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Gustavus Adolphus College Campus Store & Course Materials Portal (Slingshot)
This is the official Gustavus portal where students can manage digital or physical textbooks, rental options, and college apparel through the integrated Slingshot platform. Embedded within the Book Mark store’s infrastructure, it offers seamless ordering, returns, buyback services, and support—delivered via the student’s Gustavus credentials

Jeff Jenson joined Gustavus in August 2007, bringing extensive experience in archives development, public service, and education. In his role, he is dedicated to building and strengthening archival collections, improving access to historical materials, and ensuring the long-term preservation of vital records. Deeply committed to public service and education, he works to connect communities with information resources and assists researchers in fostering meaningful engagement with archival materials. He also collaborates closely with faculty and students, developing instructional sessions that promote the effective use of primary sources and research tools in academic settings.

Embracing the diverse nature of the liberal arts tradition, Jenson’s research interests span a wide range of topics, with his most recent publications and presentations exploring the history of timber rattlesnakes in Minnesota. He is an active member of the archival and library communities, presenting or facilitating sessions at the Midwest Archives Conference, Twin Cities Archives Round Table (TCART), Brick & Click Academic Library Conference, and the ACRL Conference. In addition, Jeff serves as a researcher with the DNA Doe Project.

Beyond his professional affiliations, Jenson is heavily involved in institutional leadership at the College. He has served as Chair of the Library and Archives Department and actively contributes to the campus community through his service on numerous faculty committees. His campus involvement has included roles on the Faculty Senate, the Adjudication Board, Third-Year Review Committee, as a Liberal Arts Search Committee Representative for several searches, and as a faculty representative on the Conduct Board.

Dr. Brandon Dean serves as the Jon and Anita Thomsen Young Distinguished Endowed Chair in Music and is the Conductor of the Gustavus Choir. In addition to his conducting duties, he teaches beginning and advanced conducting, and serves as music director for Christmas in Christ Chapel. Dr. Dean received the 2014 Swenson-Bunn Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2022 Faculty Service Award, the highest accolade a Gustavus faculty member can receive for distinguished service activities. Before his appointment at Gustavus in 2011, Dr. Dean completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

From your first inquiry as a prospective student through graduation and beyond as an alum, our dedicated teams provide the services, resources, and guidance you need to thrive. Whether you're looking for academic support, financial aid assistance, career guidance, or help navigating campus life, our staff is committed to ensuring you have the tools and support necessary for success. Explore the offices below to connect with the right team for your needs.

Discover our award-winning Dining Services—daily menus, meal plans, and cafeteria hours, Courtyard Café hours, STEAMery hours.

The Campus Activities Office (CAO) supports student involvement through events, student clubs, and campus traditions that build community at Gustavus.

The Registrar’s Office at Gustavus manages course registration, transcripts, academic calendars, graduation requirements, majors and minors, and more.

Thomas LoFaro is a Professor of Mathematics. He specializes in applications of dynamical systems to mathematical biology. He has had multiple cross-disciplinary scholarly collaborations in his career working with biologists, neuroscientists, and computer scientists. He is currently an Associate in the Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Decision Making at New York University. Thomas has recently co-authored the textbook Discovering Differential Equations Through Experiment & Inquiry with Professor Jeff Ford.

Professor LoFaro teaches a wide variety of mathematics courses in the MCS department but especially enjoys teaching any class with an applied mathematics focus. He has taught at Gustavus since 2000 and has served the College in many capacities including multiple terms chairing the MCS Department. In 2019 he was awarded the college's Faculty Service Award for exceptional service and dedication.

Learn how to use military education benefits at Gustavus, including eligibility, certification steps, and how military service connects to financial aid and tuition support.

Tara Cadenhead serves as the Instructor of the Practice in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where she is also the Director of the Center for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Leadership (CIEL). A Gustavus alumna herself, Tara brings a unique blend of high-level corporate strategy and "maker" entrepreneurship to the Hill, providing students with a practical roadmap for turning creative ideas into sustainable ventures.

Tara’s teaching is informed by nearly two decades of leadership in the corporate sector. During her tenure at FICO, a leading provider of analytics and CRM software, she led talent management and organizational change initiatives, specializing in aligning human capital with strategic business goals. Later, at Target Corporation, she served as a key advisor to Supply Chain leadership, and then played a strategic communication and change leadership role in launching a new enterprise-wide talent system and related processes for a workforce of more than 70,000 users.

In addition to her corporate background, Tara is the founder of Marquess Studios, a creative venture based in Stillwater, Minnesota, that emphasizes intentional design and community-focused commerce. Experience as a small business owner allows her to mentor students with authentic insights into brand storytelling, lean product development, and the resilience required to launch a startup.

In the classroom, Tara emphasizes experiential learning and vocational discovery. She views entrepreneurship as a multidisciplinary mindset relevant to every major, from the fine arts to the hard sciences. Her courses function as laboratories where students are encouraged to iterate, take calculated risks, and solve complex problems through "failing forward."

As the Director of CIEL, Tara spearheads initiatives that foster a culture of innovation across the entire campus. She oversees the Gustie Cup, the college’s premier entrepreneurship competition which offers significant seed money prizes across "Scalable" and "Sustainable" categories. In this role, she mentors student founders through intensive Start-Up Labs and 1:1 consulting sessions, while engaging alumni and industry experts to enhance the viability of students' plans. Gustie Cup winners have advanced as semi-finalists in the statewide Minnesota Cup. Her service extends to the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, where she builds bridges between Gustavus and Minnesota’s business leaders, alumni mentors, and economic organizations, and recently represented Gustavus on an International Economic Development trip to Ireland.

Outside of her work at the College, Tara is deeply committed to community-driven service and regional development. She is most interested in exploring public-private partnerships to maximize social and economic impact. Tara is a founding Board member for Connect Lake Elmo, where she helps guide initiatives that enhance local connectivity and economic vitality. Her dedication to service is further highlighted by her previous involvement with Rotary International, various non-profit organizations, and was recently nominated as "Volunteer of the Year" by the Stillwater Area Chamber of Commerce. When not mentoring the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, she enjoys traveling, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family.  

The Academic Support Center at Gustavus provides advising, accessibility resources, and academic support to help all students achieve success and reach their goals.