognition, which is especially poignant following the death of Professor Martin Marty, who so influenced the trajectory of my life and leadership,” Pribbenow said. “The ideas that shaped me as a student have continued to anchor my work in the decades since: that religion can be a force for good in the world, that pluralism is a source of strength, and that education is the heart of a thriving society.”
Pribbenow, who earned his PhD in social ethics, is widely recognized for his scholarship in philanthropy, ethics, and public life. His work bridges academic inquiry and practical leadership, demonstrating how theological and ethical perspectives can positively influence institutions and communities. Beyond his role at Augsburg, he has contributed to numerous civic and higher education initiatives, reinforcing his reputation as a thoughtful and engaged leader in both academic and public spheres.
“Paul Pribbenow exemplifies the values of the Divinity School through his unwavering commitment to ethical leadership and the transformative power of education,” James T. Robinson, dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School, said. “We are happy to recognize him as our 2025 Alum of the Year, celebrating his impact as both a scholar and a leader who continues to shape public life with wisdom and integrity.”
A vital member of the Divinity School community, Pribbenow’s engagement in the life of the school has been significant. While he matriculated, he managed Swift Hall’s student-run coffee shop, Grounds of Being, from which all proceeds benefit the Divinity Student Council. As an alum, he continues to be active as a current member of the Divinity School Advisory Council, serving at various intervals since 1996.
The University of Chicago Divinity School will celebrate Pribbenow’s achievements at an awards ceremony on May 2, 2025. As part of the event, he will deliver a keynote address entitled “Wrestling with Angels: Higher Education Leadership in a Moral Key,” reflecting on his career, the role of ethics in public leadership, and the enduring impact of his Divinity School education.
Every year, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) awards individuals who have made a difference in their state’s social work field. NASW-MN recently named Kao Nou Moua the 2025 Tony Bibus Social Work Faculty of the Year for her leadership and commitment to student success.
Moua serves as assistant professor of social work as well as the Master of Social Work program director at Augsburg University. “Kao Nou is truly a superstar of our department in every way, and I’m thrilled that she’s receiving this recognition from NASW,” says Erin Sugrue, associate professor and chair of Augsburg’s social work department. The award is named after the late Professor Emeritus Anthony Bibus III, who spent over 20 years at Augsburg in addition to serving on the NASW national board.
“I’m grateful to be recognized by my social work peers to receive an award named in honor of Tony Bibus, who passed away last year,” says Moua. “Most importantly, it’s a privilege to be nominated by our wonderful students at Augsburg, who allow me to live out my calling as an educator and advocate.”
At a special presentation earlier this month, the Augsburg University Physician Assistant Studies Program received the Golisano Health Leadership Award from Special Olympics Minnesota.
For more than three years, Augsburg has proudly partnered with Special Olympics to integrate an inclusive curriculum for more than 100 PA students and faculty. What started as a classroom lecture has evolved into a multifaceted partnership, including:
Panel presentations by Special Olympics Ambassadors, where students gain firsthand insights from athletes into the principle of “Nothing about me, without me!” in patient care.
Immersive experiences, such as healthy athlete annual physical exam screenings.
Hands-on training sessions with athletes during simulated clinic visits.
More than 250 hours of Special Olympics volunteer work at the Community Health Fair, Polar Plunge, and sporting events.
“These initiatives not only enrich our students’ education but also prepare them to meet the evolving needs of our communities,” said Vanessa Bester, associate professor of PA studies and director of Augsburg’s School of Health. “We are deeply honored to be recognized for this partnership and the impactful work we continue to do.”
The Golisano Award recognizes health champions—leaders and organizations—that are making a significant contribution to equal access to health, fitness, or wellness for people with intellectual disabilities. It is the highest Special Olympics honor for health partners and serves to promote awareness of the progress and extraordinary efforts toward fulfilling the goals, values, and mission of Special Olympics Health work.
“It’s really reassuring to know that the future generation of PAs are going to be more comfortable working with our athletes and they feel comfortable going to you,” said Jeff Prendergast, senior health programs manager at Special Olympics Minnesota, who presented the award. “I know that if I have an athlete or family looking for care and I find someone that has been educated and trained at Augsburg, I feel very comfortable referring them to you.”
On May 17, members of the 1975 Augsburg Choir returned to campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their choir tour to Norway. 
