Pics of the Day
The Pic of the Day is featured on student and faculty pages, as submitted by members of the Augustana community. Here are some recent images. (Click on a photo to see a caption.)
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Augustana's Pre-Health Club recently hosted a hands-on Suture Clinic, giving students the opportunity to sharpen their suture skills and prepare for future healthcare careers. Interested in joining the club? Contact President Aliza Salinas-Cervantes at asalinas-cervantes22@augustana.edu to get involved!
Last Friday, the Learning Commons held an end-of-the-year celebration for its tutors! The group celebrated graduating seniors and the rest of the tutors for all the work they do helping their peers during the year.
CORE recently celebrated graduating seniors who earned 100+ Viking Score points at the annual Viking Score Banquet. The evening featured a warm welcome from President Talentino and an inspiring keynote from alum Avery Pearl ’18. Honorees were encouraged to bring a guest who supported their career journey. Pictured, left to right: Lizzie Pelzman ’25, Kameron Hanzel ’25, Sophie Arceneaux ’25, Dr. Jeffrey Strasser, Charlie Zielinski ’25 and Dr. Kevin Geedey.
Last week Professor of Classics Dr. Kirsten Day presented 'From Ancient Epic to Blockbuster Film' at the Putnam (on the giant screen!) as part of the museum's 'History on Tap' series. Dr. Day's presentation discussed the enduring legacy of Homer's The Odyssey through modern retellings and reimaginings.
Thank you to Augustana's amazing Admissions student staff, from Showroom Hosts to Viking Guides to Ambassadors, for making every visit unforgettable! 💙💛
To graduating seniors – thank you for inspiring future Vikings and for making Augustana brighter.
Support Augustana's Pre-Health Club and the American Heart Association by walking for Augustana's Heart Walk team on Saturday, June 14, at Schwiebert Riverfront Park! Friends and family members are invited, and donations are appreciated.
Women's golfer Jama Burch '27 hit her first hole-in-one when playing a round with men's golfer Kevin Cortez '27 and admissions counselor Eric Rowell! The group was golfing at Duck Creek Golf Course in Davenport.
Last week Geology majors headed to the St. Francois Mountains of Southeastern Missouri with Dr. Mike Wolf, where they explored state parks and descended 1,200 ft. into the largest lead-zinc-copper mine in the U.S. They learned the importance and consequence of the ancient magmatic, tectonic and fluid-flow past to the modern-day economics of the Doe Run Company's Mine and Mill operations! Lead is used globally in industry for automotive batteries, renewable energy storage and electric vehicles, and for backup power during outages in critical facilities and infrastructure.
Michelle Pacheco, who is serving as a teaching assistant for Dr. Katherine Brown's SOAN101 course this semester, guest lectured on May 5. During her lesson, Pacheco applied Kimberle Crenshaw's seminal concept of intersectionality (1989; 1991) to her newly completed capstone research. Pacheco encouraged students to think about mental health from the perspective of varied identity statuses and the different barriers accompanying each social positioning - particularly those of first generation and immigrant students on Augustana's campus.
Springtime at Augustana is really something to behold! Flowers are in full bloom across campus, like this flowering tree along the Quad.
Students in Professor Amy Ford's Managerial Accounting course recently participated in the "Amazing Accounting Race," where they reviewed course material in a team-based competition to race through various accounting problems. Along the way, individual team members had to overcome roadblocks to keep their team on pace for the race.
Last Lecture is a beloved Augustana tradition that brings the senior class together to celebrate their accomplishments. Our three special presenters were professors Dr. Scott Gehler, Dr. Rachel Horner Brackett and Mamata Marmé. Class of 2025, here's to you!
Last month the Math and Computer Science Department held its annual Pi Mu Epsilon (PMU) and al-Khwarizmi (aK) Honors Society banquet. The societies initiated new members, celebrated old ones and invited past and present professors to participate.
Seven Augustana faculty members attended the annual Scandinavian Studies conference (SASS) in Minneapolis, Minn., from April 24 to 26. Attendees included Lena Hann, Janette Garcia, Adam Kaul, Elina Nilsson, and Mark Safstrom (pictured here), as well as Dag Blanck and Jonas Björk.
Last weekend, geography majors Anna Fletcher '25, Maura Nyman '26, Hamdiyya Hamidu '26, Alicia Felker '25 and Ian Empen '26 attended the Midwest Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS) at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Fletcher, Felker and Empen presented their research at the conference.
The IACAC (Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling) posthumously honored Courtney Wallace with a career achievement award named in her honor, the Courtney E. Wallace Distinguished Service Award. Her family, friends, colleagues and Admissions team members (pictured here) attended dinner in Peoria last week as part of the annual IACAC conference.
Madison Cloman '25, a CSD student, and Ms. Alexandra Jones '16, a clinical supervisor and professional faculty, attended the National Black Association of Speech Language and Hearing last week. The first day included "School Representation" day. This is Cloman's second year attending the conference to improve her professional development, while Jones was nominated for the 2025 Clinician of the Year.
Standing at the heart of campus, Old Main is more than just a historic landmark. Built in 1889, this iconic building has been a cornerstone of the Augustana experience for generations.
Geology major Zoe Heiar '25 (right) has been studying the exhalation of radon from soils for her Senior Inquiry research through the Geology Department's ongoing Radon Survey of the Quad Cities initiative. Heiar partnered with United Township High School science teacher Jackie Leach '97 to educate and empower 30 students to become citizen scientists. Heiar trained the students to deploy RadonEye detectors at their own homes and instructed them on how to analyze their data with help from project advisor Dr. Mike Wolf and future radon researchers Hannah McKoon '26 and Naoto Fukuoka '26.
Last week geography students spent a day in Chicago learning about urban and community planning initiatives on the North and South sides of the city, including a visit with Bernard Turner, executive director of the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area.
TRIO-SSS students had an amazing day in Milwaukee! The group, led by TRIO counselors Christiana Headley and Anna Badamo, visited the Milwaukee Art Museum, Third Ward, Mitchell Park Domes (pictured here) and Marquette University. What a great day of exploring arts, culture and graduate school opportunities.
Thank you to everyone who helped greet and cheer on future Vikings at our annual It Begins with A celebration last weekend! We can't wait to welcome the Class of 2029 to campus this fall. 💙💛✨
Mackenzie Monroy '25, Hana Bui '25, and Anna Ramberg '25 presented their research projects at the March ASIANetwork Conference in San Antonio. Mackenzie's project, "The Advertising of Beauty Products Towards the Male Population in the United States Compared to South Korea," and Anna's project, "The Asian-American Experience Through the Eyes of a Chinese-American Adoptee," were their Asian Studies capstone projects with Dr. Elizabeth Lawrence (History) as their advisor. Dr. Ann Ericson (Business Administration) was Hana's advisor on her independent project, "Gen Z TikTok Food Reviews and Their Impact on Food Service and Quality in Post-COVID Vietnam."
Last weekend Aaron Rogers '26 and Brian Felleson '27 from Augustana's Student Investment Fund attended the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) in Orlando, learning from faculty, professionals and fellow students from over 50 schools. It was a great environment to connect, exchange ideas and get inspired. Highlights include a presentation from Professor Ronald Mushock about how to run a student-managed fund like the pros and talks on technical strategies, ethical investing and preparing for the CFA.
On Sunday, members of Augie Acres and Chi Alpha Pi joined together to help prepare the garden for spring planting. Afterward, they enjoyed a grillout courtesy of Chi Alpha Pi. Join Augie Acres again on April 27th as they plant their crops for the season!
Last week, TRIO SSS students met Congressman Eric Sorensen for lunch and shared their experiences as TRIO students. Pictured (from left): Anna Badamo, Brooke Brincks, Jamiah Riley, Eric Sorensen, Amy Arteaga, Zion Williams and Christiana Headley.
This semester Nico Benvenuto '26, a political science and geology double major from Milan, Italy, has had the privilege of serving as an intern in the office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth. Last month, as part of the Senator's recent visit to the Quad Cities, Nico was thrilled to accompany her on a tour to Parr Instrument Company in Moline which has designed, manufactured and sold high-quality laboratory instruments and apparatus for conducting chemical reactions and for testing fuels for 125 years.
Yesterday admissions hosted out-of-state counselors from high schools across Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio and Nebraska. The counselors spent time in the Quad Cities, toured campus, met with admissions staff, interacted with an out-of-state student panel and had lunch in Gerber with President Talentino. Our guests remarked on the warm community feeling, engagement of students in multiple majors and extracurriculars, strong academic programs and of course the beautiful campus. It was the first visit to Augustana for all of the counselors. Thanks to Eric Rowell for hosting the counselor fly-in program!
This group of dedicated student leaders helps guide 80-100 student workers throughout the year, making the admissions team's work possible. This photo features current members and new faces joining for the 2025-26 year: Maggie Berger, student operations chair; Fati Talibi, summer admissions lead; Lindsay Debuhr, ambassador training chair; and Andy Frieden (not pictured, but still awesome). The admissions team thanks this team's passion, energy and commitment to welcoming future Vikings. 💙💛
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been emailed to first-year and senior students. If you're in this group, we ask that you please complete the survey. Why? We want to know how it's going for first-year students. And seniors, we want to know about the quality of your Augustana experience. We use the results to assess the quality of the education we provide you, focusing on your engagement in college and what you gain from your experience. First-year and senior students, please check your email to access the survey.