Author: Luther College News

DECORAH, IOWA—This 2023 homecoming season, Luther College continues the tradition of presenting the Weston Noble, Dr. Carlo A. Sperati, Presser Scholar and Hemp Prize awards. Student and alumni award winners are recognized each year during the annual Homecoming Concert.

2023 Weston Noble Award

Jan (Bakker) Knutson, class of 1978, is the 2023 recipient of the Weston Noble Award. Weston Noble served on the music faculty at Luther College from 1948 to 2005. During that time, the college grew in numbers, in national reputation and Noble became a leader in training trailblazers in the field of music education. Established in 2004, the Weston Noble Award recognizes music educators who honor and continue Noble’s legacy.

During her time at Luther, Knutson established herself as an exceptional musician and young conductor. After graduating from Luther, she began teaching elementary school music in Charles City, Iowa, and earned a graduate degree in music education and vocal performance from Florida State University.

From 2002 to 2021, Knutson served as the director of choirs and department chair at Parker High School in Janesville, Wisconsin. Under her direction, Parker High School’s a cappella choir toured across the country including in Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia and San Antonio. The group was also a featured choir in the Dorian Choral Invitational at Luther College.

Knutson founded Parker Arts Academy, which integrates an arts-focused curriculum into general high school education. She now serves as coordinator for the academy.

Knutson has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Florentine Opera Young Artist Career Development Program, the Jerry Hall of Fame Award, a Herb Kohl Teaching Fellowship and Teacher of the Year in the Janesville School District.

2023 Dr. Carlo A. Sperati Award

Gene Anderson, class of 1963, is the 2023 recipient of the Dr. Carlo A. Sperati Award. Sperati, a pillar of Luther College and the Lutheran music tradition, was the conductor of the Luther College Concert Band for 38 years until his retirement in 1943. His work ethic and demand for perfection and patience when working with music students are part of the identity of the Luther College Music Department to this day. This award recognizes those traits in music educators as they follow in Sperati’s footsteps.

After graduating from Luther, Anderson taught in public schools across Iowa for nine years before earning a master’s degree in woodwind performance from the University of Iowa. He taught at Winona State University for three years before returning to Iowa City and completing a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in 1978. He took a job at Monmouth College, where he taught music theory in addition to directing the college’s band and serving as chair of the music department. In 1983, he earned an additional Ph.D. in music theory with a dissertation on Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Traité de l’harmonie.

Anderson then worked as the director of bands and a music theory instructor for 20 years at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He was named head of the music department, a role he spent 13 years in, before retiring in 2017. Anderson formed Doctors of Jazz, an ensemble made up of university colleagues. They have played in Europe and continue to play around Richmond and at the occasional jazz festival.

2023 Presser Scholar Award

Malachi Retmann, class of 2024, is the recipient of the 2023 Presser Scholar Award. The Presser Scholar Award was established in 1939 by the Presser Foundation in honor of Theodore Presser, the publisher of Etude music magazine and founder of the music publishing firm bearing his name. The award, funded by a monetary gift from the Presser Foundation of Haverford, Pennsylvania, is presented annually to a current Luther music major chosen by a music faculty vote by consideration of excellence and merit.

Rettmann, a double major in music and management, is from Madison, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra for six years. He has studied bass performance during his time at Luther.

In the summer of 2022, Rettmann completed a Student-Faculty Summer Research Project, along with his mentor Andi Beckendorf, on how to improve recruiting and marketing for Luther College’s Dorian Summer Music Camps.

Rettmann is now working on his senior capstone project, which examines how to manage and promote diversity in the professional orchestra world. After graduation, he plans to use this research as part of a career in arts and music administration.

2023 Hemp Prize

Emma Prostine, class of 2024, is the 2023 recipient of the Hemp Prize. The Richard C. and Joann M. Hemp Family Prize for Orchestra Performance is given annually to a senior member of the Luther College Symphony Orchestra. The $8,000 scholarship is funded through an endowment established by Richard, class of 1964, and Joann (Harr) Hemp, class of 1965. Richard Hemp is a regent emeritus, former chair of the Luther College Board of Regents and former interim president of Luther College. The auditioned prize awards students of exceptional performance, talent, musicianship and leadership.

Prostine, a violinist, came to Luther because of the school’s orchestra program. She has served as the principal second violin in the Luther College Orchestra for the past three years. Prostine attended Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she represented her school in the All-State Orchestra playing violin.

Prostine, a chemistry major, serves as president of the Chemistry Club and a Health Sciences Club executive. She also received the Adrien Docken Award for Excellence in Chemistry. After graduating from Luther, she plans to attend University of Iowa next fall to earn a doctorate in pharmacy.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College President Jenifer K. Ward is proud to announce the 2023 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented to alumni or individuals with strong connections to Luther College who have exhibited admirable service to society in areas such as education, government, the arts, business, church, labor, industry, agriculture, research, medicine and community affairs.

This year’s recipients are Leonard Myrah ’63; Dennis Christ ’63 and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ ’66; Michael Ruzek ’68; Ken Abraham ’73; Patricia (Holtorf) Branstad ’73; Janet (Purmort) Tollund ’73; Denny Amundson ’73; Jill Blockhus ’88; Callista (Bisek) Gingrich ’88; Joan (Schneider) Schatz ’88; Stephanie Spear Filigno ’98; and Emerald-Jane (Aggrey-Appiah) Hunter ’03.

 

Leonard Myrah

Leonard Myrah came to Luther in 1954 and stayed for two years before joining the Navy as a fighter pilot. He served in the Navy from 1956 to 1961, receiving his Navy Wings, then returned to Luther and graduated in 1963.  He returned to Naval service as a pilot during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Navy, he spent 22 years as a commercial pilot.

Myrah has also served in a variety of government roles at both the state and local level throughout his life. In 1970, Myrah was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives for Houston and part of Winona. He also served on the Minnesota State Ethics Board and the Spring Grove Public Schools Board.

Myrah has been a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove, where he served in a variety of capacities including as a Sunday school teacher, confirmation mentor and chairman of the church council. Myrah currently works as an organic farmer, growing crops and raising animals in Spring Grove.

Dennis Christ and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ

Dennis and Ann (Henningsgaard) Christ met at Luther in 1963. Dennis was double majoring in mathematics and physics, and Ann was studying nursing.

After graduating from Luther, Dennis served in the Navy as a navigator and tactical coordinator on long-range aircraft during the Vietnam War. He also flew missions around Russia, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander.

After his military service, he became involved with software development, integrating computer systems to aid the U.S. Department of Defense. He also served in leadership roles at Unisys, a global information technology company.

Ann earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. She began her career as a critical care nurse before leading health maintenance organizations (HMOs) across the country. After retiring, Dennis and Ann helped their son run a restaurant and retail shop in Red Lodge, Montana.

Both Dennis and Ann have served on multiple church councils. Ann has served on the board of Luther Seminary for 12 years and as the president for the Luther Deaconess Association for 35 years. He served on the St. Paul United Way Board, the Minnesota Business Partnership, and the Board of Christikon Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana.

Michael Ruzek

Michael Ruzek attended Luther from 1964 to 1968 where he majored in biology and started for three seasons on the Luther Norse football team.

After working for Hormel Foods and Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent Financial) Ruzek started his own health insurance company in 1998, Austin Health Insurance Agency.

Ruzek is well known in Austin, Minnesota, for his volunteering. In 1990, he founded Spruce Up Austin, an organization devoted to community beautification projects around the city. He continues to serve as a board member. He has been a volunteer with the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, Austin Youth Football and the Mower County Veterans Memorial. Ruzek has lived in Austin, Minnesota, his entire life. His hometown recently honored him as a Pillar of the Community, declaring February 11, 2023, as Mike Ruzek Day.

Ken Abraham

Originally from Richmond, Minnesota, Ken Abraham attended Luther College from 1969 to 1973, earning a degree in biology. He earned a master’s degree in wildlife biology from Iowa State University and Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from Queens University in Ontario. He spent the next 40 years as a prolific scholar and active researcher working in wildlife ecology and conservation.

For 32 years, he was a biologist and research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources before retiring in 2013. His work focused on understanding ecological relationships of birds and wetlands, especially waterfowl. Abraham also studied migratory caribou, polar bears, and moose. As an Ontario civil servant, his first duty was to help protect and manage the natural resources of the province.

Abraham continues to volunteer. He has served as director on the boards of Birds Canada and Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario, and as a member of a local Ducks Unlimited committee. He also volunteers as a citizen scientist for bird conservation monitoring programs.

Patricia (Holtorf) Branstad 

Patricia (Holtorf) Branstad graduated from Luther in 1973 with degrees in German and sociology. She spent 36 years teaching German to middle school, high school and college students. She retired from teaching German at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2018.

Since her retirement, Branstad has poured her heart and soul into community involvement. Seeing how hard it was for people of diverse ethnic heritages to integrate in her small town of St. James, Minnesota, she became a founding member of Uniting Cultures/Uniendo Culturas, an organization aimed at building bridges between diverse groups. She is also the chair of “Who We Are, and How We Got Here,” a collaborative history project about local immigration; the  project is run by community members, faculty and students at the University of Minnesota–Morris. Her efforts contributed to the Smithsonian Institution selecting St. James to be featured in a traveling exhibit focused on rural places of innovation.

Branstad  also serves on the steering committee for Climate Smart St. James, a grassroots initiative aimed at helping her community make climate-smart changes.

Janet (Purmort) Tollund

Janet (Purmort) Tollund graduated from Luther in 1973 with majors in English and French. After receiving a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Minnesota, she taught at Mayo High School in Rochester and Thomas Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota. She served as president of the American Association of Teachers of French in Minnesota.

Eventually, she left teaching and became a co-owner of Accolades/Group Travel Directors, a tour company specializing in faith pilgrimages and performance tours. She also led Luther alumni tours and  served in leadership roles on the Luther College Alumni Council for 12 years. Tollund is active in her local church, St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington, where she has served as president of the Church Council, a liturgist and a member of the choir. She is also currently president of Middle East Peace Now, a Minnesota-based organization that arranges monthly forums featuring speakers from around the globe. She has arranged several forums related to peace and justice at her church.

Denny Amundson

Denny Amundson graduated from Luther in 1973 and went on to practice critical care medicine. During his 38-year career as a Navy clinician, he became a specialist in disaster care. He did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and responded to tsunamis and volcanoes in Indonesia, floods in Bangladesh and a drought in West Central Africa. He treated Ebola patients in Liberia and ran an ICU on a hospital ship off the coast of earthquake-stricken Haiti. In the United States, he has delivered healthcare to Mexican migrants in migrant camps and has responded to wildfires on Native American reservations several times.

As a disaster specialist, Amundson was the perfect person to help when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He came out of a nine-year retirement to lead the largest COVID ICU in the San Diego area, at Scripps Mercy hospital in Chula Vista, a border city that’s home to a significant number of underserved populations. He continues to practice critical care medicine at the hospital.

Amundson’s volunteer projects include chairing the San Diego osteopathic student mentorship program, working with the American Lung Association, assisting with Native American education activities in Southern California and setting up medical clinics for migrant workers.

Jill Blockhus

Jill Blockhus graduated from Luther in 1988 with a double major in French and economics. She went on to have a career in fighting for environmental protections across the globe. She earned a master’s degree from the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen, Norway, and started working for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Switzerland. In this position, she developed and managed conservation projects that allowed local communities to benefit from forests.

Blockhus returned to the United States to study public policy and environmental economics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, earning a master’s degree, followed by her doctorate in International Environmental Policy at MIT.

She is currently the climate policy and practice director at the Nature Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit. An expert on international forest policy and community development, Blockhus fights against deforestation and climate change through her work with the international community, governments and indigenous people.

For 15 years, Blockhus has served as a judge for the United Nations Development Programme’s Equator Prize, which is presented to communities and indigenous peoples who demonstrate exceptional achievement in nature-based solutions and local development.

Callista (Bisek) Gingrich

After graduating from Luther in 1988 with a degree in music education, Callista (Bisek) Gingrich interned in the office of former Congressman Steve Gunderson, going on to serve as a staff member for seven years. In 1995, she moved to the House Committee on Agriculture, where she served as chief clerk until 2007. Later in her career, Gingrich was nominated by President Donald Trump and credentialed by Pope Francis to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See from October 2017 until January 2021. While an ambassador in Rome, she worked to defend international religious freedom, combat human trafficking, provide humanitarian assistance and support the role of women religious around the world.

Gingrich serves as president and CEO of Gingrich 360, a multimedia production company, and is also a syndicated columnist. She is a New York Times best-selling author for her Ellis the Elephant children’s American history series. She is also president of the Gingrich Foundation, and currently serves as a board member for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Ave Maria School of Law, and the Richard Nixon Foundation.

Joan (Schneider) Schatz 

Joan (Schneider) Schatz graduated from Luther with majors in math and accounting in 1988. She continued on to a successful career in the manufacturing industry. Over the past 16 years, Schatz rose up the ranks at Park Industries in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a machining manufacturer recognized for its innovation and community philanthropy. She served as its chief financial officer, eventually becoming CEO of the company.

Schatz is an active member of her community. She has served on the St. Cloud Technical and Community College Foundation Board, the board of the Central Minnesota Boy Scout Council and the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota.

Schatz is also active in her church. She went on a church mission trip with her daughter, Rachel, a 2023 Luther graduate, to distribute solar ovens along the Dominican/Haitian border. Most recently, she and her husband, Kevin Schatz, class of 1988, participated in a desert elephant conservation project in Namibia.

Stephanie Spear Filigno

Stephanie Spear Filigno graduated from Luther in 1998 and earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Nevada–Reno. She is a pediatric psychologist for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

After completing a two-year National Institutes of Health postdoctoral research fellowship in child behavior and nutrition, Filigno was recruited to serve as the first psychologist in the cystic fibrosis care team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She led her team to develop and implement screening processes that elevated mental health outcomes so they are monitored alongside physical health outcomes.

Filigno also volunteers within her community. She has served on mental health planning and fundraising committees, and she teaches curriculum in the Cincinnati public schools to support children in their mental and physical health as they transition to adolescence. She volunteers with her local church and with other community organizations aimed to beautify and improve the safety of public spaces in Cincinnati.

Emerald-Jane (Aggrey-Appiah) Hunter

Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, Emerald-Jane (Aggrey-Appiah) Hunter emigrated to the United States in 1999 to attend Luther, where she majored in communication studies. An internship in college at a local cable television station cemented her interest in television and the world of media.

After graduating in 2003, Hunter started her own production company, Emerald-Jane Productions. Her success in television landed her a spot on the launch team for ABC’s “Windy City Live,” Chicago’s only local live talk show, which took over the Oprah Winfrey show time slot when it ended. Hunter served as one of the show’s producers and its lead guest booker. She received four Emmy Awards for her work on the show.

Hunter took her passion for media and storytelling and founded myWHY Agency in Chicago, an integrated marketing communications agency that works primarily with nonprofit organizations and women- and minority-owned businesses. She is also an alumna and cohort ambassador for the Goldman Sachs Small Business program and serves on the board of People’s Music School, the largest completely free music school serving Chicago metropolitan-area children.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA— Luther College’s website, luther.edu, won the coveted Best University Website award at the 2023 WebAwards. The annual awards ceremony honors excellence in website design and building.

“It’s a huge honor to have the Luther website named the Best University Website of 2023. As our second website award this year, it reinforces what we heard from our most important judges – prospective and current students – that the Luther website is appealing and easy to use,” said Laura Barlament, executive director of strategic marketing and communications for Luther. “It was our goal to build a website that reflects the excellence and the warmth of the Luther community itself.”

Luther’s website stands as a model of creative and user-centered design. Independent judges from around the world assessed websites from nearly 90 colleges and universities with Luther emerging as the clear winner, setting the website as the benchmark for excellence in the field.

The competition has established itself as the leading award recognition program for website developers and the online marketing community. Other institutions that took home awards and honors for the 2023 competition include Aston Martin, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, the American Cancer Society, Lenovo and TripAdvisor.

The award comes a year after the launch of the redesigned luther.edu. Luther partnered with mStoner, now part of Carnegie, a higher education marketing and enrollment strategy firm, to redesign the website.

“I’m grateful for all of the efforts of the Marketing and Communications team and the Carnegie team to let Luther’s light shine as brightly online as it does on campus,” Barlament said.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College’s Justin M. Sprung, an assistant professor of psychology,  co-authored Personnel Psychology, a comprehensive and accessible textbook that delves into the psychological principles behind human resource practices.

Sprung, who has taught in the psychology department at Luther since 2013, along with his co-authors Alexandra Luong and Michael J. Zicker, draw from their experiences in teaching and research to provide psychological perspectives on personnel management. The textbook covers fundamental topics such as job analysis, recruitment, selection, assessment and performance evaluation. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the importance of psychology in shaping the modern workspace.

“I’ve found in my 10 years of teaching at Luther that students are often fascinated by exploring the psychology behind personnel decisions, particularly with regard to topics such as employee selection and performance appraisals,” said Sprung.

Sprung’s teaching and research interests focus on the field of industrial-organizational psychology, a discipline that seeks to apply psychological principles to the workplace to improve conditions.

He aims to make complex psychological concepts accessible to students in “Personnel Psychology,” which includes readings, review questions and discussion prompts to facilitate active learning. It also introduces students to the latest scientific research in the field and the possibility of exploring research in the future related to industrial-organizational psychology.

“My interactions with students in the classroom served as inspiration for my desire to be a part of this project,” said Sprung. “I’m grateful I had the opportunity to contribute to this textbook and am excited to continue sharing recent developments in the field of industrial-organizational psychology with Luther students.”

“Personnel Psychology” is available to purchase via the publisher, Routledge

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College announces that three alumni will begin service on committees for the Luther College Board of Regents beginning in October: Mark Lovelace, class of 1996, Andrew Carney, class of 2001, and Lisa Small Steinbauer, class of 1988. As committee members, they will contribute their expertise on resource development and management, investment and campus life.

About the new committee members: 

Andrew Carney, class of  2001, was named to the Investment Committee. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics/Statistics with magna cum laude honors at Luther College, Carney joined Willis Towers Watson as a pension actuary. He joined Walleye Capital in 2006, a Minnesota-based hedge fund, as an options trader.

Since joining Walleye Capital, Carney has been instrumental in building the U.S. options market making business and now serves as a partner and president and co-chief information officer of the firm. Carney is also a member of Walleye’s Investment Committee and currently manages over five billion dollars of outside capital through two main hedge fund vehicles trading hundreds of different strategies in various asset classes around the globe.

Mark Lovelace, class of 1996, was named to the  Resource Development and Management Committee. After he graduated from Luther College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a psychology minor, Lovelace spent 11 years teaching and coaching in different cities before moving back to Decorah in 2007. He serves the agency president at A&J Petersburg and is part owner of AJ Realty, Inc.

Lovelace has significant experience serving on boards and committees such as the Winneshiek County Development & Tourism board, Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Decorah and Decorah Community School District.

 

Lisa Small Steinbauer, class of 1988, was named to the Campus Life Committee. After graduating from Luther College with a bachelor’s degree in public communication, Small Steinbauer began working as a sports reporter and also served in marketing and communications roles at Prudential Insurance and Southwest News Media. She now serves as the Director of Marketing & Communications and Volunteer Services at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia, Minnesota.

Small Steinbauer serves on the Waconia Chamber of Commerce and board of directors. She is the communications lead for the Cologne (Minnesota) Community of Belonging and is a former member of the Cologne City Council and Cologne Planning Commission.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—President Jenifer K. Ward has announced the appointment of Bill Smith as vice president for communication, beginning Oct. 16.

Smith comes to the college from Arkansas State University, where he has served since 2013, most recently as chief communications officer. At Luther, Smith will serve as the head of the newly constituted Division of Communication, encompassing the offices of marketing and communications as well as campus programming.

“I am excited to welcome Bill Smith to Luther. His academic training, deep communication and marketing experience and proven success in leadership in a breadth of institutional contexts, and his affinity for Luther, all bode well for a great next chapter in our story,” said President Jenifer K. Ward.

“I’d like to thank President Ward and the search committee for the opportunity to become a part of the leadership team of Luther College,” said Smith. “I’m excited to join the staff of one of America’s top liberal arts colleges, and one with such a storied past and vibrant future. I’m looking forward to communicating and promoting the great strengths of Luther to the community, the region and the world.”

Smith is a historian as well as a communications expert. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Arkansas, as well as an M.A. in history and a B.A. in journalism from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He has taught history at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. For the regional National Public Radio affiliate in Northwest Arkansas, he created and co-hosted a monthly “We’re History” radio program reflecting on the use of history in popular culture. His scholarly areas of expertise are U.S. diplomatic and military history as well as 20th-century U.S. and European history.

At Arkansas State University, Smith led external and internal communications efforts. He initiated a visual branding program, served as primary university spokesperson and managed crisis communications. For his work in university communications, he has won multiple regional awards from the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education (CASE).

As a crisis communications expert, he holds certifications in public information and the incident command system from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He achieved the National Weather Service’s StormReady Campus certification for Arkansas State in 2017 and 2022.

Smith is very involved in his community, having served in multiple volunteer roles for the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas. An avid cyclist, he holds a certification as a safety course instructor from the League of American Bicyclists, and he has served as board president of the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition. His cycling interests brought him to Iowa in 2018 to complete RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).

Bill and Vickie Smith will be joining the Decorah community together. “Vickie and I are very excited about coming to Decorah and experiencing all the great things to do in northeast Iowa,” Bill said.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College is expanding its scholarships and awards offered to students who enroll starting next fall. The new awards include increased amounts for academic merit scholarships and a new scholarship for first-generation students. These changes, which are available to both first-year and transfer students, are meant to broaden the accessibility of a Luther education by keeping tuition affordable.

For incoming students beginning in 2024, the college has expanded the Luther College Iowa and Minnesota Impact Award that offers four years of free tuition for qualified students; it was previously only available to students residing in Iowa. To qualify for the Impact Award, students must either live in Iowa or Minnesota, achieve a certain threshold of academic excellence, have a family adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less and live on campus.

“Luther College is excited to extend our Iowa Impact Award to students in Minnesota considering Luther for the upcoming year and beyond,” said Karen Hunt, vice president for enrollment management. “With our location in the Driftless Region, so close to the Minnesota border, we want to do all we can to make our distinctive and transformative education at Luther College affordable for students in both states.”

Luther has also increased the amount for academic merit scholarships. Once students are admitted to Luther College, they are automatically awarded merit scholarships based on their academic performance. Luther has increased the amounts of the five scholarships by several thousand dollars each. For example, incoming students who earn the Founders Scholarship – the highest merit-based scholarship – will receive $34,000 each year. Previously, the scholarship awarded $28,000 per year to help with tuition costs, an increase of more than 20 percent.

“Overall, we’re always seeking to make Luther accessible and affordable for students. We take information and adapt to what students need,” said Katie Moon, regional admissions counselor for Luther based in Minneapolis. “When students are accepted to Luther, the very first scholarship they receive is the merit scholarship because we want them to know from the beginning Luther is an affordable option.”

“Luther College is committed to rewarding students for their academic excellence and providing access to a top national college,” Hunt said.

The college has also added the First Generation Award, which aims to assist students whose parents do not hold a bachelor’s degree by providing $2,000 each year. Luther has also added the Campus Visit Award, which provides $1,000 per year to first-year and transfer students who visit Luther’s campus before enrolling.

Luther College is committed to affordability, with 100 percent of students receiving some sort of financial aid. In fall 2022, Luther students were gifted nearly $50 million from more than 850 different funds.

“I’m extremely proud to work at an institution that offers competitive scholarships for students of all backgrounds,” said Matt Beatty, director of admissions at Luther. “While there is increased skepticism about the value of a four-year college degree, Luther continues to offer a broad range of financial awards that reduce the overall out-of-pocket costs to families.”

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA — Amy Weldon, Luther College Professor of English, published Advanced Fiction, a textbook that offers a comprehensive and innovative guide for undergraduate students or any writer looking for direction, on Aug. 24.

The principles of writing fiction are taken a step further in “Advanced Fiction,” which delves into practical writing techniques and advice. The book is divided into eight chapters, which include writing prompts and exercises, in addition to excerpts from a wide range of authors. It consists of writings from Luther students and alumni, in addition to well-known  writers, in a diverse anthology of work.

“In “Advanced Fiction’s” anthology, I wanted to lift up stories and novel excerpts by authors from around the world, such as Angela Carter, James Joyce, Jane McClure, Tommy Orange, Ron Austin, Louis Jensen and Rick Bass, whose work continues to inspire me,” said Weldon.

Weldon addresses concerns from actual students in her book regarding writing habits, including how to transition from writing short stories to novels, writing fiction based on real events and steps to take after completing a piece.

“I wrote this book to gather, preserve and extend some conversations among myself and students that have arisen in classrooms and conferences over the years, so we can continue to learn from these discussions,” said Weldon. “Writing is something I couldn’t do without my students, who inspire me to keep learning and improving as a writer.”

Reading other students’ work can help aspiring authors understand the writing process from their peers. The book also discusses philosophical themes within writing and covers a wide range of storytelling techniques. Aspiring writers also can also find guidance on how to build a literary career within the textbook.

“Advanced Fiction” can be purchased from Bloomsbury at bloomsbury.com, at bookshop.org and on Amazon.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—The multi-instrument quartet Invoke will open the Center Stage Series at Luther College on Friday, Sept. 29. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall, and is generously sponsored by WinnMed.

The Austin, Texas-based quartet consists of Zach Matteson, Nick Montopolm, Karl Mitze and Geoff Manyin on cello, violin, viola, banjo and mandolin.

“We’re excited to return to Iowa for our first visit to Luther College, and are looking forward to getting to know the Luther College community,” said Matteson. “This is also a wonderful chance to reconnect with our dear friend, colleague and mentor Kacy Clopton, the cello instructor at Luther College, who helped guide Invoke in our early stages. We hope we can share some more of that wisdom and more with the students during our time in Decorah.”

With a passion for storytelling, Invoke’s performances feature original works composed by and for the group, which form a unique contemporary repertoire inspired by many different musical styles — from minimalism, to jazz, to American fiddle tunes and bluegrass. The group has performed at venues across the country including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Green Music Center.

Strongly committed to championing diverse American voices through new music, Invoke’s ongoing commissioning project, entitled American Postcards, asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the group’s unique artistry. They have commissioned eight new works since 2017, including the latest addition to the initiative, The Lessons of History, by Jonathan Bingham.

Invoke’s discography includes Souls in the Mud (2015), Furious Creek (2018) and Fantastic Planet (2021), as well as contributions to the soundtrack for Richard Linklater’s 2019 film “Where’d you go, Bernadette?”

Center Stage Dinner Series

The talented chefs on the Norse Culinary Team are back with the popular Center Stage Dinner Series. The dinners feature a multi-course menu to complement each performance. A separate ticket is required and a 15% discount is applied to the purchase of all six before Sept. 28. Dinner seating begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Peace Dining Room on the second floor of Dahl Centennial Union.

Both dinner and show tickets are on sale through Luther’s Ticket Office in the Center for Faith and Life, and online at tickets.luther.edu, by emailing tickets@luther.edu or by calling (563) 387-1357.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Luther’s academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College nursing major Duong Truong, class of 2024, spent his summer researching a Buddhist hospital in Taiwan and helping set up nursing school scholarships for Catholic nuns in Vietnam.

As a nursing major at Luther, Truong has seen many examples of many Christian-affiliated hospitals in the U.S. that integrate belief into their care and mission, but he noticed a gap in research on Buddhist hospitals. He wanted to understand how Buddhist principles would influence medicine and care within Buddhist hospitals. “I wanted to be a pioneer in studying this,” he said.

His project, “The Identity of Mahāyāna Buddhist Hospitals in The Changing Healthcare Landscape,” took him to Hualien, Taiwan, to observe the Taipei Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital . He was told that he was the first member of a Western undergraduate institution to study there.

Gereon Kopf, Luther College professor of religion, advised Truong on his research and said that Truong “mastered extremely difficult material and conducted groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research that will provide insights and inspiration on how to make hospital care more holistic and more meaningful to both patients and health care providers.”

Truong received funding for this project through the Lynn Arthur and Mary Frost Steen Fellowship, a program at Luther that gives up to two students each year $5,000 to complete research projects outside of Luther and Decorah.

“The Steen family wanted to provide funds for motivated Luther students to go out into the world to conduct research, so we developed a fellowship specific to funding these student research projects during the summer,” said Molly Wilker, director of undergraduate research and an associate professor of chemistry at Luther. “Duong’s summer research project proposal was a great fit for the Steen Fellowship.”

After graduating, Truong plans to use the research skills he developed at Luther and pursue a doctorate in nursing.

In addition to studying Buddhist hospitals through the Steen Fellowship, Truong and fellow Luther student Daniel Pfeffer-Kleemann also received a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant this summer to help set up scholarships for Catholic nuns in Vietnam. Jon Lund, Luther’s director of international admissions, is Luther’s Projects for Peace liaison and on-campus coordinator. He said that Truong “is a tangible and moving example of the way in which motivated students can make a sustainable, concrete difference.”

Davis Projects for Peace was established by Kathryn W. Davis on her 100th birthday to fund selected students with $10,000 to create and build peace anywhere in the world. The program brings together educational institutions and students to develop community-based approaches to global challenges, such as meeting health care needs.

Since the grant’s creation in 2007, 36 Luther students have received this prestigious grant to spread sustainable peace around the world. Luther students have established 22 projects in 23 different countries.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.