Class Notes
Here's the latest from the alumni community!
Augustana again named ‘Best College’ by Money magazine
Money magazine has once again recognized Augustana as one of Illinois’ top 30 national liberal arts colleges in its 2026 “Best Colleges in America” list.
Real impact, powered by students
Augustana’s Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness strengthens campus and community well-being. Learn about three community partnerships focused on cleaner water, maternal health and personal wellness.
7 half-marathons, 7 continents, 7 days
Finishing the 2026 World Marathon Challenge was about more than endurance for Lincoln Bode ’84. It was a mission shaped by loss and a deep sense of purpose, with connections that trace back to his Augustana days.
Law Symposium links classroom and courtroom
2002 grad Keith Toms' idea was simple but compelling: offer attorneys the chance to earn CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credits while giving Augustana students a real-world look at the legal profession.
Hintzsche’s fertility kit earns 2026 Innovation of the Year award
Dr. Jenn Hintzsche ’06 is on a winning streak, and she’s not slowing down. In less than three years, she has collected her sixth national award as her company, PherDal Fertility Science, Inc., continues to redefine what’s possible in reproductive health.
How does one research 160 years of bicycling?
Historian and librarian Chris Sweet ’01 knows how to make an entrance. In April, he returned to campus with a penny-farthing, a high-wheeled bicycle from the 1870-1880s.
New major — a win for both students, faculty
A new major in Augustana’s Department of Environment, Geography, and Geoscience brings together two fields long connected by shared goals.
The liberal arts in action, across borders
As part of her Master of Public Health program at the University of Illinois Chicago, Kira Banks ’23 spent eight weeks in Morocco to study the feasibility of a screening program for toxoplasmosis. At Augustana, Banks triple-majored in public health, biology and Classics — a combination that proved more interconnected than it may seem.
The story of America? Whatever it is, the young people need it
For generations, young Americans grew up with a story — often simplistic, certainly mythic — that gave coherence to the nation’s past and purpose to its future. Today, many don’t. The answer is not to hand them a single, “better” version of the past. What they really need are better ways of learning history.