Author: Luther College News

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

Bill Smith will serve as Luther College’s vice president for communication.

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.

Amy Weldon published “Advanced Fiction” in August.

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.”

Amy Weldon

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.

The multi-instrument quartet Invoke will perform at Luther College Sept. 29.

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.

Duong Truong spent his summer abroad researching healthcare practices.

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.”

Taipei Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital where Truong did research this summer.

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.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College and Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, will welcome Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anniken Huitfeldt, to Decorah this September.

Huitfeldt will give a lecture on Luther’s campus at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Noble Recital Hall in the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music. The talk is free and open to the public; it will conclude around 12:30 p.m.

Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Huitfeldt oversees Norway’s diplomatic relationships with other nations, including the U.S. The talk will focus on Norway’s foreign policy objectives. Huitfeldt has served in the position since October 2021 and has held multiple positions in the Norwegian government including Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion and Minister of Equality.

“As the first college founded by Norwegian-American immigrants, the connection to Norway remains an important cornerstone for the college today not just for our heritage, but also for contemporary ties,” said Maren Johnson, associate professor of Nordic Studies at Luther.  “We are honored to welcome Minister Huitfeldt to Luther and are excited for her to share about Norway’s foreign policy priorities with a public audience. Her presence reinforces the strength of the connection between Luther, Vesterheim, Decorah and Norway.”

After concluding her time at Luther College, Huitfeldt will head to Vesterheim to kick off a week of celebration for the opening of the new Commons building at Vesterheim in downtown Decorah. Her visit includes a tour of the museum campus and private dinner and ribbon cutting in the Commons, which will be the first official event in the new building.

Beginning Sept. 23, Vesterheim will offer free admission all week in addition to two free online events. It culminates in a public dedication and celebration of the completion of the Commons at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, on Water Street in front of the Commons building. The public is welcome to come and celebrate with entertainment, demonstrations and refreshments. Find more details about the events at vesterheim.org

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.

DECORAH, IOWA — The Luther College Writers Festival returns to campus this month, featuring the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Ross Gay as the keynote speaker. In addition to Gay, the festival will feature a broad coalition of 18 writers publishing in fiction, nonfiction and poetry. The festival begins Friday, Sept. 22, and ends Saturday, Sept. 23.

Gay – a poet and essayist who has won the National Book Critics Circle award, among others – will give this year’s Farwell Distinguished Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, in the Center for Faith and Life. The lecture, Inciting Joy: An Evening with Ross Gay, is free and open to the public, and will discuss his most recent essay collection, “The Book of (More) Delights,” which hits bookstore shelves Sept. 19. His other works include the essay collections “Inciting Joy” and “The Book of Delights” and poetry collections “Be Holding” and “Bringing the Shovel Down.”

The public can register for the festival at no cost, but a free-will donation is optional and encouraged. The two-day festival will feature a variety of readings and publishing advice, in addition to book signings with the authors.

Register for the festival Luther College Writers Festival Website

“I want people to feel welcomed and engaged. I want people to feel excited about words and their transformative potential,” said Amy Weldon, professor of English at Luther and co-director of the writers festival, along with 2001 Luther graduate Keith Lesmeister. “We’re proud that we have a wonderful and diverse mix of writers in terms of genre and culture.”

Many Luther students have read Gay’s work, since it’s taught in a number of Luther courses, including Paideia. They will have the opportunity to attend the different panels to learn about writing and the landscape of the publishing industry from professional writers. Students will work as volunteers to introduce writers at panels and talks and show them around campus.

The theme for this year’s festival is “Writing the Tree of Life: Language in Place.” To kick off the festival, journalist and historian Mark Oppenheimer will give the opening talk Friday afternoon. Taylor Brorby, a poet, memorist and graduate of St. Olaf College, and Carol Roh Spaulding, a fiction writer and professor at Drake University, are among those who will be featured at the festival.

“We are hoping to plant our little tree, our little festival, on our campus and have it grow and welcome people,” Weldon said.

Authors presenting at the Luther College Writers Festival. Top (in order from left to right): Ari Tison, Darius Stewart, Carol Roh Spaulding, Denton Loving, Elise Gregory, Erica Anderson-Senter Middle: Ross Gay, Scott Samuelson, Joe Milan Jr., Julia Ridley Smith, Kathryn Savage, Athena Kildegaard Bottom: Mark Oppenheimer, Michael Kleber-Diggs, Moheb Soliman, J.D. Schraffenberger, Taylor Brorby, Amy Weldon

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.

Thomas Altier, a cross country and track and field runner, was named an All-America Athlete for the 2022-23 season.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College is proud to announce that cross country and track and field runner Tom Altier was named to the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Second Team, the first Norse athlete to earn this achievement since 2017 and the fifth cross country and track and field runner in the program’s history. Academic All-America, which began in 1952, honors top college athletes for their athletic and academic achievements.

Altier, class of 2023, majored in computer science and mathematics and maintained a grade point average of 3.93 during his time at Luther, graduating with summa cum laude honors. In order to be nominated for the Academic All-America team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.5 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale.

Tom Altier

“He was an incredibly motivated, driven and disciplined athlete,” said Luther Cross Country Coach Steve Pasche, who worked with Altier throughout his Norse athletic career. “He was a cornerstone of the program.”

While maintaining his high GPA, Altier represented Luther College at the 2021 and 2022 NCAA cross country championships. To be nominated to All-America, athletes must also be starters for their sport and compete in 50% of varsity contests during the season. In his final cross country season, he finished 11th at the American Rivers Conference Championship, becoming a three-time all-conference finisher. During the Midwest Regionals, he helped the team to a sixth-place finish. Altier finished 28th individually, earning the title of all-region finisher – runners must place in the top 35 to receive the title. He became the second runner in Luther cross country history to become a four-time all-region finisher.

In addition to his cross country achievements, Altier was a distance runner for the Luther track and field team. He set a Luther record in the 3,200-meter run and is fifth all-time in the 5,000-meter run for the college. He earned two all-conference honors for track, one for indoor in the 3,000-meter run and one for outdoor in the 5,000-meter run.

“His athletic career was cut short since he suffered an ankle injury before his last track season, but continued to support the team while he was out,” Pasche said. “He really showed emotional resiliency and was a joy to work with.”

In addition to his running career, Altier was a saxophone player at Luther College, performing in the Luther College Jazz Orchestra.  

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.

Audrey Fashimpaur was one of 500 students from across the country to receive the Critical Language Scholarship.

DECORAH, IOWA—Luther College announces that Audrey Fashimpaur, class of 2023, completed the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Spark program – a competitive and intensive 8-week online course where Fashimpaur was immersed in Chinese language and culture to learn Mandarin. She was one of 500 students – both undergraduate and graduate – from across the country selected for the program this year.

The scholarship program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State in an effort to increase the number of Americans studying critical languages such as Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Urdu, Hindi and Mandarin. In addition to learning the language, CLS recipients also gain access to cultural knowledge to promote rapid language learning.

“I chose to apply to the program because I have always loved learning languages, and I feel it is vital to becoming a well-rounded member of a diverse community,” Fashimpaur said. “Mandarin is one of the most-spoken languages in the world, meaning I can connect with more people.”

Fashimpaur, who majored in art with minors in chemistry,  biology and art history, is now teaching English for a year in Kagoshima-Ken, Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET)  Program. She will practice her Japanese language while abroad and plans to visit Taiwan or China to practice speaking Mandarin. After completing the JET program, she hopes to attend dental school and pursue a career in oral surgery.

As a CLS recipient, Fashimpaur – a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa – is part of a coalition of scholars that represent a broad diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. Recipients of the 2023 CLS awards are from all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Students come from more than 200 higher education institutions including public and private universities, community colleges and military academies.

“I highly recommend anyone look into one of the Critical Language Scholarship programs if you already have a strong background in a language and would like to be more immersed with the culture or if you’re interested in an intensive introductory program,” Fashimpaur said.

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.