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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Admissions hosted a picnic for our incoming first-year and transfer students from the greater Quad Cities area. Incoming students got to meet our student ambassador team; play sand volleyball, basketball and board games; and eat pizza while getting their questions answered about life on campus. They all left with new friends and ready for the start of their Augie adventure.
Some of APEP's newest faculty prepare to teach in 2025-26: Chris Strunk (not pictured), Patrick Crawford and America Colmenares, in orientation with Bonnie Jessee (far right) and APEP Advisory Board Member Brandon Martinez, spouse Alondra and little Andreas.
Maya Pagel, student research assistant with the Augustana Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness (CACHW), attended the Heart of Hope Community Love Fest on Saturday, July 19. Maya supported local community members and shared information about upcoming programs that she and other CACHW student research assistants will host during the fall semester.
Last week, Admissions and Financial Aid hosted a fika break outside Seminary Hall. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!
Augie Acres, Augustana's student-run garden, has been hard at work this summer, and we are ready to share our harvest with you! Stop by the Quad on Thursday, July 24, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. to take some of our produce home with you. There will be tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, and more available for free. For questions, please email augieacres@augustana.edu.
Over the weekend, participants in the Summer Spanish Program came together in Cuenca, Ecuador, for a memorable meet-up! ✨ From swapping stories to reflecting on their time abroad, it was a meaningful moment of connection and community. Huge thanks to program leaders Dr. Mariano Magalhães and América Colmenares for bringing everyone together.
Geology major Naoto Fukuoka '26 adjusts the intake tube of an automated water sampler in the Slough pond, as part of his summer work with the Upper Mississippi Center.
To continue the tradition of FIKA over the summer, employees enjoyed a BYO "FAKE"-A break together in Tredway Library.
Bold-Erdene, a sophomore majoring in political science and economics, proudly represented Augustana at the U.S. College Fair in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia!
Augie’s Pre-Health Club recently partnered with the Quad Cities HeartSafe Coalition to host a Hands-Only CPR training workshop for students and staff. Participants learned essential life-saving skills and plan to volunteer as campus and community CPR instructors. Another training will be held in September. For more information, contact Aliza Salinas-Cervantes, Pre-Health Club President.
Grace Evers '27 is working as a marketing and communications intern at the Figge this summer, creating internal marketing resources and multimedia content to showcase programs and events. This work, which impacts community programs and enhances student storytelling skills, is a great example of how Augie students grow their skills and support their communities over the summer!
Ashley Allen, Rupa Gordon, Chris Beyer, Joanna Short and Lindsay Adolphs (not pictured) completed their four-year involvement in the HLC Assessment Academy. The team worked to develop processes to measure student learning in co-curricular learning experiences beyond the classroom.
Paige Kern, a secondary biology education major and Noyce Grant Summer Scholar, is investigating the impact of floating treatment wetlands (FTW) on water quality. Her indoor model was set up last week in the Hanson greenhouse, and this week she deployed her outdoor system in the upper part of the Slough. This research will help Paige develop hands-on projects for her future students. An FTW is like a plastic "raft" of wetland plants added to a body of water to encourage the uptake/use of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which can cause damage to an aquatic ecosystem, often seen as fishkills when agricultural runoff pollutes a pond or stream.
This was a special night out at Champor restaurant in Munich, Germany! Study abroad students, led by professors Josh Dyer and Charles Schmidt, had the chance to meet Kiren Amrik-Alt, sister of CORE career coach Sumita Amrik, while exploring the city. A meaningful connection across continents!
President Andrea Talentino and Provost Dianna Shandy joined a spirited Sunday tennis match with a fantastic group of community women at the Augie tennis courts.
Augustana’s Pre-Health Club stepped up for heart health at the QC Heart Walk on Saturday, June 14, in Rock Island! With energy, purpose and a shared commitment to making a difference, the team walked to raise funds and awareness for heart disease and stroke. They’re already looking forward to making this meaningful event a new campus tradition.
Students in Dr. Jennifer Burnham's "Geography of the Arctic" course took part in a two-week study tour of Northern Sweden, including the LKAB iron mine in Kiruna. Mining activity here over the past century has undermined the town, which is currently being relocated 10 km to the east.
Faculty members Wendy Hilton-Morrow (left) and Jonas Bjork (right) met up with two Advisory Board members from Augustana’s Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center — Saniya Ghanoui of University of Texas-El Paso and Adam Hjorthén of Uppsala University — at "Quo vadis, America? part 2," held at Uppsala University in Sweden. Dag Blanck, who serves as director of both Augustana’s Swenson Center and Uppsala’s Swedish Institute for North American Studies (SINAS), organized the event.
Congratulations to English majors Nicole Grafon '25 and Lily Thomas '25 on presenting their senior inquiry papers on Rock Island mystery writer Charlotte Murray Russell at the Symposium of the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature in East Lansing, Michigan.
Looking to pass the time this summer and contribute to a good cause? Volunteer at Augie Acres! The garden is looking for volunteers (individuals and groups) to help with projects and maintenance. If interested, email augieacres@augustana.edu.
Throwback to last week's late night breakfast! Did you stop by? It's a longstanding Augustana tradition to serve breakfast food the Monday night of finals week.
Earlier this month Dr. Ann Perreau traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to present her research at the Tinnitus Research Initiative Conference. (Pictured here: Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul)
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.
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!
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.