Tuesday, September 17, 2019

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

Applications for Augsburg’s Mayo Innovations Scholar Program are now available on the URGO website! This program is highly competitive and is primarily designed for juniors and seniors.

What is MISP?
In the process of conducting research, Mayo Clinic scientists have developed new products that may be marketable. These products are submitted to the Mayo Clinic Office of Intellectual Property (OIP) for a thorough investigation of marketability. The OIP has a significant backlog of products to be investigated. One of the backlogged products or inventions is assigned to each MISP team for investigative research and formal presentation at Mayo Clinic.

Augsburg’s team will consist of an MBA student, 3 undergraduate science students, 1 undergraduate business/economics student, and a Licensing Manager from the Mayo Clinic OIP. The team will work together to understand the science and applications of the project or innovation and analyze the market potential. Each undergraduate student on the team will receive $1,000. Teams will begin work during October and the final presentations will be in March.

To Apply:
Applications can be found on the URGO website (www.augsburg.edu/urgo). Completed applications must be submitted to urgo@augsburg.edu by Thursday, September 19th. If you have any questions about the program, please contact us at urgo@augsburg.edu, 612-330-1441, or stop in at Hagfors 101.

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

Friday, September 20th | Hagfors 273 | 2 p.m.

This session for new first-year and transfer students interested in pre-health will provide information on how to explore health careers and how to plan for the courses and experiences required by professional/graduate schools such as medical, dental, PA, PT, public health, and many others. Contact Catherina Kipper at kipper@augsburg.edu with questions or to RSVP.

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded eight to ten week language and cultural immersion program in which students receive eight credits of intensive language instruction in less-commonly taught languages, as well as structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. CLS is part of a US State Department initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages critical to national security and economic prosperity. There are fifteen languages that applicants can select from. Alumni of the program also receive one year of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) status when applying for federal government jobs.
The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, and from a wide range of fields of study and career paths. Competitive applicants will need to be able to illustrate a commitment to language learning, a strong academic record and potential to succeed in a rigorous academic setting, and ability to adapt to an intensive program and challenging cultural environment. Most programs do not require experience studying the selected language. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

To learn more about the program, go to https://clscholarship.org/ . The URGO office provides advising and application support for CLS. Please contact urgo@augsburg.edu (reference CLS) to set up an appointment before October 25th

submitted by stoddard@augsburg.edu

Take a spring semester course that includes 10 days of travel to Guatemala on Spring break!

Human Rights Voices in post-conflict Guatemala, 4-credits
Course options: CCS/SPA 495 or POL 459

Faculty Leader: Professor Joseph Towle
Travel Dates: March 14-22, 2020 (spring break)

Course Description:
Many U.S. citizens know little of Guatemala and the struggles its people face although it is a nation that continuously finds its fortunes bound to the interests and intent of the United States.

This course invites you to hear Guatemalan people’s views of their country, to explore past and present US involvement, and learn from those who lived through and survived the civil war spanning four decades (1960-1996), as well as a new generation of writers and artists–all who creatively and peacefully counteract the culture of fear through art and literature.
This 4-credit course is part of the spring 2020 enrollment. It can be taken as part of, or in addition to, your usual course load, and overload fees incurred by this study abroad program will be waived.

***APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 1***

Program cost $3,825
includes: international airfare, all meals, all lodging, all program activities and in-country transportation. There is no additional tuition fee for full-time undergrad students.

Scholarships are available!

Visit the program page for additional details, course information, and updates!

submitted by bouzardg@augsburg.edu

Looking to incorporate experiential learning into your class? Check out two great resources compiled by the Sabo Center that can help you shape a course or assignment related to experiential education.

The first is the Experiential Education website. This website offers an overview of experiential learning at Augsburg, the core elements of effective experiential education, and offers examples of different kinds of experiential learning strategies: inside.augsburg.edu/experientialed

The second is a comprehensive library guide, covering topics from theory to resources for course design, ideas for reflection activities, and more!
https://library.augsburg.edu/experientialed

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

On Wednesday, October 2, you can hear Dr. Feng speak about, “Life at the Nano-bio interface — an Analytical Chemist’s journey towards an environmentally sustainable future.” Treats will be provided. RSVP with the link below.

Wednesday, October 2 | Speaking of Scholarship with Dr. Z. Vivian Feng – 2019 CTL Scholarship Award Winner | 3:10 pm – 4:20 pm, Hagfors 150 A

RSVP for Speaking of Scholarship with Dr. Z. Vivian Feng

submitted by maherk@augsburg.edu

Before tomorrow’s Faculty Meeting, listen to the first EDTalk of the year, “Trauma: 3 Interdisciplinary Perspectives”.

Professors Beckman (Biology), Lehmann (Social Work), and Lowe (Religion) will describe how trauma is currently understood in their disciplines and highlight the points of tension and coherence among these disciplinary approaches to trauma.

EDTalks are fifteen minutes filled with information and inspiration, just prior to the monthly Faculty Meetings. Enjoy your coffee and some wisdom before the big meeting.

Wednesday, September 18 | EDTalk: Trauma: 3 Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3:20 pm – 3:35 pm, Hagfors 151

Center for Teaching and Learning

submitted by tensen@augsburg.edu

Weather and other emergencies that cancel class can disrupt the teaching plan you originally devised in your syllabus. Fortunately, Augsburg has a number of e-learning tools that allow you to transform your in-class lesson(s) into an online (asynchronous) equivalent. Check out the link below for suggestions about how to re-imagine a lesson plan with relatively short notice so you won’t have to reorganize to catch up.

http://go.augsburg.edu/noclass

submitted by keenern@augsburg.edu

A new course has been added for this fall in the Environmental Studies Program and it’s all about food and its impact on the environment!! Register for ENV 100-A (Fall 2019).

The course satisfies the core curriculum requirement of Liberal Arts Foundation: Social & Behavioral Sciences and is 4 credits. We meet Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:40-5:20pm.

General Description: Environmental Connections is an interdisciplinary introduction to current issues regarding the natural environment upon which we all depend, an environment under increasing strain. It also serves as the introductory course for Augsburg’s Environmental Studies Program and as a Social and Behavioral Sciences course in the Liberal Arts Foundation. Throughout the semester we will explore food systems and our collective challenge of balancing a sustainable society with sustainable ecologies. We all need food to survive, but current processes of cultivation, production, distribution, and waste disposal significantly, and detrimentally, impact the natural world. How serious are these challenges? How will we respond? What can be and is being done now to minimize the further damage from these human activities?

Contact Monica McDaniel at mcdaniem@augsburg.edu for more details or with questions.

submitted by fieldl@augsburg.edu

We are pleased to announce Augsburg’s Interfaith Fellows for the 2019-20 academic year: Busshō Lahn and Chris Stedman ’08

The Augsburg Interfaith Fellows are charged with deepening and extending Augsburg’s calling to inter-religious engagement, preparing students to live and serve in contexts of religious pluralism. Their work is coordinated by the newly created Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Inter-Religious Leadership and includes participating in classroom and campus discussions and events; working with students named as Interfaith, Christensen, and Sabo scholars; and engaging with Augsburg’s Interfaith Coordinating Committee and various religious groups on campus.

Busshō Lahn is a Senior Priest at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center and is on the leadership team of Aslan Institute in Eagan, MN. This will be Bussho’s second year as an Interfaith Fellow. “I wish to keep offering myself as a resource on Zen, Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness to classes & students in whatever capacity I can. I have a relatively flexible schedule, with normal class/working hours being especially available. I’d love to meet more Auggies!”

Chris Stedman is a humanist community organizer, interfaith activist, and writer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “I’m thrilled to start my third year as an interfaith fellow at Augsburg and can’t wait to continue learning from and with this wonderful community. I especially love visiting classes and engaging in conversation with students about humanism, secular worldviews, interfaith work, and my own undergraduate experience at Augsburg. Please reach out if you have any ideas or questions about ways we might work together.”

Full bios of Augsburg Interfaith Fellows

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institutes is an intensive seven-week summer program that focuses on preparing students for careers as policy professionals, public administrators and other leadership roles in public service. Selected participants spend the summer at one of five participating universities (University of Minnesota, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, or University of Michigan) where they take courses, learn from top leaders in the field and build their professional skills. Students must have junior or senior status and be planning to graduate between December 2020 and August 2021. To be competitive for this opportunity, students should have a 3.5 GPA or above. There is no cost to attend and participants receive a $1,000 stipend. Contact URGO at urgo@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1446 and reference your interest in PPIA before October 6th to set up a meeting to learn more.

PPIA Eligibility and Benefits

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

URGO offers up to $850 in travel funding for Augsburg undergraduates who have been accepted to present research at a professional conference. These funds can mitigate the high costs of travel such as airfare and lodging, and can contribute to students’ professionalization.

The application is available at the URGO website (www.augsburg.edu/urgo) at the “conference travel” page. Grants are awarded on a rolling basis, so students are encouraged to work with their research mentor to submit a travel application as soon as possible after receiving acceptance to a conference. The URGO Advisory Committee meets bi-monthly throughout the school year and will begin reviewing applications September 23rd.

If you have any questions about undergraduate conference travel opportunities, please contact Dixie Shafer at shafer@augsburg.edu or x1447.

submitted by kipperj@augsburg.edu

Each year URGO offers $1,000 research grants for undergraduates who wish to gain research experience with an Augsburg faculty member. These grants require 100 hours of research over the course of the academic year and are a great way to ease into research or to continue work on an existing project.

The application is available at the URGO website (www.augsburg.edu/urgo) at the “on-campus research” page. Grants are awarded on a rolling basis, so student-faculty research teams are encouraged to submit proposals in the fall. The URGO Advisory Committee meets bi-monthly and will begin reviewing proposals September 23rd.

If you have any questions about undergraduate research opportunities, please contact Dixie Shafer at shafer@augsburg.edu or x1447.