Highlights Summer 2022

Student Highlights

Katie Anderson, Jayzen Armstrong, Katherine Bauer, Haley Compton, Nicholas Engebretson, Ashlee Long, Xavier Ross, Emma Singer, Cheyenne Smith, Colten Uitermarkt, Brynna Walgate, Lyle Whitney and Rebecca Yox, students in biology and environmental science programs, participated in The Conservation Biology of Tropical Systems Study Tour course. They went to Ecuadorian Amazon rain forest and the Galapagos Islands. They met with indigenous people from the Quechua community and worked a full day with Amazoonica, a wildlife rescue and conservation organization in the Amazon rain forest.  

Sarah Armbrust, B.F.A. Studio Art, Celia Askelsen, B.F.A. Studio Art/B.A. Art Therapy and Kassidy Sloup, B.S.Ed. Art Education/B.F.A. Studio Art were awarded the outstanding student award from the Department of Art. 

Anne Aschmann, Keri Bauer, Lauren Dawson, Ashley Evans, Anah Fuller, Jordyn Hilyard, Madison Kurtz, Emily Loseke, Emma Noel, Addison Smith, Mphatso Smith, Anna Sommerer, Alannah Stahl, Amanda Steinke, Sarah Tompkins and Alexis Urban, led by Dr. Kathy Miller, Dr. Kristen Nugent and Dr. Shanna Opfer, served a full day on an Urban Plunge Service Project in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Rachel Battershell, Zachary Bennetts, Jordyn Hilyard, Gabrielle Luehr, Erin Mapson and Kailey Weichel received the Scholastic Achievement Certificate from Phi Epsilon Kappa, a national professional academic honorary society for students pursuing careers in health and human performance professions. This honor is awarded to members who maintain a GPA of at least 3.75 and are of senior standing. 

Andrew Brandt was awarded a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at South Dakota State University in Cybersecurity. 

Brynna Bruxellas, geography major and geospatial technology minor from Humboldt, Nebraska, was accepted into the Research Experience for Undergraduates program at North Carolina State University. Brynna will spend 10 weeks this summer working with leading scientists and conducting research in environmental soil science. This National Science Foundation sponsored program provides a stipend, housing, meal allowance and travel reimbursement for accepted students. 

Chloe Dahn, Ashley Evans, Macy Gebhardt, Rachel Johnson and Hayley Steinbauer spent their spring break serving in Puerto Rico on a mission trip led by Associate Professor of Communication, Erica Lamm, and Director of Global Opportunities, Julie Johnston Hermann. 

Hayley Denner, senior B.S.Ed. art education major, was offered and accepted a K-12 art position at St. Edward Public Schools in St. Edward, Nebraska.  

Gabrielle Diamond, Wyatt Ericksen, Morgan James and Cally Rogers were the recipients of this year’s scholarship funds provided by the Foundation of the Nebraska Society of CPAs, awarded to those who intend to spend the majority of their professional accounting careers in Nebraska.

Hannah Fitzsimmons and Jordyn Hilyard are the 2021-2022 recipients of the Outstanding Student Award in Health and Human Performance. 

Ashley Gerczynski, Sydni Kroll, Mady Payne, Cally Rogers and Klay Uher were awarded the “Servant Leader” award for 2021-2022 by the Concordia Business Club. Mady served as the Business Club President, Sydni served as Vice President of the Business Club, Ashley served as the chair of the Career Fair Committee, Klay served as the chair of the Leadership and Ethics Forum and Cally served as the manager of 10:31 Coffee Shop. They also helped lead and organize the Fourth annual Business Student BBQ. 

Madelyn Graham earned a competitive summer internship in sea animal rehabilitation at the renowned Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, Alaska. 

Ian Guettler, December 2021 exercise science graduate, was accepted into the graduate exercise science program at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. 

Jackie (Kira) Heinselman, Bailey Mooney, Emily Rasmussen, Sarah Schwacher, Kaetlyn Todd and Laura VonKampen participated in a mission trip to Guatemala. Dr. Jennifer Janousek, professor of health and human performance, and Dr. Kathy Miller, professor of sociology, led the trip. 

Simon Higgason will be attending the University of South Dakota to pursue a Ph.D. in particle physics.

Rebecca Higgins, exercise science and psychology major, was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

Jordyn Hilyard, exercise science major, was accepted into the Graduate Athletic Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.

Matthew Holmes received full ride scholarships to Penn State Law and University of San Diego School of Law. He was accepted to Arizona State University Law and has been waitlisted at University of Michigan Law School.  

Carter Kent was accepted into Doctor of Veterinary Medicine School at Kansas State University and will attend the University of Nebraska-Iowa State University PPVM. 

Ian Kollipara was awarded a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) at University of Texas at Dallas in Software Reliability.  

Faculty and Staff Highlights

Dr. Vicki Anderson, associate professor of education, worked with and supervised teams of students in the Spring 2022 semester as they developed curriculum and taught ESL online for Mission of Christ Network. Rachel Fisher, Emily Manley, Emma Noel, Travis Parsons and Ben Toenjes designed curriculum and worked with Dr. Anderson, Macy Gebhardt and Rachel Johnson teaching English to teens and adults in Parrita, Costa Rica, as part of the Lighthouse Parrita Ministry (headed by CUNE alumni Ethan and Amanda Hutton and Zachary Barz, under the auspices of Mission of Christ Network). 

Dr. Vicki Anderson was appointed Communications Director for MIDTESOL (MidAmerica Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), an organization that supports the interests of English teachers in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. 

Dr. Annette Anschutz, associate professor of education, presented at several conferences, workshops, and retreats during the 2021-22 school year including: The Connections Conference, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, November 2021, where she presented The Many Hats of Leadership and A Few of My Favorite Things; The Lutheran School Administrators Conference, in Orlando, Florida, March 2022, where she presented The Many Hats of Leadership; and the California, Nevada, Hawaii Early Childhood Directors Retreat, in Livermore, California, April 2022, where she presented Team Ministry.

Dr. Curt Beck, professor of business administration, led a group of undergraduates to compete in the Collegiate Leadership Competition on April 7-9, 2022. The two teams from Concordia finished in 3rd place and 5th place out of 36 teams.

Jeffrey Blersch, professor of music, published three new collections and pieces with Concordia Publishing House: Five Christmas Carols for Piano, 4-Hands, Sunset and Dawning: Organ Arrangements of Hymns for Evening and Morning and a choral anthem Look With Eyes that See Forever, on a text by Concordia alumna Lisa Clark. His arrangement of the hymn Now Pray We To The Holy Ghost was included in the Lutheran Service Book Hymn Prelude Library, three of his original hymn tunes were included in the recently published Christian Worship hymnal. Blersch was also appointed Dean of the Lincoln Chapter of the American Guild of Organists in December 2021. 

Seth Boggs, associate professor of art, Justin Groth, assistant professor of art, Aaron Nix, assistant professor of art, and Don Robson, professor of art, curated and presented “Art & Artifact” in the Marxhausen Gallery of Art. The show ran from February 6-March 24th, 2022, and involved collaboration with many colleagues across the university. 

Seth Boggs completed a 1000+ square foot mural on an exterior wall of The Alps Bark Park in Seward, Nebraska.  

Dr. Sara Brady, associate professor of psychology, co-authored a manuscript with students Tayler Gipe and Rachel Kunkel for publication in Journal of Psychological Inquiry. Dr. Brady mentored student Emma Hopfer in submission of a manuscript to Journal of Psychological Inquiry. 

Dr. Sara Brady was advanced in rank to associate professor as of January 2022. 

Jessica Brashear, instructor in the Master of Arts in School Counseling, presented “Mental Health Rooted in Christ: Finding Blooms in the Thorns of Life” as part of the Lutheran Church Extension Fund Growing in Christ Webinar series on July 1, 2022. She also submitted writing to Concordia Publishing House that will be included in a devotional book for women published in summer of 2022. 

Rev. Dr. David Coe was advanced from assistant professor to associate professor of theology at Concordia University, Nebraska. 

Rev. Dr. David Coe, associate professor of theology, was awarded Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Reviews for his book Kierkegaard and Luther (Fortress Academic, 2020). 

Rev. Dr. David Coe had his article, Law and Gospel, Distinction and Dialectic: Walther, Kierkegaard, and the Rich Young Ruler, accepted for publication in the Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook 2022, edited by Heiko Schulz, Jon Stewart, and Karl Verstrynge, Berlin: De Gruyter, 2022. 

Rev. Dr. David Coe presented his book, Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments, to the Great Plains District Presidents of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (March 2022). 

Rev. Dr. David Coe will present his book, Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments, at the LCMS Theology Professors Conference (May 2022). 

Rev. Dr. David Coe has been invited by the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, UK, to present his paper, Anfechtung: Luther and Kierkegaard’s Inheritance of Theologia Deutsch, for their conference, Kierkegaard and Mysticism (June 2022). 

Rev. Dr. David Coe has been invited to be the keynote speaker for the LCMS Nebraska District Convention in Kearney, Nebraska (June 2022). 

Dr. Jennifer Fruend, associate professor of biology, and Dr. Ed Hoffman, associate professor of criminal justice, led students on The Conservation Biology of Tropical Systems Study Tour course. They went to Ecuadorian Amazon rain forest and the Galapagos Islands. They met with indigenous people from the Quechua community and worked a full day with Amazoonica, a wildlife rescue and conservation organization in the Amazon rain forest. 

Dr. Brian Gauthier, assistant professor of theology, philosophy and Biblical languages and director of pre-seminary and pre-deaconess programs, graduated with a Ph.D. in doctrinal theology from Concordia Seminary with a dissertation: Jesus, In, With, and Under the Spirit: The Presence and Activity of the Spirit in Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar on May 21, 2021.

Dr. Brian Gauthier was named director of the pre-seminary program at Concordia University, Nebraska in August 2021.