Inside Gustavus May 6, 2010 | Volume 42, Number 31
Faculty/Staff Activities
Rick Orpen (music) will be inducted into the Austin High School Music Hall of Fame, Austin, Minn., on May 18.
Barbara Bjelland (chaplains' office) received a Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council/McKnight Emerging Artist grant for 2010. The purpose of the grant is "to provide financial support to developing artists committed to advancing their work and careers." Barbara will use the grant to attend a plein-air oil painting workshop in Taylors Falls in July 2010.
A drawing by Lois Peterson (art & art history) is included in an exhibit at the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago. The exhibition, titled "Beyond Audubon," is a nationally selected collection of art dealing with the images of birds in contemporary art. The exhibition is funded in part by the Illinois Arts Council, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and a City Arts grant from the city of Chicago. The exhibition opens with a public reception on May 7 and will be on view through July 2. It can be viewed online at www.womanmade.org.
Mark Bjelland (geography) presented a paper at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Washington, D.C. His paper was titled "Young Adults and the Growth and Decline of the Rural Midwest" and included research funded by the Center for Rural Policy Development.
Bob Douglas (geography) is featured in an article on Minnesota River Valley waterfalls written by Gustavus graduate Marc Hequet '75 for the May-June 2010 issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine. You can also find the article on the DNR's website.
Jill Locke (political science) has been elected to the executive council of the Midwest Political Science Association. The MPSA is an international organization with a membership of more than 4,300 political science professors and students and public administrators representing more than 40 countries. The purposes of the MPSA are to promote the professional study and teaching of political science, to facilitate communications between those engaged in such study, and to develop standards for and encourage research in theoretical and practical political problems.
Michael Hvidsten (MCS) was elected to the presidency of the North Central Section of the Mathematical Association of America. He will hold office for three years beginning this June: as president-elect, president, and past president. Mike's former student, Jason Douma '92, now a math professor at the University of Sioux Falls, will be president this coming year, and John Holte (MCS) will be past president, completing a Gustavus sweep of the presidential troika.
Student Achievements
Students Andrew Byron and Matt Horton presented their senior thesis research at the Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium, held April 24 at Macalester College in St. Paul. In addition to his senior thesis paper on the reconstruction of historic Minnesota River floods at Mankato, Byron presented a poster on his development of a GIS application for a mobile iPhone.
Funding Opps
The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations' weekly program or funding opportunity highlight:
- National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Development Fellowship... The NEH awards Teaching Development Fellowships to support faculty pursuing research aimed at deepening their core knowledge in the humanities to improve their undergraduate teaching. Projects must improve an existing undergraduate course that has been taught in at least three different terms and will continue to be taught by the applicant. Three- to five-month fellowships are available with stipends of $4,200 per month, with a maximum award of $21,000 for a five-month period. For more information, please see the NEH website. An early October 2010 deadline is anticipated. Until then, the current guidelines should only be used as a guide.
For more information on grants or proposal preparation, contact Bob Weisenfeld in the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (x7049 or bweis@gustavus.edu).
Social Media
'Video, Webcam, and Photos Oh, My'... Check out the website for the College's new academic building, gustavus.edu/projects/academicbuilding, which contains live webcam shots to view the building progress, a video of the groundbreaking ceremony, as well as photographs of both construction and the groundbreaking ceremony, and more.
For more information on social media, or to make a suggestion, contact Stacia Vogel in Marketing and Communication (x6365 or stacia@gustavus.edu).
Position Openings
- Budget and institutional data specialist (library)
For more information on the aforementioned position(s), call Human Resources (x7304).
News & Announcements
Ushers Still Needed for Commencement... Ushers are needed for the Gustavus commencement exercises on Sunday, May 30. Contact Dana Lamb at dlamb@gustavus.edu or x7550 to volunteer. Ushers should arrive by noon (stadium if weather is cooperative, Lund Center Arena if not), and may leave after the ceremony starts at 2 p.m.
Retirement Party... A retirement party marking Roland Thorstensson's tenure in the Department of Scandinavian Studies will be held at the Interpretive Center on Friday, May 21, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Hosts Still Sought for Sister-City Visitors... The Sister City steering committee is seeking interested faculty or staff who would be willing to host in their home one or two visitors from Petatlán, Mexico, from Friday, May 7, to Saturday, May 15. The visitors are two members (one male and one female) from the family of the president of Petatlán, who will be visiting St. Peter and Gustavus to attend the community Cinco de Mayo celebrations, formalize the sister-city relationship, and spend the week touring the community at large, including various planned activities at Gustavus. Those interested may host either one or both individuals. If interested, you may contact Gustavus student and sister-city intern Karen Wiessner at kwiessne@gustavus.edu.
Scrapbook for Mark Anderson... Yesterday, at a retirement celebration for Mark Anderson, it was announced that a scrapbook is being created as a special farewell to him. In addition to the cards of appreciation and well wishes that Mark receives, photos and stories are also being collected. If you wish to contribute photos or a story, please submit your item to Lynn Boehne or via e-mail at lboehne@gustavus.edu.
Campus Happenings
Chapel Schedule... All are invited to the worship services at 10 a.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. Sundays in Christ Chapel. The upcoming schedule is as follows.
- Friday, May 7 - Julie Johnson (advising center)
- Sunday, May 9 - Chaplain Rachel Larson
- Monday, May 10 - Chaplain Brian Johnson and Proclaim
- Tuesday, May 11 - Fr. Jack Davis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Chimbote, Peru
- Wednesday, May 12 - Morning Praise
- Thursday, May 13 - Carissa Keith (senior student)
- Friday, May 14 - TBA
Author Tea... The Book Mark and the library are teaming to host the annual author tea for Gustavus authors who have published books within the past year. Join them this afternoon (Thursday, May 6) at 3:30 in the Courtyard Cafe to hear a bit about the books and enjoy refreshments. Here is this year's bookshelf:
- Sidonia Alenuma-Nimoh (education) Race and Educational Reform in America
- Mark Bjelland (geography) Human Geography
- Mary Everett (Spanish, retired) My White Orchid
- Barbara Fister (library) Through the Cracks
- Paschal Kyoore (French) Folktales of the Dagara of West Africa
- Roger McKnight (Scandinavian studies, emeritus) Watonwan County: Past, Present, and Future
- Joyce Sutphen (English) First Words
Festival of Dionysus Slated for This Saturday... The Festival of Dionysus, a biennial theatrical festival in which Gustavus students perform scenes from ancient drama, will be held on Saturday, May 8. It starts at 2 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes. It will be out in the Arboretum unless rain forces festivities into the Dive. Different scenes will be performed in different parts of the arboretum, but the event will start out just outside the Interpretative Center. This year the Department of Classics is combining the festival with a reunion of alumni, friends, and classicists to honor Will Freiert (classics) on the occasion of his retirement.
Diversity Awards Banquet Slated for Saturday... Over the past decade, the Diversity Center and the Diversity Leadership Council have recognized individuals, events, and student organizations for their unwavering commitment to social justice at Gustavus Adolphus College. The Diversity Honors Award is bestowed upon those who strive to secure a campus environment that promotes social justice and works to create a non-oppressive environment at the College. Each award recipient was nominated by a member or members of the Gustavus community. On Saturday, May 8, at 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall, three individuals and two events will be recognized as 2010 Diversity Honors Award recipients. The individuals being honored are Professor Thia Cooper (religion) and senior students Rebekah Schulz and Abdul Suleyman. The events being recognized are the "Hmong New Year Celebration" hosted by the Asian Cultures Club and the "African Night Celebration" produced by the Pan Afrikan Student Organization. For more information on how you may still reserve a place to attend the event, contact the Diversity Center at 507-933-7449. Join in honoring the recipients!
Lucia Singers Present Annual Mother's Day Concert... The Lucia Singers, under the direction of Patricia Snapp (music), will present their annual Mothers' Day concert on Sunday, May 9, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. The 67-voice women's chorus will open with selections from Waltzes by Johannes Brahms. The concert includes a composition titled Behold! written by Gustavus voice faculty member Nicolas Wayne and dedicated to the Lucia Singers. The performance is free and open to the public.
'Brassworks!' on Sunday... The Department of Music and brass instructors Scott Moore and Paul Budde present the annual Brassworks! concert on Sunday, May 9, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Björling Recital Hall. This event includes performances by the Gustavus Trombone Choir, the Gustavus Brass Choir, the Horn Quartet, the Gustavus Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, and the Christ Chapel Brass. The concert is free and open to the public.
Lunch with Community Visitors... "Community Service and Solidarity: Comparative Experiences from Mexico and Peru," an informal luncheon/conversation with visitors from Mexico and Peru, is scheduled for the Community Room of the Carlson International Center on Tuesday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Guests include Sra. Leticia de LaCunza of Petatlán, Mexico (St. Peter's sister city); Fr. Jack Davis of Chimbote, Peru; and Sr. Peggy Byrne of Chimbote, Peru. All are welcome, but you'll need to bring your own lunch.
Noted Ecologist to Preview 2010 Nobel Conference... On Friday, May 14, ecologist G. David Tilman will preview this fall’s Nobel Conference 46, “Making Food Good,” with his lecture “Can We Feed the World and Save the Earth?” The lecture is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in Wallenberg Auditorium, Nobel Hall of Science. Tilman, Regent’s Professor and McKnight Presidential Chair in Ecology at the University of Minnesota and a Guggenheim Fellow, currently directs the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research Station. In 2000 he was named the Most Highly Cited Environmental Scientist of the Decade by Essential Science Indicators, and in 2008 he was awarded the International Prize for Biology. He is perhaps best known for his work on the role of resource competition in community structure and on the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning. Tilman’s most recent research on food, energy, and the environment takes a 50-year quantitative global look into the future of food and energy and proposes solutions to the problems that accelerating global food and energy demand would create. He will examine ways to help poorer nations adopt high-yielding agricultural practices and the environmental and health benefits of dietary shifts to highly environmentally efficient diets.
'Time to Soar'... The Gustavus Dance Company is staging its spring concert in Anderson Theatre next weekend, with 8 p.m. performances on Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15, and a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday, May 16. The concert, titled "Time to Soar," features faculty, student, and guest choreography. Tickets are available online at www.gustavustickets.com, or call x7590.
Congregational Outreach
Representing Gustavus... The Office of Church Relations will be tabling at the Southeast Minnesota Assembly in Rochester, Minn., this weekend. They will be sharing information about resources at Gustavus with pastors and church representatives.
Partners in Education... Presenters scheduled for this week include the Rev. Dr. Darrell Jodock (religion), who will be giving his talk, "Luther on the Bible," at Hope Lutheran Church in Jordan, Minn., on Sunday, May 9, at 9:40 a.m. Partners in Education is a program coordinated by the Office of Church Relations in which participating faculty and staff members prepare topical presentations for adult forums, workshops, and seminars in congregations of the ELCA.
Gustavus Youth Outreach... Upcoming GYO events include a retreat at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Annandale, Minn., this Friday, May 7, through Saturday, May 8. This program, sponsored by the Office of Church Relations, consists of student team members who plan and lead youth retreats for local congregations.
Pastor-to-Pastor... Pastor to Pastor, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, will hold its spring gathering today (May 6) through Friday, May 7. The overarching theme of the day is "The Vocation of the Church in a Divided Society." Speakers for the event include Mark Bjelland (geography), Sarah Johnson (religion), and Darrell Jodock (religion). Pastor to Pastor is an organization that supplies resources and fellowship opportunities for member pastors.
Music in Worship... Any Gustavus music ensemble or soloist is welcome to perform in congregations. For more information, contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).
Plugs
Home for Sale... A beautiful two-bedroom home in downtown St. Peter, within walking distance of local downtown establishments, parks, and Gustavus. The home was built in 1920, with kitchen and bathroom updates in 2001. The house offers many unique features, including a bay window, skylights, and a den area. There is also a detached heated garage with a full workbench and storage areas. Come by soon . . . the flowers are in full bloom! For more information, and to view photos of the house, contact Ann Johnson at x6515, 380-1132. or ajohns13@gustavus.edu.
Need a Quarter Cow?... Neely Prenzlow (marketing & communication) is trying to help her dad out in finding a buyer for a quarter cow that is going to market. (Obviously it's a full cow, but he only needs to get rid of a quarter.) If you are interested or know of anyone who may be interested, let her know (x7173).
"Plugs" is maintained as a forum by which members of the Gustavus community may offer goods and/or services to others in the community, or seek the same from them. It is not meant to accommodate ads or announcements from area businesses such as real estate agents or retailers, although from time to time such announcements may be published when deemed to be of particular interest to the community.
To add or change items on the calendar, please fill out and submit a College Calendar event form. View the entire College Calendar online.
News
Our Town: The Community of Theater at Gustavus
4 days ago by Marisa Bacon
From Fine Arts
President’s Art Award Recipient: Mya Hanson ‘25
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From Fine Arts
Leading Through Service and Sound: Chance Korpela
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Gustavus Unveils 2024 Alumni Association Award Winners
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From News
Gustavus Adolphus Establishes Endowed Chair in Scandinavian Studies
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Orientation to Graduation: The Spirit of Community
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Greek Life at Gustavus Opens Up New Worlds
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From Gustavus to the Stage: Students Shine at Bayview Music Festival
2 months ago by Marisa Bacon
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Gustavus Shows Breadth, Depth in National Rankings
2 months ago by Luc Hatlestad
From News
How GIS helps Gusties Chart New Paths
2 months ago by Luc Hatlestad
From News
Aney, Nelson Receive DIIICA Regional Student-Athletes of the Year Honors
Last year by CJ Siewert
From Athletics
Softball Has 12 Named NFCA Scholar-Athletes
Last year by Jordan Modjeski
From Athletics
Women’s Basketball Earns WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll
Last year by Jordan Modjeski
From Athletics
MIAC nominates Nelson for NCAA Woman of the Year, Aney for DIIICA Men’s Sport Student-Athlete of the Year
Last year by CJ Siewert
From Athletics
Men’s Hoops Earns NABC Academic Awards
Last year by CJ Siewert
From Athletics
Inside Gustavus is a newsletter for Gustavus Adolphus College employees produced by the Office of Marketing and Communication. It is published weekly during the academic year (except during the week of Thanksgiving, the Christmas break, Touring Week, and the Spring and Easter breaks). Anyone may submit items by filling out an online submission form. While online submissions are preferred, items may also be submitted typewritten on a letter-sized sheet of paper. Send "snail mail" items to: Inside Gustavus, Office of Marketing and Communication. Items must reach the office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication. The week of Nobel Conference the deadline is 4:30 p.m. Monday. For more information, contact Steve Waldhauser (waldo@gustavus.edu or x6413).
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