Month: May 2026

Orçun Selçuk, associate professor of political science and director of the International Studies Program at Luther College, has been selected for a Fulbright Global Scholar Award for 2026-27. The prestigious Fulbright Global Scholar Award encourages international connections and fosters understanding and cooperation across nations.

Orçun Selçuk

Selçuk plans to research social and political cleavages in Colombia, Ecuador and Turkey during his sabbatical leave in the spring 2027 semester.

“Colombia, Ecuador and Turkey may seem like an unlikely combination at first. However, all three countries have deeply rooted social divisions that contribute to the rise of polarizing leaders,” Selçuk said.

During his research, Selçuk will collaborate with scholars at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá, Colombia, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, and Özyeğin University in Istanbul, Turkey.

“I am proud to represent Luther College through this multi-country and cross-regional sabbatical project. I hope it will open new doors for our students and faculty through future partnerships with my host institutions in Bogotá, Quito and Istanbul.”

Selçuk joined Luther College in 2019. He earned a Ph.D. in political science from Florida International University. He regularly teaches courses in global politics, Latin American politics and comparative politics. He is the faculty advisor to Luther’s Model United Nations student organization.

In 2025, Selçuk was named the Rev. John and Barbara Melin Professor in International Studies at Luther College. This endowed professorship was established by Rev. John Melin ’70 (1947-2024) and Barbara Melin. The award recognizes the critical role that dedicated faculty in the international studies program at Luther play in a globalized world where international concerns impact almost all areas of our lives.

Selçuk’s book, “The Authoritarian Divide: Populism, Propaganda, and Polarization,” which examines the relationship between populism and polarization through leaders in Turkey, Venezuela and Ecuador, was published in 2024 by the University of Notre Dame Press.

About the Fulbright Program 

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 as a bold investment in global peace and American prosperity through educational and cultural exchange. The Fulbright Program is marking its 80th anniversary in 2026, which coincides with America’s 250th anniversary celebration. This dual milestone provides an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the Fulbright Program’s role in America’s legacy of leadership, innovation, international collaboration, and American excellence.

Fulbright provides opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. For eight decades, Fulbrighters have been leaders at the forefront of discovery and innovation, conducting cutting edge research, advancing critical industries, and preparing future generations with new skills and perspectives. Fulbrighters have included 46 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 83 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders in all sectors and industries across the United States and around the world.

Justin Kroll has been appointed assistant professor of music at Luther College for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year, Provost Pam Bacon announced.

Justin Kroll

“Justin’s passion for vocal instruction, extensive experience directing and performing in operas, and dedication to student success make him a welcome addition to the Luther music department,” Bacon said.

Kroll brings his considerable tenor voice and performance resume to Decorah from his current position as the assistant professor of voice and director of opera workshop at Northeastern State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the music faculty at Luther College and at the opportunity to contribute to such a well-respected music program,” Kroll said. “I have admired the legacy of music making at Luther, especially that of the Nordic Choir, since my own time as a collegiate choral singer, and I am excited to be able to learn and grow with the students and faculty in Decorah to contribute to that legacy.”

As a performer, Kroll has had a wide range of recent appearances on stage from Opera Idaho to the Madison Symphony. Currently, he is a member of the Filstrup Resident Artist Company at the Tulsa Opera. He was previously an emerging artist with Opera Idaho in Boise, Idaho, and a Bonfils-Stanton Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera in Central City, Colorado.

His recent roles include Tamino in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Nemorino in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore,” Riccardo Percy in Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena,” Cavaradossi in Puccini’s “Tosca,” Don José in Bizet’s “Carmen,” Arturo in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor,” and Malcolm in Verdi’s “Macbeth.”

In competition, Kroll was a semifinalist for the 2023 Rochester International Voice Competition and earned a fourth place honor in the 39th annual Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition in Palm Springs, California. He represented the United States in a wide range of international events from the University of South Africa International Voice Competition in Pretoria to the Linus Lerner International Voice Competition in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Kroll began his academic journey in his native Texas, first with an associate of arts degree in music from McLennan Community College before earning his bachelor of music in music history and literature from Baylor University. He continued at Baylor to earn his master of music degree in voice performance. He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Prior to joining NSU, he served as an instructor of voice at McLennan Community College, and presented master classes at Boise State University, University of Idaho and Brigham Young University–Idaho.

For the first time, Luther College will host a 20-sided summer camp. The overnight camp will take place from June 26-28 and is open to students entering grades 10th through 12th and recent high school graduates.

Sören Steding, professor of German at Luther College, plays a role-playing tabletop board game with several college students at Preus Library.

The summer camp’s name, 20-sided, refers to a 20-sided die that is central to popular fantasy role-playing tabletop board games like Dungeons and Dragons. In these games, players do more than simply roll a die and move a token. Players encounter quests and battles that require group collaboration, puzzle-solving and improvisation. Each player has an assigned role with special abilities but also has the freedom to explore new characters and test the boundaries of the environment managed by the dungeon master. The result is a complex, unpredictable game.

“It’s a real-world scenario in a fantasy setting. As the students play the game at the summer camp, they are investigating ethics and testing out the consequences of their actions in a collaborative environment, and it’s all wrapped around creativity,” said Joe Madrigal, associate professor of art at Luther. “The students learn by doing.”

The 20-sided summer camp will combine storytelling, art, and strategy. Participants will develop critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and creativity — skills that directly support academic success and intellectual growth.

“Students interested in developing any of these skills should consider this camp,” Madrigal said.

At the camp, students will also participate in hobby-based workshops, like scene and model painting. No prior experience is required, Madrigal said.

Madrigal, along with Sören Steding, professor of German; Ben Moore, professor of art; and Bobby Vrtis, associate professor of theatre, are organizing this camp together. The group has been playing tabletop role-playing games together in their free time for years.

The camp provides a new option for area students to experience life at Luther. For decades, Luther has hosted Dorian Summer Camp for musicians and sports camps for athletes. Madrigal is looking forward to providing this opportunity for high school students interested in the arts.

Charles Baldwin is joining the Luther College faculty this fall as assistant professor of music and director of orchestral activities for the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, Provost Pam Bacon announced this week.

Charles Baldwin

“We’re pleased to welcome Dr. Baldwin to Luther College,” Bacon said. “I want to thank the members of our search committee and our music faculty for their participation in the search for our next symphony director.”

“Dr. Baldwin values the pursuit of musical excellence in a liberal arts environment, and we are excited to welcome him to our department,” said Heather Armstrong and Brooke Joyce, co-heads of the Luther College Music Department. “His commitment to programming music from the orchestra’s long tradition, along with new and diverse repertoire, will have a positive impact on Luther’s orchestra program.”

Currently serving as artistic director of the Carolina Youth Symphony and conductor of its Symphony Orchestra in Greenville, South Carolina, Baldwin is also conductor of the Emory University Chamber Orchestra and assistant conductor of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra in Decatur, Georgia.

“I’m deeply honored and grateful to the committee and Provost Bacon for this opportunity to join a school, a department, and a program I love very much,” Baldwin said. “It’s impossible to fully express my affection for Luther, my belief in its vision, my commitment to its bright future, and my excitement to be part of the great learning and musicmaking that goes on here.”

After graduating summa cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor of music in piano performance, Baldwin earned master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees in orchestral conducting with continued studies in piano performance from the University of North Texas in Denton.

In addition to his academic and music performance resume, Baldwin brings a deep knowledge of Luther College from his youth in Decorah. His father, Dan Baldwin, served as the director of orchestra activities from 1997 to 2025.

“I grew up on the green lawn of Luther’s campus, in the halls of Jenson-Noble, and in the vast expanse of the Center for Faith and Life,” Charles Baldwin said. “Over the years, I became acquainted not only with Luther’s rich and celebrated musical tradition but also with generations of its students, faculty and staff.”

Baldwin has been a guest conductor of the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as a long-term substitute teacher at Decorah High School and music director and conductor of four New Minowa Players Young People’s Productions in Decorah.

His guest conducting includes work with the Emory University Symphony Orchestra; the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra; the Emory Wind Ensemble; the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas; the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon in Medford, Oregon; and the Advanced Cello Choir of South Carolina CELLObration 2025 in Greenville.

In addition to his orchestral experience, Baldwin has contributed to numerous productions of opera and musical theater at the University of North Texas; Emory University; Furman University; The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia; and New Minowa Players.