Category: Luther College and Decorah Schools

Luther College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter welcomed 23 students into membership at the annual induction ceremony held on Saturday, May 23.

Luther College is one of a select group of private liberal arts colleges in the United States with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The Eta of Iowa Chapter at Luther College was established in 1983. Members are selected on the basis of broad academic interests, scholarly achievement and good character.

The 2026 inductees include:

Seniors

• Nastya Cicala of Chisinau, Moldova
• William Coffey of La Crosse, Wisconsin
• Neil Grube of Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Elizabeth Husemann of Fairfax, Iowa
• Enrique Lopez Barriga of Madrid, Spain
• Simon McDonald of Northfield, Minnesota
• Edie Meehan of Northfield, Minnesota
• Kathryn Merten of Ellensburg, Washington
• Mari Annika Mineck of Urbandale, Iowa
• Enzo Mitidieri of Campinas, Brazil
• Lindsey Moseley of Roseville, Minnesota
• Bret Muhlbauer of Carroll, Iowa
• Anh Nguyen of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Abigail Ostermann of Kimberly, Wisconsin
• Mara Pankow of Decorah, Iowa
• Lillian Spade of Eagan, Minnesota
• Anna Tauscher of Rochester, Minnesota
• Amanda Jean Teske of De Pere, Wisconsin
• Kieran Ulbee of St. Anthony Village, Minnesota
• Jenna Woodsmall of Johnston, Iowa

Juniors

• Micah Anderson of Elko New Market, Minnesota
• Hannah Batterson of Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Julianne Lundvall of Ames, Iowa

Luther College Provost Pam Bacon gave the Ruth A. Davis Memorial Lecture at the ceremony on May 23. Bacon graduated from Carleton College with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. At Carleton, she was inducted into the college’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter (the Beta Chapter of Minnesota). In 2025, Bacon was appointed provost and professor of psychology at Luther College.

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most respected undergraduate honors organization in the United States. The society has fostered and recognized excellence in the liberal arts and sciences since 1776, and the society’s distinctive emblem, a golden key, is widely recognized as a symbol of academic achievement.

Recent Luther College graduate Brody Von Berge built a baseball pitching app designed to help young players be consistent, strategic and effective pitchers.

“There’s a lack of sequencing awareness in youth baseball, and my background in both pitching and computer science helped me design realistic logic to address it,” Von Berge said.

Experiential learning is a core curriculum requirement at Luther College. Through experiential learning, students have the opportunity to apply their learning in a context beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Many students elect to complete their experiential learning through internships or research. Individual student-designed projects like Von Berge’s project are less common, but his project is an example of how the core curriculum requirement may be tailored to a student’s interests and studies. Von Berge majored in computer science at Luther College.

“At Luther College we believe that learning in context beyond the traditional classroom is a critical part of developing the whole person. For that reason we developed a requirement whereby students can connect their unique interests to experiential learning in a wide variety of settings and types of experiences,” said Brittany Cord, director of experiential learning at Luther College.

Von Berge joined Luther’s baseball team after transferring in 2024. This spring, Von Berge was a valuable member of the Norse baseball team’s outstanding season and was twice named American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) baseball pitcher of the week. Earlier this month, the Luther baseball team was named the outright A-R-C champions. Ending the regular season with a 19-5 conference record, Luther earned the No. 1 seed in the A-R-C baseball tournament and earned an at-large bid into the the NCAA Division Ⅲ Tournament.

Recent Luther College graduate Brody Von Berge built a baseball pitching app designed to help young players be consistent, strategic and effective pitchers.

Von Berge brought years of pitching experience to his experiential learning project. His background shaped the app’s logic for what a pitcher would actually throw in a given count and helped him test the suggestions against his own intuition.

“The highlight of the experience was when the app began generating pitch suggestions that matched my own expectations,” Von Berge said. “Seeing the model reflect realistic pitching logic was quite satisfying. It showed that the system I built was working as intended.”

Built in Apple’s Swift programming language, Von Berge’s app helps young pitchers learn what to throw, when to throw it and how to set up sequences. The finished version includes pitch information, customizable pitch mixes that range across fastball, slider, changeup and other common types, simulated at-bats that respond to the ball-strike count and a history tab. Logic Von Berge wrote into the app accounts for what he calls “pitch decay,” a baseball analytics theory that overused pitches lose their effectiveness. The app also tracks tunnels, where two pitches share the same release look.

“Brody being involved in creating this app is not surprising,” said Luther College Head Baseball Coach Bryan Nikkel. “He is the kind of guy whose brain is always working and he is constantly trying to better himself but also those around him. Brody is what type of student-athlete we get here at Luther. He is the best and brightest and has a great future ahead of him on and off the field.”

Von Berge, of Hudson, Wisconsin, earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Luther College on Sunday, May 24.

“I’m very interested in staying in the baseball and sports world and using my degree for analysis or player development,” Von Berge said.

After nearly four decades of mentoring students and welcoming guests to concerts, distinguished lectures, royal visits, and Center Stage Series performances, Bradley Phillips is closing the curtain on his 37-year career at Luther College.

Bradley Phillips

“There are so many wonderful things that have happened while I’ve been here. We’ve had wonderful lectures, and all of the theater, dance and music have been really cool too. What we do is pretty phenomenal,” said Phillips, assistant director for programming and outreach at Luther.

This summer, Phillips will retire after 37 years at Luther. The Decorah community is invited to his retirement reception taking place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 15 in the lobby of the Center for Faith and Life (CFL). Luther College’s a cappella student groups, Beautiful Mess, Undeclared and Uptempo, will provide music at the reception. The event is open to the public.

Phillips was hired as the Brandt Hall director in 1989. After two years in that role, he transitioned to the campus programming office and has been there ever since. He has been offered other positions on and off campus through the years but has turned them down because he wanted to stay connected to Luther students. His office is embellished with photos, handwritten notes, signed tickets and programs and inside-joke-style doodles on scraps of paper curated during his time at Luther.

“The Box Office students are my joy. This is a home. They are always welcomed here. They are comfortable here. This is a very safe environment where everyone is accepted,” Phillips said.

Phillips cultivates a tight-knit community and prides himself on how closely the students work together. As their mentor, Phillips maintains an open door policy and is willing to listen when they want to talk about their challenges. His caring attitude guides his work and sets the standard for customer service within the CFL.

“I take care of my students because if I don’t take care of my students, they can’t take care of the customers,” Phillips said. “We have a lot of stuff going on inside this building and we need to be hospitable. We need to make the CFL a great environment for people and greet people and make the CFL feel like a home. Because we take care of our people, we hardly ever have an issue with a customer because we take care of them.”

And if there is an issue?

“We fix it,” Phillips said.

In addition to being the assistant director for programming and outreach at the CFL, Phillips also advises the Performing Arts Committee, made up of Luther students, with Susan Potvin, director of programming and outreach. Phillips is also the advisor for three ultimate frisbee teams.

He received the Luther College Staff Excellence Award for the 2017-18 academic year. This award recognizes exemplary performance by staff members who consistently excel in their position and demonstrate integrity and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Luther.

Phillips’ official last day on campus is Aug. 28, 2026.

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

Orçun Selçuk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Fulbright Program 

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

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

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

Justin Kroll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Charles Baldwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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