Dustin Parks ‘17

• B.A. in Economics and Finance
• 2016 URGO Summer Researcher with Dr. Stella Hofrenning in Economics
• Mayo Innovations Scholar
• Fluent in Spanish

Traveling to Peru to conduct research on entrepreneurial education.

Dustin’s project will investigate the strengths and limitations of entrepreneurial coursework at the secondary level in the national, Peruvian education. He plans to use his experiences as a Fulbright Scholar to pursue a PhD in economics after his time in Peru.

Hannah Schmit ‘17

• B.A. in Sociology and Religion
• Minor in Biology
• 2015 & 2016 summer research assistant with Dr. James Vela-McConnell in Sociology
• Honors Program graduate
• Choir member

Traveling to Czech Republic to be an English Teaching Assistant.

Hannah plans to engage with the Czech community with her musical skills and through volunteer work at a community outreach center. On her return, she plans to pursue a master’s in Public Health or Administration.

Hannah Frey ‘15

• B.A. in ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­International Relations and History
• Honors Program graduate
• Currently employed by AmeriCorps as a Digital Literacy Coordinator
• Fluent in Korean

Traveling to South Korea to be an English Teaching Assistant.

Hannah plans to connect with the community by speaking their language and participating in dance and cooking classes. After her time in Korea, she plans on enrolling in a graduate program for International Affairs or Foreign Service and then working for the State Department of the United States.

Rachel Frantz ‘17

• B.S. in Biology
• 2014-2015 academic-year researcher with Dr. Kevin Potts in Biology
• Two sport athlete (lacrosse and cross country), captain, and coach
• Choir member
• Also accepted to PhD in Marine Biology at USC-Los Angeles (full-ride)

Traveling to Malaysia to be an English Teaching Assistant.

Rachel plans to bring her skills from tutoring, coaching, and docenting and her passion for the environment into the classroom. She will attend six months of graduate school, teach for a year in Malaysia and then return to her PhD studies.

The URGO Summer Research Program is an 11-week, on-campus program where students are funded to conduct research with a faculty mentor. Students receive support throughout the research process from their faculty mentor, a Speaker Series, and weekly seminars with fellow researchers.

Chau Nguyen ’17 is an Accounting and Management double major who conducted research with Dr. Walley in the summer ‘15. Nguyen’s research was focused on understanding monetary policy shock in emerging economies with a focus on Brazil. Nguyen is an active member of the Augsburg Community, serving as Vice President of the International Student Organization ’14-’15, as well as being a strong academic student.

It is not uncommon for students to struggle with the decision of when they want to partake in research and why they may be interested in it. “I went to the Orientation and was inspired by the success stories of many students who have done research before. At the time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, but after speaking to my advisor, she thought I should apply for the experience and to figure out what I’m interested in in the process. It was a great opportunity to obtain new skills, such as researching, and data collection that have become extremely helpful for my academic career.”

Research may be a challenging experience. The process of choosing a project you are interested in, as well as the process of learning to ask the right questions, and learning to work independently can often be a daunting aspect. However, it doesn’t come without benefits. “We had weekly meetings where we talked about our progress and findings. I loved it because it’s the only time I get to sit with a group of peers and talk about the project (most of the time I worked on my own, which is different from STEM). I also developed a strong relationship with my research mentor. As the project progressed, Dr. Walley got to know me as a student, as well as, as a person. This relationship has been pivotal in honing down where my passions lie. Having a chance like this to do something you are interested in or passionate about is a great experience that you can’t easily get later on in your career.”

Nguyen participated in the URGO Summer Research in the Summer of 2015, and proceeded to work in the accounting department as an Intern at a local Minneapolis company. “The on-campus research experience was invaluable. It gave me applicable skills that I can use in other courses, as well as better equipped me for my future career. Interestingly enough, it influenced me to switch my major to Accounting. I’m applying for my Master in Accountancy and will continue to use the skills that I learned during research in future work.”

We, the Augsburg Community wish Chau the best as she prepares for graduation and the next steps in her career!

URGO provides full-time summer researchers (400 hours) with a $4,000 stipend and housing discount while half-time researchers (200 hours) receive a $2,000 stipend. The program runs from May 15th – July 28th.
URGO also provides funding for students to work for a professor as a research assistant on an ongoing research project. This is a 100-hour commitment over the course of the summer and comes with a $1,000 stipend. This is an excellent opportunity to try out research for the first time or focus on a specific aspect of a research project.
Phase 1 of the applications are due February 1st!

URGO applications for 2017 summer research are now available on the URGO website at staging-augsburgwww.kinsta.cloud/urgo.

All fields of study welcome! If you have any questions, email us at urgo@augsburg.edu.

The URGO office is located on the first floor of the Science building, SCI 152.

The URGO Summer Research Program is an 11-week, on-campus program where students are funded to conduct research with a faculty mentor. Students receive support throughout the research process from their faculty mentor, a Speaker Series, and weekly seminars with fellow researchers.

Ellie Peters ’18 is a Chemistry major and Biology minor who conducted research with Dr. Wentzel in the summer ‘16. Peters’ research focus was broadly in Organic Chemistry. After enrolling and excelling in Organic Chemistry, Dr. Wentzel and Ellie made a connection. “It turned out that we were both thinking that I might be a good addition to his research team for the summer.”

Peters’ is a highly active member of the Augsburg Community. She is both a student athlete as well as a board member of the Augsburg Chemistry Society (ACS) ‘16 and will serve as the President of ACS in the 2017-2018 academic year.

“It is definitely difficult to balance a rigorous academic schedule with jobs, volunteering, and other commitments. Adding research into that list stretched me pretty thin, but I can’t think of anything more worth my time. As for a social life, it was already hard to keep up an active social life, but research honestly helped me with this aspect. Not only did I gain valuable, really great relationships with Dr. Wentzel and other professors through research, but I also got to know and become good friends with other student researchers inside and outside of my group. These relationships and friendships have continued to grow long after the summer and I am positive that many will continue for life.” Although it may be a challenging experience, and requires time management skills, summer research experiences have always shown to be both beneficial to forming relationships with professors as well as honing down where ones interests lie beyond ones undergraduate career.

Peters’ conducted research at the end of her sophomore year, and continued with it during the 2016-2017 academic year. “Before doing research, I was planning on applying to medical school. After doing research, I am honestly undecided about what I would like to do. I am still planning on applying to medical school, but am also considering going to graduate school or working in industry and am hoping to have a research aspect in any future possible medical career. What this experience has really influenced regarding my future career goals is that it has made me know that I could be happy following a number of different paths.”

It is important to reach out to professors early on in your academic career in order to build relationships with professors as well as students within your selected major. Such experiences provide a plethora of opportunities beyond on campus research, based primarily on your interests. URGO provides full-time summer researchers (400 hours) with a $4,000 stipend and housing discount while half-time researchers (200 hours) receive a $2,000 stipend. The program runs from May 15th – July 28th.
URGO also provides funding for students to work for a professor as a research assistant on an ongoing research project. This is a 100-hour commitment over the course of the summer and comes with a $1,000 stipend. This is an excellent opportunity to try out research for the first time or focus on a specific aspect of a research project.
Phase 1 of the applications are due February 1st, so start talking with your faculty before break to learn about what research is going on in your department!

URGO applications for 2017 summer research are now available on the URGO website at staging-augsburgwww.kinsta.cloud/urgo. All fields of study welcome! If you have any questions, email us at urgo@augsburg.edu. The URGO office is located on the first floor of the Science building, SCI 152.

                                                                                                                                            Wentzel research ‘16 research team

Each year students apply to participate in off-campus summer research programs, where they are paid to conduct research with some of the nation’s top academics at universities, labs, or institutes. There are programs designed for students in the sciences and social sciences and they often include a research stipend and housing. These off-campus research opportunities provide students with the chance to meet and work with faculty who are in the top of their field. It additionally provides students with the opportunity to explore a new city, whilst exploring possible career routes post-graduation.

Winter break is the perfect time to check out URGO’s list of off-campus summer programs to find those that best fit your interests, and to start on the applications.

Then, join URGO for our Off-Campus Summer Research Application Workshop, Saturday, Jan. 14 10a.m.-2p.m in Sverdrup 201 to get individualized feedback and make progress on your applications. URGO staff will also be available for appointments to advise you through this process.

Auggie conducts summer research at UC San Diego: After a competitive application process, Michael Alves ‘17, was accepted into a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) funded by the Center for Aerosol Impacts on the Climate and the Environment (CAICE).

“My interest lies broadly in Atmospheric Chemistry, leading me to dedicate a lot of my time to literature reviews in this area. This led me to a couple names fairly frequently. Dr. Kim Prather and Dr. Vicki Grassian are prevalent figures in the atmospheric chemistry field and I genuinely wanted to work with both of them. Thus, I applied and received funding to attend the 2016 American Chemical Society Conference in San Diego from Augsburg College so that I could meet with the Grassian Research Group and learn more about the work done at the labs in UCSD. My intuition about these labs was correct and I ultimately decided that it was a great opportunity for my development as a researcher.”

Alves transferred to Augsburg College after receiving his Associates degree from Minneapolis Community Technical College in the spring ‘15, and, after deciding against applying to bigger schools like the University of Minnesota, applied exclusively to Augsburg. “Without AugSTEM, I wouldn’t be coming to Augsburg,” said Alves. “I really like it here. I would rather choose this over anything else.”

Alves is currently working with Professor Dave Hanson in a project related to atmospheric chemistry. Identifying his passions and interests allowed him to receive mentorship from Dr. Hanson early on. “I got hired by Dave for the both the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic year, from his own funding,” said Alves. “When I am not in classes, I fill my time working about 10-20 hours a week for Dr. Hanson on a few projects during the academic year, namely the building of a mass spectrometer and the conducting of sulfuric acid nucleation measurements.”

Additionally, Alves is a McNair Scholar, as well as an AugSTEM scholar. “Sitting in my courses at Minneapolis Technical and Community College (MCTC), I never would have imagined that I would be trying to get my PhD in chemistry at the University Of California San Diego (UCSD). As a first-generation college and low-income student, the option of a PhD was not a real option until I transferred to Augsburg College as a McNair Scholar and had the opportunity to devise my own research proposal.” Alves also serves is the President of the Augsburg Chemistry Society where his main goal is to do outreach events at community colleges and public high schools in order to provide information on opportunities that they may be unaware of.

Alves will be graduating from Augsburg in the spring of 2017, with a Bachelor’s of Science and Honors in Chemistry. We, at Augsburg collectively wish him the best as he continues with his journey towards a PhD in Chemistry!

Written by Hilena Frew ’17

Kayla Roberge graduated in spring 2015 with a degree in biology and a plan to apply to the three Physician Assistant (PA) programs located in the Twin Cities. As she explains, “A Physician Assistant is a medical professional who works under the supervision of a Physician. They can diagnose and prescribe medicine, develop treatment plans, perform procedures, as well as assist on surgeries. Their flexibility allows them to be able to be a part of a vast amount of specialties and experiences.”

Kayla will start the MPAS program at St. Catherine University in Fall 2016. We caught up with her to learn more about how she chose her PA program and what advice she has for students looking to apply.

Q: What led you to apply to the program you chose?

A: When I began thinking about applying to a program, it was important for me to stay close to home. I had already tried leaving the twin cities area once as a freshman in college before I transferred to Augsburg, and I knew it wasn’t for me. So ultimately, since there were then only 3 PA schools in Minnesota, I applied to all of them. I really had my heart set on St. Kate’s, though, because I had heard so many great things about their program.

Q: What activities (volunteer, work, clubs, research, shadowing, etc.) did you pursue during your undergraduate career that helped you focus your application and give you experience?

A: I did various activities throughout college that were all vital to strengthening my application. I was the captain of the cross country and track teams at Augsburg, and the Vice President of the Tri Beta Club. In addition to this, I spent time volunteering at U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital, and working part time as a Medical Scribe in ED and Urgent Care. I also spent some time researching with Matt Beckman and travelling to present my research. One of the most beneficial volunteer work I did was becoming a Research Associate in the Emergency Department at HCMC. Overall, some of the other useful jobs I did was in home care for the elderly and for special education.

Q: If you could go back and give yourself advice on the application process with what you know now, what would you say? Would you have done anything differently?

A: There are MANY pieces of advice that I would give myself. If I could, I would go talk to my freshman-in-college self and advise her to focus on 2-3 big, long-term volunteer/work experiences that I could do in order to gain more hours at the same job. I ended up taking on way too much and in the end it made my application look slightly less impressive. Also, I would advise myself to start EARLY. I was so caught up in my last year of college, as well as trying to gain the most experiences that I could, that I really was not prepared for the application process and how much writing was involved.

Q: What are you most looking forward to as you begin your graduate studies?

A: I am so excited about beginning my program! I am excited to meet all of my classmates and to get through the first phase of being in the classroom to move on to the clinical phase. I cannot wait to experience different specialties and really figure out where I belong in the healthcare field!

Written by Mary Cornelius ‘16

Completing medical school applications is a notoriously arduous process, but this winter, Augsburg alum Dave Bergstand ’14 received the answer he’d been waiting for. “I will be attending the U of Minnesota for medical school, starting Fall 2016,” wrote Bergstrand, “I applied to, I believe, 20 medical schools (13 MD programs, 7 DO programs).I decided which schools based upon where I felt I’d fit best in terms of the missions of the schools, and took into consideration average acceptance MCAT scores and the number of out-state applicants the schools accepted.”

We asked Dave a few questions to learn more about his med school application experience and his tips for other Auggies considering the path.

Describe how you became interested in the medical field and what direction you’re leaning toward in your career.

My interest in medicine first began as an intellectual curiosity. I was initially very interested in psychology, and when I began learning about psychological disorders I became fascinated with the human brain. It was at that point, once I became interested in brain physiology, that I started to consider medicine as my interest began to shift from psychology to biology. After that, once I started taking science classes at Augsburg, I was hooked.

It’s very difficult at this point to say where I’ll end up practicing in medicine as my exposure has been limited to Emergency and Primary Care settings. I have some knowledge of other fields, but no first hand exposure. With that said, however, I really see myself ending up as a Primary Care physician, likely in Family Medicine. I’m really attracted to the longitudinal care aspect of primary care and being able to form strong relationships with patients over time.

How did your experiences at Augsburg inform your desire to go to med school?

I had several very meaningful experiences at Augsburg that continued to drive me toward medical school:

Major – Biopsychology. My academic/classroom experience at Augsburg was very meaningful in terms of strengthening my interest in science in general and providing a strong foundational knowledge.

Research – I had several different research experiences. I was an URGO researcher for one summer and worked at the Brain Sciences Center with Dr. David Crowe doing neurobiology work. This further strengthened my interest in science/biology, but it also showed me that working in a lab, while very rewarding and intellectually stimulating, was not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I missed human interaction, to put it simply. I was also a Mayo Innovations Scholar. This broadened my view of the medical field to include the business and economic side, and deepened my fascination with medicine and the science of medicine.

Volunteering – I volunteered as a Crisis Counselor at a crisis hotline center. This was an incredible experience for many reasons, the most important of which was that it showed me the power of being and reward of serving others and directly impacting lives. This strengthened my desire to become a physician as I envision a similar reward serving patients in the future.

What was the most challenging part of the application process, and how did you approach that challenge?

The application process is arduous and difficult. For me, the biggest challenge was the personal statement. To address this, I sought the help of an advisor with personal statement experience (namely, Catherina).I think this is crucial. I probably went through 15-20 drafts of the statement (not sure what a “normal” number of drafts is), and we met almost every week or two for 2-3 months to go over things and review. Be comfortable taking constructive criticism.

Secondaries are also a tremendous amount of work, but the same process was applied: Write responses, review with Catherina, repeat.

Interview preparation can also be very daunting, but I worked with several different people (Catherina, Dale Pederson in Biology, a physician I know, my Mom, and a family friend) to prepare and did a number of practice interviews to get ready. Lots and lots of practice.

What advice do you have for other Auggies seeking medical school acceptance or a career in the health field?

Start your application early. Start your application as early as you possibly can. Start thinking about what and how you will write your personal statement. Document your experiences as you are experiencing them.

Gain as much direct medical experience as possible. Medical scribing is a tremendous opportunity for this. Inform yourself on what doctors do on a daily basis. Saying you want to become a physician is much more meaningful if you have direct experience to draw upon. Your personal statement and interviews will be so much stronger if you have lived experiences to draw from to explain your desire for medicine.

Start MCAT prep very early. Understand that the MCAT will be the hardest exam you’ll have taken to that point in your life, and it is unlike any test you’ve ever taken. A strong MCAT score is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. It’s certainly not everything, but it is very important. So, start prep early, and be prepared to spend several hundred hours getting ready.

Have something unique. You will be one of literally thousands of applicants with the same MCAT and GPA scores. Try to make your application unique somehow. Learn a second language. Study abroad in Africa. Spend a summer vacation on a service trip.

Grades and MCAT are very important, but so is compiling a compelling range of experiences. The more experiences you can have as an undergraduate, the better, but make sure they are meaningful and that you’ll be able to describe why and how they were meaningful. One of my regrets is that I didn’t volunteer more and didn’t have more experiences in general. It’s much easier to cut experiences out of an application if you have too many than to try to come up with experiences to list that don’t have much meaning.