Author: Luther College News

Presidential Inauguration of Brad Chamberlain to take place Homecoming weekend

President Brad Chamberlain

The Luther College Board of Regents announced that the inauguration of President Brad Chamberlain will take place as part of an expanded chapel service at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 3, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. An outdoor reception will be held on Bentdahl Commons following the chapel service. Both events are free and open to the public.

“We are excited about combining the inauguration with Homecoming weekend,” said J. Robert Paulson ’78, chair of Luther’s Board of Regents. “This combination allows the maximum number of alumni and friends to join this celebration.”

Luther’s Homecoming is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 3–5. Additional inauguration events will be announced later this year.

“It is fitting that this signature event will take place as part of an expanded chapel service in the Center for Faith and Life, which mirrors the day we announced President Chamberlain’s unanimous selection by the board in the fall of 2024, and is in keeping with Brad’s approach to his opening weeks as president. Since stepping into the role at the start of the spring semester, President Chamberlain has led Luther with deep caring about our students, faculty, and staff,” Paulson said.

After unanimous votes from the Board of Regents, Chamberlain was appointed president-elect in October 2024. He began his duties as the 12th president of Luther College on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.

Chamberlain is the first president to be promoted from within the college in more than a century. Luther’s third president, Oscar L. Olson, was a faculty member before becoming president in 1921.

With a career of over two decades at Luther, Chamberlain began as an instructor in chemistry in 2001, and has risen through the academic and administrative ranks. Chamberlain’s most recent position was provost, a role he held since December 2022.

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Music ensembles welcome back alumni soloists for 2025 spring oratorio featuring Mozart’s Requiem

Luther College’s music department presents the biennial spring oratorio concert, featuring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s monumental masterpiece, Requiem in D minor, KV 626, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall located on the Luther campus. In addition to the performance in Decorah, the same program will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, in Mahtomedi, Minnesota.

spring oratorio

In this file photo, Luther College’s music department presents the biennial spring oratorio featuring Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” on March 17, 2019, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

The performances feature Luther’s Nordic Choir conducted by Andrew Last, director of choral activities and associate professor of music, and the college’s Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Baldwin, professor of music. Baldwin serves as director of orchestral activities at Luther.

Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.luther.edu or by calling the Luther College Ticket Office at (563) 387-1357.

Five Luther alumni are returning as soloists for the 2025 spring oratorio: Emily Secor, class of 2016, soprano; Jill Phillips, class of 2010, former voice instructor at Luther, mezzo-soprano; Andrew Stenson, class of 2008, tenor; Zachary Owen, class of 2010, bass-baritone; and Laura Krumm, class of 2009, mezzo-soprano.

Phillips described the spring oratorio as a cherished experience.

“I’ve had the opportunity to experience Luther as a student and as a faculty member, and I feel grateful for the chance to return to a place that I associate with many fond memories,” she said. “Being able to come back and reconnect with some of those people in person, as well as getting to share the stage with fellow alumni and colleagues, will be a cherished experience.”

Owen echoed Phillips’ sentiments.

“I am honored to return to Luther for the Mozart Requiem, and delighted to share the stage with so many exceptional musicians,” he said. “Luther College is truly a special place and my time there motivated me to become not only a better musician but a better human being. I hope this performance serves in carrying on Luther’s tradition of nurturing young talent and inspiring the future of classical music.”

Performing an oratorio is part of a long tradition at Luther College. In the spring semester of alternating years, the orchestra, choral and vocal areas collaborate in the presentation of a major work. Recent performances have included Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” Haydn’s “Lord Nelson Mass,” William Walton’s “Belshazzar’s Feast,” Bach’s “St. John Passion” and a commissioned work, “Luther Mass” by Stephen Paulus.

Luther College Ticket Office

Ticket Office Hours:
Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Show Day Hours:
9 a.m. – performance
Saturdays 1 p.m. – performance

Mail:
Luther College Ticket Office
Center for Faith & Life
700 College Dr
Decorah, Iowa 52101

tickets@luther.edu


Phone: 563-387-1357

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Luther College announces winter graduates

Luther College is proud to announce the winter graduates from December 2024 and January 2025.

The 71 graduates come from nine states, which include California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin, plus nine countries including Brazil, Ghana, Rwanda, Mauritius, Mexico, Perú, Tanzania, Turkey and Vietnam.

Congratulations to these new alumni as they start the next chapter of their lives.

Below are the graduates, along with their majors and hometowns.

Oney Alfred, Des Moines, Iowa

Theatre

 

Getruda J. Amos, Mwanza, Tanzania

Psychology

 

Xavier Francisco Andrade, San Mateo, California

Communication Studies, Political Science

 

Marina Lolita Judith Beachy, Wellman, Iowa

Nursing

 

Jaime Bizarri, Geneseo, Illinois

Music Education

 

Matthew Boardman, Genoa, Wisconsin

Social Work

 

Adelaide Bohlmann, Duluth, Minnesota

Nursing

 

Tyler Buhr, Menomonie, Wisconsin

Music Education

 

Edson Cadenillas Ñaccha, Cusco, Perú

Visual Communication

 

Maggie Callanan, Coralville, Iowa

Anthropology, Social Work

 

Patrick James Carew, Garner, Iowa

Music Education

 

Jenna Charlson, Rogers, Minnesota

Nursing, summa cum laude

 

Solvei Christopherson, Northfield, Minnesota

Political Science, Spanish, International Studies

 

John Michael Colucci III, Darien, Illinois

Social Work

 

Issie Dalton, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Elementary Education

 

Hy Dang, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Computer Science, Visual Communication

 

Jamison Dietz, Plainfield, Illinois

Music Education, cum laude

 

Elizabeth Doane, New Sharon, Iowa

Elementary Education, cum laude

 

Nicholas Drew, St. Joseph, Minnesota

Data Science, summa cum laude

 

Taylan Ozgur Emre, Istanbul, Turkey

Data Science

 

Tharles Eufrazio do Nascimento, Maceió, Brazil

Visual Communication

 

Ryne Eyestone, North Liberty, Iowa

Management, cum laude

 

Emma Fauchier, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Music

 

Jorge Fernando, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Economics

 

Amenla Forjoe, Ghana

Biology

 

Deepa Gayadin, Bambous, Mauritius

Data Science, Neuroscience, cum laude

 

Kamden Goering, South Bend, Indiana

Nursing

 

Alexander Griffeth, Brighton, Colorado

Data Science

 

Ellie Grace Helgerson, Jordan, Minnesota

Management

 

Carmen Henderson, Fort Collins, Colorado

Visual Communication, cum laude

 

Emma Heying, Waverly, Iowa

Chemistry

 

Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Kigali, Rwanda

International Studies

 

Hannah Johnson, North Liberty, Iowa

Nursing, magna cum laude

 

Kailey Ann Jones, Avoca, Iowa

Nursing, summa cum laude

 

Kori Jorgensen, Long Grove, Iowa

Biology

 

Sophia Jane Kersten, Bettendorf, Iowa

Nursing

 

Matthew Kozemski, Geneseo, Illinois

Music Education

 

Kaelin Lamphere, Mantorville, Minnesota

Nursing

 

Keagan Larson, Austin, Minnesota

Computer Science, cum laude

 

Riley Vali Marble, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Environmental Studies

 

Jean Martin, Compton, California

Management

 

Grace May, Woodbury, Minnesota

English, magna cum laude

 

Molly Miller, Winfield, Iowa

Nursing

 

Sam Miller, Dallas, Texas

Management

 

Elijah Michael Mitchell, Decorah, Iowa

Exercise Science-Allied Health Sciences, magna cum laude

 

Arthur Mortell, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Psychology

 

Gloria Jane Nelson, Stewartville, Minnesota

Elementary Education, magna cum laude

 

Hudson Nguyen, Hanoi, Vietnam

Computer Science

 

Michael Nuñez, San Jose, California

Exercise Science-Allied Health Sciences

 

Khanh “Kerry” Pham, Sai Gon, Vietnam

Management

 

Danielle Pitts, Mount Vernon, Iowa

Nursing, summa cum laude

 

Cullen Quick, Menasha, Wisconsin

Management

 

Alexander Randell, Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Exercise Science-Allied Health Sciences

 

Madelon Rathe, La Porte City, Iowa

Nursing, magna cum laude

 

Abigail Madison Reis, Apple Valley, Minnesota

Music Education, magna cum laude

 

Hannah Roesler, Nixa, Missouri

Exercise Science-Allied Health Sciences

 

Ella Runestad, Northfield, Minnesota

Nursing, Spanish

 

Hannah Rose Saucedo, Harvard, Illinois

Music Education

 

Aria Schleiker, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Biology

 

Caden Schrage, Saint Ansgar, Iowa

Exercise Science

 

Mikkel Schutte, Houston, Minnesota

Allied Health Sciences

 

Alayna Marie Schwendinger, Rushford, Minnesota

Nursing, summa cum laude

 

Tobi Snow, River Falls, Wisconsin

Exercise Science, Psychology

 

Samuel Ronald Stevens, Chatfield, Minnesota

Management

 

Sarina Stortz, Mabel, Minnesota

Allied Health Sciences, cum laude

 

Samantha Jo Suski, Watertown, Wisconsin

Nursing, cum laude

 

Ella Caroline Swalley, Roseville, Minnesota

Social Work

 

Rachel Tully, La Crosse, Wisconsin

Music Education, cum laude

 

Elijah Hans Lokensgard Wallace, Roseville, Minnesota

Music Education, summa cum laude

 

Walter West, Plymouth, Minnesota

Environmental Studies

 

Sebastian Zavala, Mexico City, Mexico

Accounting, cum laude

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10th annual Giving Day raises over $1.2 million, creates lasting impact to students

Luther College raised more than $1,206,800 during the college’s tenth annual Giving Day on Thursday, March 6. The money raised will support and enhance the Luther experience at the college through the Luther Fund, Luther’s unrestricted current fund that supports all students, faculty, staff and community endeavors on campus.

“For the tenth year in a row, the Luther College community has shown the strength of our commitment to each other and to the value of Luther’s ongoing impact on their lives,” said Luther President Brad Chamberlain. “Once again, friends and alumni from all 50 states and 17 countries around the world contributed to a record-setting Giving Day. We are grateful to all who participated, either through sharing their Luther story or making a contribution.”

Giving Day capped off “Luther Gives,” a weeklong campus event celebrating the generosity of Luther alumni, donors and campus community. Students wrote thank you notes to donors who funded their scholarships, sent Norse Notes Valentines to anyone on campus who made a difference in their lives, and posted reasons they love Luther on the walls of the Dahl Centennial Union.

“I want to also thank the entire team of Gnome-fluencers who worked behind the scenes to make Giving Day a success,” Chamberlain said.

This year’s Giving Day also included Luther Day at The Landing Market, where 100% of all sales made at Justin’s, the Buzz and Tandem on March 6 was matched by an additional gift to the Luther Fund.

Mark your calendars for next year, as Giving Day returns on Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Luther College Says Thank You

Thank you for celebrating Giving Day’s 10th birthday with us.

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Danú brings the spirit of Ireland to Luther College March 14

The globally renowned Irish ensemble Danú will perform in Luther College’s 2024–25 Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

Irish musicians

The traditional Irish ensemble Danú will perform for Luther’s Center Stage Series at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

“Danú delivers traditional Irish tunes through high-energy, toe-tapping performances you expect to find tucked inside a crowded pub in Dublin,” said Susan Potvin, director of programming and outreach. “I can’t think of a better way to kick off your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations than a memorable musical journey to Ireland with Danú.”

Before the performance, enjoy a gourmet three-course dinner of St. Patrick’s Day favorites in the Peace Dining Room at Dahl Centennial Union. The menu, which was created to complement Danú’s performance, features housemade Irish soda bread, corned beef served with colcannon (mashed potatoes with cabbage), and chocolate whiskey mousse.

Formed in 1995 to perform in the annual Lorient Inter-Celtic Festival in Brittany, France, Danú released their debut album in 1997 to critical acclaim. The ensemble has since released seven albums in two decades, with award-winning music ranging from “fierce fiddle reels to pensive ballads” (New York Times). Danú has performed worldwide, notably sharing their concert experience at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Symphony Space in New York City.

The ensemble has gone through many changes in members through the years. Current Danú members include founding member Benny McCarthy, accordion/melodeon; Nell Ní Chróinín, vocals/penny whistle; Éamon Doorley, bouzouki; Oisín McAuley, fiddle; Tony Byrne, guitar; Ivan Goff, flutes/uilleann pipe/penny whistle; and Billy Sutton, bodhran.

Buy tickets for Danú and for the pre-show dinner at tickets.luther.edu or at the Luther Ticket Office in the Center for Faith and Life. Contact the ticket office at tickets@luther.edu or 563-387-1357 for more information.

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Luther College awarded $200,000 grant from Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase lab equipment for growing number of engineering science students

Luther College has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase laboratory equipment similar to the instruments that engineering science students can expect to use in their future careers.

Luther College has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase laboratory equipment.

“Engineering science is a rapidly growing field at Luther, a field that merges a strong scientific and mathematical underpinning with experience in designing, building and testing devices,” said Jeff Wilkerson, interim provost and physics professor at Luther. “The equipment provided by this grant will enhance that merger of the theoretical and practical in exciting ways that benefit our students. We are deeply grateful for the Carver Trust’s generous support.”

The Luther College physics department recently began to offer an engineering science major because of student interest and to enhance its engineering education. The equipment purchased through the Carver Trust grant will enhance Luther’s curriculum and further the college’s commitment to this new and growing program.

“Our primary goal in this grant proposal was to strengthen the experience of our students in their engineering and physics-related laboratory work,” said Todd Pedlar, professor of physics and project director. “In addition to our introductory laboratory course in engineering, our electronics laboratory and our junior-level project design and implementation course will be key places where the new instruments and equipment will have the greatest impact.”

The new equipment is expected to be available for students in the fall 2025 semester.

“This grant enables Luther students to get their hands on a wider variety of engineering-related instrumentation and to thereby gain more hands-on experience with instruments like those they’ll see in their future work,” Pedlar said.

Luther faculty involved in the development of the grant proposal are Pedlar, Wilkerson, James Perez, associate professor of physics, and Molly Wilker, associate professor of chemistry. Jeanie Lovell, senior director of foundation and government relations, coordinated the proposal process.

The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust has been a key philanthropic partner to Luther College for decades. This grant for engineering science is Luther’s tenth award from the Carver Trust. Other recent grants include $200,000 to support the creation of a comprehensive Nursing Simulation Center in 2021 and $200,000 to enhance curriculum and provide educational laboratory experiences for students majoring in neuroscience in 2018.

Based in Muscatine, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust is one of the largest private philanthropic foundations in Iowa. The Carver Trust supports biomedical and scientific research, scholarships, and programs addressing the educational and recreational needs of youth. ​

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Luther College celebrates Women’s History Month in March

Hongxiao Yu

Luther College will celebrate Women’s History Month in March with events that showcase women’s leadership in the workplace, self-expression and contributions to society. The events are free and open to the public.

“The Department of Identity Studies is proud to support events in Women’s History Month to remind us that half of human history is about women and our contributions to society,” said Char Kunkel, head of the identity studies department at Luther. “All too often academia, knowledge in the western world at least, assumes that men are the only ones who invented, created, explored, built, and sustained the world; at least the important things. We wouldn’t be here without the contributions of women. Let’s celebrate that!”

The commemoration events start with an International Women’s Day Tea and Talk from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, in the Peace Dining Hall inside the Dahl Centennial Union at Luther College. Hongxiao Yu, assistant professor of management, will discuss “Rights, Equality and Empowerment” with a focus on business, management and leadership. She will present data about women in the workplace, barriers preventing women from being promoted to top leadership roles at national and international corporations, and the unique cultural pressures facing women.

“I’m excited to share my personal stories about equality and talk about female leadership issues around the world,” she said.

Join the Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support to learn about the power of hair at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in room 111 of the Main Building.

“This event is designed to elevate the power of hair as a tool for self-expression, strength and solidarity,” said Michelle Boike, assistant dean and director of the Center for Engagement and Support. “Participants will leave feeling affirmed, seen and connected within their college community.”

Women’s History Month wraps up with a free viewing of “The Six Triple Eight” (2024) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, in Valders 206. Based on the true story of the only all-Black unit of the Women’s Army Corps to serve overseas during World War Ⅱ, this inspiring and heartfelt film tells the unit’s fight to fix a three-year backlog of undelivered mail and improve war morale.

“The Six Triple Eight” was written and directed by Tyler Perry and stars Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian and Oprah Winfrey. The film’s featured song, “The Journey,” written by Diane Warren and performed by H.E.R. was a Best Original Song nominee at the 97th Academy Awards.

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Luther College welcomes best-selling guidebook author Rick Steves on April 27

Luther College is pleased to announce that Rick Steves, a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and an outspoken activist who encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel, will be speaking at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. Tickets will go on sale to the general public through the Luther Ticket Office and online at tickets.luther.edu starting Friday, March 7.

Rick Steves

Rick Steves

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Steves to campus this spring,” said Maren Johnson, director of the Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies and associate professor of Nordic Studies. “His life’s work has focused on the power of human connection through travel. As the grandson of Norwegian immigrants, his message and life’s work align with Luther’s commitment to study away and global education.”

His lecture titled “Travel with a Norwegian Sensibility” will reflect on his own heritage and the importance of continued connections across a global society. Steves will share photos, stories and insights from more than 50 years of traveling outside of the United States. Steves was 14 years old when his parents, Dick and June Steves, took him to visit his relatives in Norway.

“Visiting the house of my great-great-grandmother’s birth, I imagined the courage it must have taken to leave Norway and her entire family for America a century ago,” Steves wrote in “How Travel Pried Open My Hometown Blinders.”

As the first U.S. college founded by Norwegian immigrants, Luther is proud to host this event as part of a yearlong commemoration of the first organized migration from Norway to North America 200 years ago.

“As Luther commemorates the bicentennial of Norwegian immigration to North America, Mr. Steves’ visit will be a great kick off to reinforce the power of human connection in the global society,” Johnson said.

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Luther College announces 2025-26 Fulbright Program semi-finalists

Luther College is proud to announce that four students have been selected as 2025-26 semi-finalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. All four students received nominations for English teaching assistantships.

The Luther College semi-finalists are:

  • Lydia Gruenwald, class of 2025, English Teaching Assistantship in Germany
  • Alexia Murano, class of 2025, English Teaching Assistantship in Spain
  • Cassandra Norton, class of 2024, English Teaching Assistantship in Germany
  • Mark Severtson, class of 2025, English Teaching Assistantship in Germany

Luther College is proud to announce that four students are semi-finalists in the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Luther College semi-finalists are (from left to right): Lydia Gruenwald, Alexia Murano, Cassandra Norton, and Mark Severtson.

The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program places recent college graduates and young professionals abroad as assistant English teachers in classrooms from primary through university level.

Last year, two Luther graduates were selected as Fulbright teaching assistants in Germany.

The finalists for 2025-26 will be announced this spring.

These students were approved by the National Steering Committee and selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

Operating in 160 countries world-wide, the Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. The primary goal of the program is to increase mutual understanding between U.S. residents and people from around the world.

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Ilona Kubiaczyk-Adler to perform the 2025 Luther College Benefactor’s Organ Recital

Ilona Kubiaczyk-Adler, a leading expert on the rich yet underrepresented modern and historical organ repertoire of Central and Eastern Europe, will captivate listeners at Luther College’s annual Benefactor’s Organ Recital at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall. The recital is free and open to the public.

Ilona Kubiaczyk-Adler

Ilona Kubiaczyk-Adler is a leading expert on the rich yet underrepresented modern and historical organ repertoire of Central and Eastern Europe. She will perform at Luther College on Sunday, March 9, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall.

Kubiaczyk-Adler is a concert organist, pianist, conductor, artistic director, and educator known for celebrating the joy of music. Currently, she is director of ministries in music and arts and organist at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Her performances engage audiences with their bold interpretations, refreshing rhythmic vigor and deep sense of musical style,” said Alexander Meszler, assistant professor of music at Luther College. “We are thrilled to welcome her for what is sure to be an inspiring recital and for our students to have the opportunity to work with her.”

In her March 9 program titled “Organ Music of Eastern Europe and the Americas,” Kubiaczyk-Adler will explore early music from Eastern Europe, American composers influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach, and works by 20th- and 21st-century women composers from both regions. The program will include music by Johann Gottfried Müthel, Johannes Fischer of Morąg, Adam of Wągrowiec, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Ramon Noble, Brenda Portman, Florence Beatrice Price and Lesia Vasylivna Dychko. The recital will also feature Jacob Adler’s jazz-influenced, partially improvised piece.

The annual Benefactor’s Organ Recital features outstanding artists of international caliber on Luther’s 42-stop Robert Sipe Organ in the Center for Faith and Life. The concert intends to provide an inspirational role model for current and prospective students who wish to pursue organ or church music study at Luther, as well as offer the community a concert of the highest quality.

The recital is made possible through the Kathryn Ulvilden Moen ’41 Organ Fund and the William B. Kuhlman Endowment.

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