Month: August 2026

Nora Krug. Photo by Nina Subin

Nora Krug, author of “Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home,” will give the Luther College Opening Convocation address on Thursday, Sept. 3. Convocation begins at 9:40 a.m. in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Krug is associate professor of illustration at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Her 228-page visual memoir “Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home” wrestles with the idea of “Heimat,” the German word for the place that first forms us, where the sensibilities and identity of one generation pass on to the next.

In this visual memoir — equal parts graphic novel, family scrapbook and investigative narrative — Krug draws on letters, archival material, flea market finds and photographs to attempt to understand what it means to belong. A wholly original record of a German woman’s struggle with the weight of catastrophic history, “Belonging” is also a reflection on the responsibility that we all have as inheritors of our countries’ pasts, according to the author’s website.

“Belonging” will be the first book discussed by Luther students enrolled in Paideia for the fall 2026 semester.

“‘Belonging’ asks questions about the boundaries between individual, family and national identities, and about the gap between self-perception and how others see oneself,” said Brian P. Caton, director of the Paideia program at Luther College.

“Belonging” was chosen as a best book of the year by the New York Times, the Guardian, NPR, Kirkus Review, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Boston Globe. It was the winner of the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, the Art Directors Club Gold and Discipline Winner Cubes, the Society of Illustrators Silver Medal, and the British Book Design and Production Award, among others.

Krug holds a bachelor’s degree from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a Diplom in visual communications from the University of Arts Berlin, and an M.F.A. in illustration as a visual essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She was a fellow at Yale University’s Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies in 2024 and 2025, and was a fellow at the American Academy in Berlin.

Longtime Luther College Director of Facilities Services Jay Uthoff posthumously received the 2026 Spirit of Luther award for his “unwavering dedication” to Luther’s mission on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Luther College President Brad Chamberlain presented the award to Uthoff’s wife, Kathy, during the college’s annual Service of Dedication in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. Uthoff died on Dec. 23, 2025.

“Over an extraordinary career spanning 41.5 years, Jay served Luther College with unwavering dedication,” Chamberlain said. “Despite a relentless avalanche of daily demands, Jay cheerfully chipped away at his to-do list without ever showing resentment or grumpiness. A genuine servant leader, he always found time to pause for a conversation or share a chuckle with community members. His profound affection for Luther’s students, faculty and staff was deeply mutual. Jay’s lifetime of exemplary service leaves a lasting legacy, and he is missed profoundly across campus.”

In 1984 Uthoff was hired as an electrician at Luther College. He advanced to the position of lead electrician in 1990, electrical supervisor in 1994 and manager of trade services in 1997.

Uthoff played an instrumental role on campus. He was a member of the building construction teams for Baker Village, the Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, the aquatic center, Center for the Arts and many more facility improvement projects. In 2013, Uthoff was named director of facilities services.

“The scope of Jay’s stewardship was vast,” Chamberlain said. “He oversaw a large and complicated campus network that included buildings, grounds and roads as well as steam tunnels and an underground electrical distribution system. During his tenure, several campus facilities were built or remodeled. Jay worked hand-in-hand with contractors to guarantee the work was finished on schedule. He was equally steadfast during emergency crises, guiding the campus through two 500-year floods in the span of eight years.”

Uthoff also played a pivotal role in the college’s sustainability initiatives, including the installation of Luther’s wind turbine and several large solar arrays, as well as investments in hybrid vehicles and a bio-diesel production facility.

“Jay was proud that Luther was a sustainability leader,” Chamberlain said.

The Spirit of Luther Award recognizes individuals or couples who have provided significant sustained service to the college. This award recognizes persons who have demonstrated a personal commitment to Luther’s mission, quality and character. Recipients are endorsed by the Faculty Honorary Degrees Committee and chosen by the president of Luther College.

David Epstein

Luther College is pleased to announce New York Times bestselling author David Epstein will give a lecture about the value of a liberal arts education at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on campus.

His lecture at Luther College is supported by the Elwin D. and Helen Farwell Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment. Luther College students, faculty, staff, emeriti faculty and retired staff will be admitted at no charge by showing their Luther College ID card.

The public is invited to purchase general seating tickets for $10 each plus transaction fees. Tickets are on sale now at the Luther Ticket Office and online at tickets.luther.edu.

Drawing on his insights from his book, “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,” Epstein will make the case that in most career fields — especially those that are complex, unpredictable and difficult to automate — graduates with a liberal arts education are primed to excel. Using research to dismantle the myth that specialization is the key to high performance, Epstein will discuss how a liberal arts curriculum at colleges, such as Luther College, provides a foundation for individuals to think flexibly and expansively. As a result, a liberal arts education produces graduates who are aware, perceptive, critical and creative, and it gives them the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

“At Luther College, we know that the best preparation for an uncertain future is a broad course of study that develops whole persons,” said Luther College President Brad Chamberlain. “We also understand how nurturing a guiding purpose inspires and equips students with the tools and dispositions to be global citizens working to make a difference in the world.”

Epstein’s latest book, “Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better” was published in May 2026 and became an instant New York Times best seller. Building on questions that arose from “Range,” “Inside the Box” examines how constraints, limitations and restrictions can actually be catalysts for creativity, collaboration, contentment, resilience and reinvention in today’s rapidly changing business environments.

“With his two New York Times best sellers, David Epstein affirms the impact of Luther’s approach to learning, explaining why generalists triumph in a specialized world and how a disciplined approach to analyzing, connecting and formulating ideas enable us to engage society’s most pressing challenges and identify innovative solutions,” Chamberlain said.

Both “Range” and “Inside the Box” will be available for purchase in the lobby before and after the lecture. Epstein is planning to sign books following his lecture.

Before becoming an author, Epstein was a science and investigative reporter at ProPublica and a senior writer at Sports Illustrated. His writing has been honored by an array of organizations, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, to the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Center on Disability and Journalism, and has been included in the Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 12 million times.

Epstein has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism. An avid runner, he was a Columbia University record holder and twice NCAA All-East as an 800-meter runner.