Category: Faculty Life

“I am committed to the college’s goal of encouraging and supporting a diverse community. This stems from my conviction that diversity is the fodder for creativity – different perspectives enrich our understanding of topics and challenge us to see the world in a more nuanced way.” — Margaret Bloch Qazi, Professor of Biology 2019 Winner…

“One of the things I especially appreciate about teaching at Gustavus is the opportunity to creatively experiment with new assignments, readings, topics, and approaches. It’s a reminder that we’re not only teaching students to become lifelong learners, but we are always learning too.” — Kate Knutson, Professor of Political Science 2020 Winner of the Edgar…

“Teaching, like research, is an iterative process centered around the question: how can I best equip students with the skills and knowledge to creatively address problems and questions beyond the classroom? Each time I deploy an idea, gather data, and identify remaining questions in the classroom, I model the innovation, risk, and persistence that I…

I recognize that I have been particularly comfortable here because both Lutheranism and Buddhism support values central to Gustavus—first and foremost, the importance of deep intellectual inquiry. Florence Amamoto Associate Professor of English ### Excerpted from Rooted in a Distinctive Tradition, Open to the World: Reflections Across Campus on the Heritage, Character, and Vision of…

We may be affiliated with the Lutheran church, have Lutheran chaplains, and chapel services, but we are also a very diverse and welcoming community where people of all faiths or no faith can feel comfortable. Chuck Niederriter Professor of Physics ### Excerpted from Rooted in a Distinctive Tradition, Open to the World: Reflections Across Campus…

If I were not an African Catholic at a Lutheran college, then I would not be in such a good position to help my students discuss such examples, understand the complexity of cultures, and respect and appreciate how peoples of other cultures practice their religions. Paschal Kyoore Professor of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures ###…

What I would say as an evangelical-ish person to evangelicals (and others) is this: Gustavus’s Lutheran heritage is, yes, a challenge that creates a lot of hard questions. It is also an opportunity. It allows for a dialogue we need in a religious, secular, interconnected, interdependent, overly-armed world. Sarah Ruble Associate Professor of Religion ###…

Grounded in a sense of calling, alert to the complex, shifting relationships that arise for each life in the world, excellence can be a powerful, steadfast fulcrum, uniting faculty, staff and students to create works of lasting purpose, meaning, and beauty. Deborah L. Goodwin Associate Professor of Religion ### Excerpted from Rooted in a Distinctive…

We believe in the power of community to make a positive difference in our lives and our world. All who study or work at Gustavus are part of its community. We are known as “Gusties,” and we are bound together in a particular time and place. Tommy Valentini Steve Wilkinson Professor of Sport Ethics and…

The commitment to vocation at Gustavus is rooted in the college’s Lutheran identity, which means that it is actively inclusive of other worldviews, spiritualties, and philosophies as well. Jeff Dahlseid Associate Professor of Biology and Chemistry ### Excerpted from Rooted in a Distinctive Tradition, Open to the World: Reflections Across Campus on the Heritage, Character,…