Higher education
Matt Rasmussen, an alumnus and visiting assistant professor of Eng- lish at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., won the 2012 Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets (
www.poets.org) for his unpublished book of poems titled “Black Aperture.” Given annu- ally to an unpublished American poet, the award provides $5,000, a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center, and publication of the poet’s first book of poems. Rasmus- sen, co-founder of the independent poetry press Birds, LLC, said he was honored by the award and thanked Joyce Sutphen and Phil Bryant, who, he said, “are currently my col- leagues but were my professors when I attended Gustavus. They’ve always supported my work and encouraged me to attend graduate school for writ- ing. If it weren’t for them, I would not be a poet.”
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., called Matthew Marohl as college pastor, effective July 2. He succeeds W. Bruce Benson, who retired in spring 2011 after 30 years at St. Olaf, and interim pastor Ann Svennung- sen, who was elected bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod. Marohl, a pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, has a doctorate in biblical studies from the Univer- sity of St. Andrews in Scotland. He is the author of Unexpected New Life: Reading the Gospel of Matthew (Cascade Books, 2012).
Wade Tillet, assistant professor of elementary education at Finlandia University, Hancock, Mich., was one of three finalists for the 2012 Outstanding Dissertation Award given by the Arts Based Educational Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. Tillet was honored at the association’s April 2012 annual
44 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org meeting in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Roanoke College, Salem, Va., renamed its Center for Religion and Society as the Robert D. Benne Center for Religion and Society in honor of the Lutheran theologian who served as its director from 1982 to 2011. Benne, author of more than 200 articles and 10 books, was the Jordan-Trexler Professor of Reli- gion. The center is now directed by James Peterson, a pastor, former research fellow in molecular and clinical genetics, and the author of Changing Human Nature (Eerdmans 2010). The center brings speakers and programs with Christian and interdisciplinary perspectives on contemporary challenges to Roa- noke’s campus.
Three hundred children at Lar Kuzola (Portuguese for “a place of love”), an orphanage in Luanda, Angola, will have their home transformed into a learning center, thanks to Isilda Hulilapi, a junior at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Hulilapi won a $10,000 grant from Davis Projects for Peace to create an early education program for war orphans in her native Angola. The mathemat- ics and computer science major will spend this summer in Luanda con- necting the orphanage with students from a nearby high school and pro- viding materials for therapeutic play, games, music, storytelling, dancing, painting and more. Angola is still recovering from a 30-year civil war that ended in 2002. The Davis Proj- ects for Peace invites undergradu- ates at U.S. colleges and universities to design grassroots projects that build peace.
Jessica McCormack, assistant profes- sor of music at Wittenberg Univer- sity, Springfield, Ohio, won the 2012 Emerging Leaders Award from the
National Association of Teachers of Singing. The award recognizes teachers with fewer than 10 years of full-time experience for excel- lence in teaching, scholarship and performance.
Through a new exchange program, nursing students and professors at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, and Guangxi Medical Uni- versity in Nanning City, China, may study and teach at their partner university for up to two semesters, beginning in spring 2013. The two institutions signed a formal memo- randum of understanding. The rela- tionship between the schools began in 2010, when Capital hosted Yong Hong Ke, a visiting nursing pro- fessor. “By immersing students in cultures different from their own, we broaden their global perspec- tives and deepen their professional knowledge and skills,” said Denvy Bowman, president of Capital. “These experiences give our gradu- ates a significant advantage when they enter the workforce and help them see firsthand that world cul- tures are more connected than they are separated.”
Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill., called Kristen Glass Perez to serve as co-chaplain with Richard W. Prig- gie, beginning May 31. “Kristen will share responsibility for the spiritual care of the Augustana community through leading worship, mentor- ing student leaders, and leading retreats, service learning and other programs,” Priggie said. “Her insight into this generation of young adults, her creativity in envisioning ways for young adults to serve in church and society, and her personal enthusiasm will make her a perfect fit for her new ministry at Augustana.” She previ- ously served as director for ELCA youth and young adult ministries.
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