Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change in communities locally and around the world. Fellows are nominated by Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors, who are invited to select one outstanding student from their campus each year.

Milashu is a sociology major with a minor in political science (pre-law), as well as a Bonner Community Leader. She also works with Tubman in St. Paul, Minnesota, an organization that supports people who have experienced relationship violence, trafficking, homelessness, mental and chemical health challenges, and other trauma.

“Giving back to communities that have helped me grow into who I’ve become is important to me, and I would also like to help provide resources in my community that I would’ve appreciated having in my youth as well,” Milashu said in a personal statement. “As a sociology major who has been studying the unequal structures we have set in our society, [my internship] has inspired me to pursue a career in the legal field so I can defend people’s civil rights. We are all interconnected as a society, and every action we take is influenced by others and will influence others. I would like the actions I take to help contribute to a more equitable and considerate world.”

Campus Compact provides Newman Fellows with a year of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, fellows participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities to help provide them with the skills and connections they need to create large-scale positive change. The cornerstone of the fellowship is the Annual Convening of Fellows, which offers intensive in-person skill-building and networking over the course of two days. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“Deeply invested in advocacy work, Beti has distinguished herself as a community member known for her welcoming and capable group facilitation as a Bonner Community Leader,” wrote President Paul C. Pribbenow in his nomination letter.

“This group of exceptional students from campuses across the country is such a welcomed addition to the Newman Civic Fellowship,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “Now more than ever, it is an honor to recognize student leaders who are applying themselves as changemakers and creating positive impact in their communities. This is just the start of their lifelong journeys as Newman Civic Fellows, and I couldn’t be more excited to watch them continue to grow and pursue their passions.”

Learn more about the and on Campus Compact’s website.

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1977

Neil (Pauluk) Paulson ’77 noted that a new Oxford House in Port Orange, Florida, for women, with children, who completed drug or alcohol treatment, opened in July. It will house seven-plus people who are working on their sobriety. OxfordHouseFL.org will manage the house and its residents. Previously the house was a foreclosure, owned by a woman with several alcohol-related arrests. Paulson hopes the community can be bettered by facilities like this.

1990s

1992

Laura (Kompelien) Delavie ’92 published her book, “The Green Heart: Our Path to Peace.” An illustrated parable for adults and thoughtful readers of all ages, it asks us to consider: What if the path to peace begins not on battlegrounds but within our own hearts? With questions for reflection and discussion, the book acts as a conversation starter.

2000s

2006

David Nash ’06 is the author of “The Burntwood Anthology,” a collection of six stories of dark fiction published by Unsolicited Press. The book is a braided narrative of Northwoods horror, eerie introspection, subtle witchcraft, and self-proclaimed kings getting what they deserve.

2020s

2020

Kylie (Rischer) Mead ’20 is a physician assistant on the Same Day Clinic team at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin, Minnesota. She was previously a physician assistant at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, Minnesota, and Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury, Minnesota. 

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Students who wish to notify their hometown newspapers of their achievement can do so at their discretion using a .

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With a background as a landscaper and urban farmer and training from the Permaculture Research Institute, Wells brings both traditional groundskeeping expertise and knowledge of native plants and soil health to Augsburg. He also came to campus with a network that has flourished during his time on the job, contributing resources that include labor, funding, and advice on sustainable landscapes.

Assistant Groundskeeper Blair Myers-Leehy is a key member of that network of contributors. He acts as a mechanic, manages the mowing, and collects the garbage on campus. Student workers are also vital to groundskeeping, but due to the extreme temperatures that can accompany Minnesota weather, they can be hard to find. Wells said that Associate Professor Joe Underhill “has been a huge support. He’s helped me find students who are interested in the outdoors.”

The support Wells receives goes far beyond his team. His mentor, Stefan Meyer, whom he met at the Permaculture Research Institute, came to campus to help design the garden beds and choose native plants. Several organizations have provided assistance through grants and other forms of financial assistance, including grant funding for native plants from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization; significantly discounted trees from Tree Trust; and funding for an electric vehicle, electric mower, and other electric landscaping equipment from Augsburg’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. “Our electric vehicle has been a huge help,” Wells said. “If we didn’t have that, there’d be times when the students would just be walking around with tools.”

As a member of the Sabo Center Engagement Council, Wells also had the opportunity to work with the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute, which offered several workshops, many on native plants. “I learned a lot from them,” he said. “A lot of students showed up, and staff and faculty.”

Since he joined Augsburg, Wells has overseen the installation of many native plants in beds that were once devoted to annuals, saving the university money and, once the annuals were established, reducing reliance on watering. They’re also more resistant to rabbits.

“I heard a lot from students that they wanted more fruit trees, edible landscapes, as far as plants go,” Wells said. “I think about rabbits a lot when I’m planting. My first year, I didn’t think rabbits would be that big of a deal, but they took out a lot of plants and even the bark around trees. That was a big problem.” Besides planting natives, he finds that including marigolds in the landscaping and spraying plants with Neem oil and hot pepper also help.

Despite the challenges he faces, from finding resources to protecting plants from rabbits, Wells finds the work well worth it. Not only does he get to be outside, but he gets to share his love of the outdoors with students. “I like training them, showing them, teaching them about plants,” he said. “I’ll teach them whatever they want, and that’s fun.”

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For a fifth consecutive year, ���߲���Ƶ is one of 275 colleges and universities nationwide that have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society 2026 Transfer Honor Roll. Based on key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, the Transfer Honor Roll recognizes excellence in the development and support of dynamic and innovative pathways for community college transfer students. Some of the metrics taken into consideration are cost and financial aid, campus life, admissions practices, and bachelor’s degree completion rates.

“This award is extremely special to us as a transfer team,” says Tim Lawson, associate director of undergraduate admissions. “Transfer students are an integral part of our campus community. They bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience that is truly inspiring to us as a transfer team and to the campus as a whole.” 

Learn more about Augsburg’s transfer admissions.

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A commitment from Augsburg is one reason Summer Bridge has existed for over 20 years.

Kevin Cheatham ’07 MAL, director of TRIO/Student Support Services, and Xia Xiong-Vang ’05, assistant director, call the Summer Bridge program Augsburg’s best-kept secret. They said that while many colleges host federal TRIO programs, Augsburg uniquely integrates its TRIO/Student Support Services into the institution’s fabric. Peer TRIO programs across the country frequently praise the mere existence of Augsburg’s Summer Bridge program. Ultimately, extensive cross-departmental support and a strong financial commitment from Augsburg, along with additional funding from the Department of Education, allow it to thrive, making replication nearly impossible for other schools. 

“It was really scary coming to college,” said Ayriana Vue ’29, who participated in Summer Bridge in 2025 and returned this summer as a peer mentor. “I had never been on a campus before; I generally get lost easily; and I didn’t know what to expect. Everything felt so unknown after high school. But thanks to Summer Bridge, I felt more confident about coming to Augsburg. Being on campus in a smaller group and meeting other students helped me feel more comfortable when I started school in the fall. And I met two of my best friends at Summer Bridge.”

“I wasn’t the most outgoing person, so if it wasn’t for the Summer Bridge program, I wouldn’t have gotten to know as many people and resources,” Paw Htoo ’28, another peer mentor who was part of the 2024 Summer Bridge cohort, added. “It allowed me to explore—not just Augsburg, but the city and the community around it. We got early access to resources, and it opened my eyes to know and understand what is available to me as a student—like the Strommen Center and the Multicultural Life office. I may not have used the services right away, but I knew where to go when I needed them. It made being at Augsburg easier.”

The program introduces students to Augsburg and its resources while teaching them essential life skills, like riding the light rail and exploring the surrounding Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Above all, Summer Bridge builds confidence. It empowers students to envision their own college potential, challenging them to reflect on their personal motivations, advocate for themselves, and seek out help when needed. Within four weeks, they truly become Auggies. 

Top Photo: Kevin Cheatham ’07 MAL, director of TRIO/Student Support Services

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“We are extremely honored to be selected as a member of the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Vern Klobassa, Augsburg’s Batalden Assistant Dean for Student Success and Belonging. “More than half of Augsburg undergraduates are the first in their families to go to college. This recognition affirms what we already know—that first-gen students are welcome here, and we are committed to walking with them every step of the way.”

The FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach—Network Member, Network Leader, and Network Champion—to scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures. With the new class, the Network includes more than 500 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems, representing 48 states and the District of Columbia.

“We are excited to welcome Augsburg to the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Martina A. Martin, vice president at FirstGen Forward. “Throughout the application process, Augsburg demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing success for first-generation students—backed by a willingness to align strategy, data, and campus-wide efforts for long-term impact. Their leadership reflects a meaningful investment in creating the conditions where first-generation students can thrive.”

In this first phase of the Network, selected institutions will participate in the FirstGen Forward Network Virtual Kick-off on August 20, 2026. As a Network Member, Augsburg’s interested faculty and staff will be afforded opportunities to engage with peer institutions that are also working to create environments that improve the experiences and success of first-generation students, and will participate in monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting, and more.

After successful completion of the Network Member phase, institutions may progress to the second phase, FirstGen Forward Network Leader, in which institutions receive an evidence-based and research-supported framework of actionable priorities supported through monthly workshops; diagnostic tools providing critical institutional insight; robust data-sharing as part of the national Postsecondary Data Partnership; guidance of expert coaches along each step of the experience; and more. Ultimately, all Network institutions strive for national leadership as FirstGen Forward Network Champions.

“There is nothing quite like seeing a new generation of institutions step into this network with purpose and passion,” said Dr. Stephanie J. Bannister, President of FirstGen Forward. “FirstGen Forward exists because we believe institutions are strongest when they learn alongside one another—sharing evidence-based practices, working through challenges together, and advancing first-generation student success at scale. Augsburg is joining a community of practitioners doing exactly that, and the Class of 2026 represents a remarkable groundswell of energy and commitment. I know Augsburg will be a meaningful contributor to what we build together.”

To learn more about first-generation efforts at Augsburg, contact Vern Klobassa at klobassa@augsburg.edu. To learn more about FirstGen Forward, visit .

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“It’s wonderful that the mission-driven work we do here at Augsburg and its impact on the community is being recognized in this way,” said Clark, who serves as director of Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, executive director of the Augsburg Health Commons, and professor of nursing. “In particular, our work at the Health Commons is so unique in nursing education. I am thrilled to see it receive such meaningful recognition on a global scale.” 

Under Clark’s leadership, the Health Commons has expanded from a single drop-in center to five community-based locations serving individuals experiencing homelessness, social isolation, food insecurity, and interpersonal violence through various community-academic partnerships and a commitment to relationship-centered care. In addition to her work leading the Health Commons and the Sabo Center, Clark teaches graduate nursing courses focused on social justice, health inequities, and civic engagement. Her scholarship focuses on community-engaged pedagogy, structural inequities when seeking care, civic engagement, and accompaniment-based models of care. 

As previous chair of the Nursing Department and chief nursing administrator at Augsburg, Clark led curriculum revisions to reflect the department’s mission to advance health equity and inclusivity. She received the 2025 Barbara A. Holland Scholar-Administrator Award from the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, was named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing program, was selected by the Minnesota Association of Registered Nurses as their 2025 fellow to the National American Nurses’ Advocacy Institute, and received Augsburg’s Distinguished Service to the Community Award in 2021. Before returning to Augsburg as a faculty member, she worked for eight years as an in-patient nurse in oncology, hematology, and the medical intensive care unit.  

“Katie Clark is a true citizen-scholar and citizen-nurse,” said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. “Through her relentless commitment to engaging with community from a place of respect, belonging, and curiosity, she has changed the face of nursing education and shaped the practice of nursing itself. This tremendous honor from the American Academy of Nursing is well-deserved.”

To earn the Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing credential, accomplished professionals must pass a highly selective review process demonstrating leadership in research, education, or advocacy. The 2026 class of fellows represents 39 states, the District of Columbia, and 17 countries and will be honored at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 8–10, 2026, in Washington, DC.

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This collaboration will bring the 70-member National Lutheran Choir in residence to Augsburg for rehearsals and educational programming, offering opportunities for Augsburg students to gain exposure to the high-level music making of an award-winning performing ensemble. As part of its programmatic residency, the National Lutheran Choir anticipates offering internships for students that are related to choral music and nonprofit administration.

“We are thrilled to be able to deepen our relationship with the National Lutheran Choir at this exciting time for the arts at Augsburg,” said Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. “This collaboration brings our historic connection full circle and opens up tremendous opportunities for students to grow through exposure to an extraordinary ensemble.” 

Now in its 41st year, the National Lutheran Choir celebrates, invigorates, and expands sacred choral music, bringing inspiration and meaning to people of diverse faiths and backgrounds. Artistic Director Jennaya Robison is committed to uplifting sacred choral music that comes from many traditions and draws from the sacred in everyday life. A recipient of the Margaret A. Hillis Award, the nation’s top honor for performance choirs, the National Lutheran Choir performs to thousands of audience members each year locally and on tour, has a discography of 36 albums, and is regularly broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio. More than 180 songs and a number of concert-length presentations are available on the choir’s YouTube channel. 

The National Lutheran Choir was founded in 1986 by the late Larry Fleming, a noted conductor and composer who succeeded Leland Sateren as Augsburg’s choir director from 1979–86. Augsburg alumnus David Cherwien ’79 subsequently served as the National Lutheran Choir’s second artistic director for more than 20 years. 

Robison joined the National Lutheran Choir as artistic director in 2023. A nationally-recognized conductor, composer, and vocalist, she has conducted choirs, workshops, and festivals across the United States, Europe, and southern Africa. Previously, she held faculty roles in choral studies at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory and Luther College. She holds a Master of Music in conducting and voice from the University of New Mexico and a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona.

“The partnership between ���߲���Ƶ and the National Lutheran Choir exemplifies how higher education and non-profits can serve and support each other to create valuable opportunities for students and artists alike,” said Robison.  

The National Lutheran Choir’s programmatic activity on the Augsburg campus will include opportunities that are open to students and professionals from across the Twin Cities and around the country, including the newly launched Summer Intensive Choral Conducting Institute. Membership in the National Lutheran Choir is based on competitive audition and includes singers from virtually all of the region’s Lutheran colleges and more. Throughout its residency at Augsburg, the National Lutheran Choir will remain a wholly independent 501(c)(3) organization with corporate offices at Normandale Lutheran Church.

“Augsburg and the National Lutheran Choir share a special history,” said Tina Meckel, the choir’s executive director. “More importantly, our values for what sacred choral music can mean in a richly diverse world are wholly aligned.” 

Learn more about the and Augsburg’s music programs in the Schwartz School of the Arts.

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