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Dr. Justin Knoepfel, recipient of the Dr. Carlo A. Sperati Award, joined the Gustavus faculty in 2009. He currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Music, conductor of the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra (GSO), and instructor of viola. Transitioning from a career as a professional string player to the podium, Dr. Knoepfel brings a deep understanding of technical complexity and expressive nuance to his conducting, providing a rigorous yet engaging experience for his ensembles.

Beyond campus, Dr. Knoepfel is a highly sought-after clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator. He recently served as the guest festival conductor for the Dorian Orchestra Festival. Under his leadership, the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra maintains a robust performance schedule—including high-profile events like Christmas in Christ Chapel and the Nobel Conference—and tours annually. The GSO embarks on international tours every four years, with the most recent journey to Ireland and Scotland.

As an accomplished violist, Dr. Knoepfel’s performance credits include the Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, and the South Dakota, Mankato, and La Crosse Symphony Orchestras. His artistry has taken him across the United States and Europe, performing at prestigious venues. He frequently collaborates with members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A dedicated educator, he has served on the faculty for programs such as the Lutheran Summer Music Academy, MNSOTA Summer String Camp, and the International Viola Congress. His freelance career is equally diverse, ranging from sharing the stage with legends like The Eagles and Idina Menzel to performing privately for King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Dr. Knoepfel resides with his wife, Elisa, and their five children. The household is completed by Regan, a Bernedoodle, and Avery, a Ragdoll cat. Above all his professional achievements, family remains the center of his life.

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Thomas has over 35 years of international professional fundraising experience including 20 years at Gustavus. His career is marked with a successful track record of campaigns for a variety of non-profit organizations throughout the United States as well as overseas.  

The Advancement Office at Gustavus includes responsibility for the annual fund, major gift fundraising as well as alumni and parent engagement. As Vice President, Young led his team through two successful comprehensive campaigns for physical initiatives as well as endowment growth. The campaigns generated over $400 million of documented commitments to the College including the largest commitments in the history of the College.

His position at Gustavus includes responsibility for representing the College in Sweden and has been instrumental in maintaining the College’s relationship with the Nobel Foundation and the Royal Court. He has helped recruit three Board members from Sweden and raised nearly $5 million from Swedish sources.

The Accounting with Finance major at Gustavus is a rigourous combination of accounting, business, and finance courses. It provides the academic background necessary for positions in private businesses. (Additional credit hours and specific accounting course credits are necessary to meet the current education requirements to take the CPA exam and to be licensed as a CPA in Minnesota.) 

View a list of clinical site placements for the master of athletic training program at Gustavus.

We're driven by the purpose and potential within every student. In everything we do, our goal is to create an environment that makes each student discover and understand their unique value in order to inspire and develop the capacity and passion for lifelong learning and service-oriented leadership.

Our students graduate equipped with not only a degree, but with skills and tools that make them ready to make a positive impact no matter where they go next—be it Wall Street, Main Street, or somewhere in between.

Hannah Drea, MS, BSN, PHN is Nursing Faculty, a Clinical Instructor, and the Clinical Coordinator within the Gustavus Nursing Program. She has taught a variety of courses across the nursing curriculum, including Medical–Surgical Clinical, Pre-Health Professions, Public Health, and Public Health Clinical. Through these diverse teaching experiences, she supports students at different stages of their academic and professional development. She is committed to the College’s liberal arts mission, striving to help students reach their full potential, foster a passion for lifelong learning, and prepare them for lives of leadership and service. Her teaching pedagogy emphasizes student-centered and collaborative learning, encouraging students to actively construct knowledge through experiential learning while adapting to diverse learning styles.

In her role as Clinical Coordinator, Hannah facilitates high-quality clinical learning experiences by securing, scheduling, and managing student placements across healthcare settings while ensuring compliance with accreditation and regulatory standards. She serves as a liaison between the nursing program and clinical partners, overseeing site contracts, coordinating student and faculty orientations, and tracking required clinical hours. Her responsibilities include clinical placement management, partnership development with healthcare organizations, and comprehensive compliance and documentation oversight—such as immunizations, CPR certification, background checks, HIPAA training, and adherence to site-specific policies. She also monitors and evaluates the quality and effectiveness of clinical experiences to support continuous improvement and student success.

Hannah brings clinical expertise to her teaching, with a strong background in medical–surgical and endoscopy nursing. Her experience in the Endoscopy Unit includes colonoscopies, esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCPs), BRAVO placements, dilations, pre-operative EGDs for bariatric surgery, and bronchoscopies. She has also been involved in the implementation of robotic bronchoscopies, reflecting her engagement with advancing clinical technologies.

In her medical–surgical nursing practice, Hannah specialized in the care of patients with gastrointestinal and urinary conditions, hospice and end-of-life needs, cancer-related complications, post-surgical recovery, withdrawal management, and a wide range of other medical and surgical conditions. This breadth of experience informs her ability to connect theory to practice and prepare students for the complexities of clinical care.

In addition to her clinical coordination and teaching responsibilities, Hannah is actively engaged in professional service and collaboration through the Gustavus Nursing Program Local Advisory Board, the Minnesota Nursing Student Internship Consortium, and the MN Academic Networking Group. These collaborative groups provide guidance and direction to support best student outcomes by strengthening the connection between didactic course knowledge and clinical practice.

She actively participates in ongoing continuing education to remain current in nursing practice and education. Her professional memberships include the National League for Nursing and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, through which she stays connected to best practices in nursing education and clinical coordination, further enriching her work with students and colleagues.

Get answers about registration holds, transfer credit, transcripts, and more.

The Student Accounts office assists students and parents with payments and understanding charges and credits on a student's bill and account.

Gustavus Technology Services (GTS) provides campus-wide tech support including the helpline, account setup, network access, software, printing tools, and cybersecurity. Their site provides information on common questions such as access to the virtual lab, gusmail, connecting to wifi, loaner laptops, and printing on campus.