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Celebration of Learning 2025

May 7, 2025

Celebration of Learning

The annual Celebration of Learning showcases work by students, faculty and staff at Augustana.

This year's celebration on May 7, 2025, includes poster presentations, interactive sessions, panel presentations and special events.

Featured presenters include:

  • Dr. Stephanie Dykes, "Transgender and Lutheran: A Journey of Self-Acceptance" (10-11 a.m., Olin Auditorium)
  • Dr. Jane Simonsen, Dr. Chris Strunk, Dr. Jason Mahn and Lizandra Gomez '17, "Called To Reckon: Replacing History and Reclaiming Mission at a Midwestern College" (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Olin Auditorium)
  • Carter Thompson '25 and Dr. Chris Strunk, "Complete Streets? Mapping Bikeability and Safety in Moline, IL" (2:30-3:30 p.m., Olin Auditorium)

Special events include:

  • "NeurdFest: Engaging Elementary and College Students in Brain Awareness," presented by faculty Dr. Rupa Gordon, Dr. Scott Gehler, Dr. Ian Harrington and Dr. Shara Stough; and students Kiana Breuer, Ella Check, Cristina Costa, Akla Gebreselassie, Lizzy Hughes, Edgar Ortiz-Flores, Ximena Osorio Rodriguez and Maitreyi Shrikhande (9-11 a.m., Evald 017, 018, 021 and 027)
  • "Developing Key Communication Materials and Strategies to Successfully Launch Your Career," presented by Shelby Olson and CORE (9-10:30 a.m., John Deere Auditorium)
  • Kinesiology Fitness Clinic, presented by Kinesiology 300 students (9 a.m.-3 p.m., Lindberg labs)
  • "Promoting Cultural Sensitivity Across Diverse Social Interactions at Augustana College," presented by COMM 260: Communication and Culture and Tredway Library (9 a.m.-4 p.m., outside Tredway Library)
  • "Lifeboat Challenge," presented by Augustana Leaders in Vocational Exploration (11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Wallenberg Hall
  • Engineering Senior Design (Bergstrom) presentations, presented by Aman Chaudhary, Armando Salas-Salas, Jimmie Kucaba, Daniel Witkowski, Ricardo De Vicente Fernandez, Colin McDowell, Arthur Hermange, John Melton and Louis Huynh (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Hanson 127) Note: Because of non-disclosure agreements, these presentations are open only to Bergstrom employees, members of the panels, and Augustana engineering faculty.
  • "APEP Greece Trip Journals," presented by Dr. Kirsten Day with APEP students Ben, Aaron, Chris, Drew, Jereme, Jorge and Matt (9 a.m.-4 p.m., Old Main first floor rotunda)
  • "Rag Doll on a Bomb Site: Behind the Music" (performance and talkback), presented by Shelley Cooper (1-2:15 p.m., Wallenberg Hall)
  • 2025 Business Plan Competition, presented by Albert Buvary, Philip Exl, Lina Maatouk, Dante Rinaldi, T.Y. Stone, Jake Weinberg and Paulos Million Zeyede (Lindberg 204) Note: This event is not open to attend. It is a closed event to protect the intellectual property of the student presenters.

Poster presentation sessions will be held in the Gävle Room, Gerber Center, in two sessions: 9-10 a.m. and 1-2:15 p.m.

Oral presentations are hosted in various campus locations, in four sessions: 10-11:15 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., 1-2:15 p.m. and 2:30-3:45 p.m.

Schedule overview

Oral presentations

Poster presentations and exhibits

Honors and achievements

Stephanie Dykes
Dr. Stephanie Dykes

"Transgender and Lutheran: A Journey of Self-Acceptance"

Dr. Stephanie Dykes
10-11 a.m.
Olin Center auditorium

In this presentation, Dr. Stephanie Dykes explores the intersection of transgender identity and Lutheran faith. She will use her own journey and ongoing commitment to the Lutheran faith to explore the challenges faced by transgender individuals, particularly in the context of increasing anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in the United States. The presentation examines biblical passages often cited in discussions about gender, highlighting both exclusionary texts and inclusive messages to invite people of faith to consider what radical love requires; she invites those who have felt excluded from those institutions to re-examine faith as a path to social justice. It calls for compassion, advocacy, and allyship within the church, urging attendees to recognize their own privileges and actively support transgender people. The session concludes with practical guidance on being an ally and provides resources for further support and education. Dr. Stephanie Dykes is a transgender speaker and consultant. She has a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Administrative Management from Clemson University and earned both an M.A.T. in Secondary Education and a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Measurement from the University of South Carolina. She has most recently served as the Dean of Planning, Research, and Institutional Effectiveness at Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, California. Beginning in fall, 2025, she will begin work on her Masters of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Students on campus
Image from Special Collections

"Called To Reckon: Replacing History and Reclaiming Mission at a Midwestern College"

Dr. Jane Simonsen, Dr. Chris Strunk, Dr. Jason Mahn and Lizandra Gomez '17
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Olin Center auditorium

Called to Reckon is a collection of essays by Augustana faculty and recent alumni that will be published by Southern Illinois University Press in January 2026.The project emerged from a grant from the Network of Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). The grant allowed our team of researchers to produce a history of Augustana that examines and decenters traditional accounts of the college’s Swedish Lutheran heritage. Using a variety of perspectives and methods, we critically interrogate the college’s current affirmation that its many innovations and transformations—including diversity initiatives—are rooted in its historic identity as a Lutheran liberal arts institution. Join us for a preview of the book, featuring stories of a death on campus that failed to produce a reckoning, of the work of Latinx Unidos to create an inclusive “counterspace,” and of how we might reclaim and reframe some of our most foundational values in order to nourish calling and neighbor-love in the face of the neoliberal logic of efficiency, productivity, and profit.

Two bicyclists

"Complete Streets? Mapping Bikeability and Safety in Moline, IL"

Carter Thompson '25 and Dr. Chris Strunk
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Olin Center auditorium

A mixed-method exploration of Moline, Illinois’ Complete Streets initiative, this project examines the initiative’s impact on bike safety and bikeability through GIS analysis and ethnographic research, highlighting how a liberal arts approach to research can help uncover the multifaceted effects of urban design on everyday mobility, safety, and community experience

Special events

"NeurdFest: Engaging Elementary and College Students in Brain Awareness"

Dr. Rupa Gordon, Dr. Scott Gehler, Dr. Ian Harrington, Dr. Shara Stough, Kiana Breuer, Ella Check, Cristina Costa, Akla Gebreselassie, Lizzy Hughes, Edgar Ortiz-Flores, Ximena Osorio Rodriguez and Maitreyi Shrikhande

9-11 a.m.
Carlsson Evald Hall, Evald 017, 018, 021 and 027

The Neuroscience Program’s brain awareness outreach event, ‘NeurdFest’, is back for its eighth year. Since 2015 we have brought second grade students from Longfellow Elementary to campus to learn about the brain. For several of those years, the Longfellow teachers have prepared their students for the event by reading the book, Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It, written by JoAnn Deak and illustrated by Sarah Ackerley. While on campus on the morning of the Celebration of Learning, around 40 elementary students will learn about the general functions of the brain, how the brain engages with sensory information, how brain cells transmit information, how the brains of different animals compare, and, perhaps of greatest practical significance, why it is important to practice brain safety, all through a series of interactive exhibits. As facilitators of these exhibits, our student volunteers learn how to engage others with the academic discipline in which most of them have chosen to major and share their love of learning with others. The enthusiasm of students from both Longfellow and Augustana suggests that this annual outreach program will continue for many years to come.

"Developing Key Communication Materials and Strategies to Successfully Launch Your Career"

Shelby Olson and CORE

9-10:30 a.m.
John Deere Planetarium Auditorium

This presentation will focus on helping students understand how to develop a project planning perspective and effective communication mediums to execute a strategic approach to securing their career foothold position as well as to continue employing a proactive career management approach throughout their careers.  Concepts and techniques covered will include computer folder organization, project planning/calendaring techniques , developing and effectively delivering a personal branding statement (30-second commercial), contemporary resume development (including use of keyword identification/optimization for clearing applicant tracking systems), building an optimized LinkedIn profile to support a strong personal/professional brand, and planning and executing high yield networking (informational) conversations.

Kinesiology Fitness Clinic

Kinesiology 300 students

9 a.m.-3 p.m.
(Peter J.) Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance, Lindberg labs

Come to the Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance on Wednesday, May 7th, from 9am - 3pm to get either a body composition or VO2 max test conducted by students from the Kinesiology program. Your body composition is assessed using a BodPod, which will require you to sit quietly in the machine for approximately 5 minutes while measurements of your body (such as body fat percentage) are taken. A VO2 max test is a 10-20 minute test that assesses your maximal endurance capabilities on either a treadmill or stationary bike. It provides you with information about your cardiovascular fitness.

This event is open to everyone. To register, please follow the links below: 

For questions, email kinesiologylab@augustana.edu. This is a fantastic opportunity to check out our lab and support students as they gain valuable experience using the equipment!

"Promoting Cultural Sensitivity Across Diverse Social Interactions at Augustana College"

COMM 260: Communication and Culture and Tredway Library

9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Outside Tredway Library

Students in Dr. Hannah’s COMM 260: Communication and Culture course partnered with Tredway Library to explore how communication shapes inclusive campus spaces. Guided by the library’s DEI Toolkit and Dr. Susan Kowalski’s Cultural Sensitivity Training, students interviewed campus stakeholders and created interactive posters that connect academic concepts to real campus experiences. Their projects highlight how communication can bridge or deepen cultural divides, offering practical insights and resources for ongoing community engagement.

"Lifeboat Challenge"

Augustana Leaders in Vocational Exploration (ALIVE)

11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Denkmann Memorial Building, Wallenberg Hall

The Lifeboat Challenge is an annual Augustana tradition, a chance to hear some of your favorite professors to make their cases for the importance of their discipline to the welfare of the world. The premise is that three faculty members compete via the articulation of their vision for their discipline for the last seat on a proverbial lifeboat. They each make the case for what their discipline brings to the flourishing of the world. The audience will get to grill each one with their toughest questions, and ultimately will vote on the one they feel was the most successful. This year we have the added fun of Augustana's improv troupe, Heywire, facilitating the competition. All are welcome to join the fun and learn about the deeply collaborative vision that emerges when disciplines of knowledge honestly interact with one another.

Engineering Senior Design (Bergstrom) presentations

Aman Chaudhary, Armando Salas-Salas, Jimmie Kucaba, Daniel Witkowski, Ricardo De Vicente Fernandez, Colin McDowell, Arthur Hermange, John Melton, Louis Huynh

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hanson 127

Note: Because of non-disclosure agreements, these presentations are open only to Bergstrom employees, members of the panels, and Augustana engineering faculty.

Engineering students will present the work on their senior design projects, which were sponsored by the Bergstrom corporation and mentored by Bergstrom employees. Bergstrom is a thermal management design corporation located in Rockford, IL.

"APEP Greece Trip Journals"

Dr. Kirsten Day with APEP students Ben, Aaron, Chris, Drew, Jereme, Jorge and Matt

9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Old Main, first floor rotunda

In fall term of this year, traditional students  on the Rock Island campus and APEP students at the East Moline Correctional Center campus separately took my Sites and Monuments of Greece course. Most of the traditional students took this course in preparation for traveling with me to Greece during J-term, but of course, the APEP students did not have that option. I asked them instead to create a "fantasy" travel journal: this presentation will showcase a selection of these, which went beyond my expectations in terms of engagement,  creativity, and artistic talent. 

"Rag Doll on a Bomb Site: Behind the Music" (performance and talkback)

Shelley Cooper

1-2:15 p.m.
Denkmann Memorial Building, Wallenberg Hall

For my fall sabbatical, I researched and wrote an original solo theatre show with original music composed by me on the life of Austrian actress Lotte Lenya. After my show was written, I travelled to Bangkok, Thailand to World Premiere the show, produced by Mahidol University, at the Goethe Institute of Thailand. My original intent was to write the script and use Kurt Weill music. Through the process, I ended up writing an original score of 11 songs. I will be recording an album in April to be distributed on all music streaming platforms and will be performing the show as an official selection of the Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Hudson Theatre in June. This particular presentation I want to give a unique behind the scenes look into my process. I will be me performing my 11 original songs live and talk about what’s behind  writing each one. The most rewarding and surprising part of my sabbatical was learning I had this new skill set. I NEVER thought I’d write music and lyrics, but 11 songs later, here I am. I will discuss my journey through imposter syndrome, creative awakening, while sharing my new music. 

2025 Business Plan Competition

Lindberg 204

This business pitch competition starts with students submitting written business plans. These written plans are reviewed by first-round judges, who select the top five plans from all submissions. Those five business plans are invited to give a pitch to second-round judges in this final event; the judges then rank the plans and divide $10,000 in prize money between the teams.

This year’s student presenters are:

  • Albert Buvary
  • Philip Exl
  • Lina Maatouk
  • Dante Rinaldi
  • T.Y. Stone
  • Jake Weinberg
  • Paulos Million Zeyede

Note: This event is not open to attend. It is a closed event to protect the intellectual property of the student presenters.