Homeland Security Simulator Center

Concordia
onnection
C
P O R T L A N D, O R E G O N
•
SUMMER 2014
INNOVATION
D
uring a turbulent time in higher education, Concordia has
chosen the path of innovation. This issue of The Connection
chronicles our journey to stay ahead of the curve – from design
thinking and quest-based learning to strategic partnerships that bring
value to our students.
To provide leadership and direction to the university’s efforts
around innovation, we recently identified Dr. Joe Mannion as
Concordia’s new Chief Innovation Officer. Nearly a year later, the magazine is bursting with stories of
innovation.
After Sir Ken Robinson inspired us this past spring with his thoughts on creativity, we partnered with
TED Senior Fellow Dr. Juliette LaMontagne and the Portland Incubator Experiment to bring Project Breaker
to Portland. Many of you joined us for this two-week manufacturing design challenge that took place in the
George R. White Library & Learning Center lobby and you can read more about it in this issue.
We’re excited to share more about the innovative degree programs expanding and moving to Concordia’s
new Columbia River Campus located near the Portland International Airport. In the pages that follow, you’ll
read more about the new campus, home to Concordia Online Education and the new Homeland Security
Simulation Center, as well as several large classrooms and student spaces.
Among our most transformative innovations taking shape is 3 to PhD™ where pursuing one’s highest
dreams becomes reality. In partnership with Faubion School, Portland Public Schools, and Boora Architects,
the master plan was developed with significant public input over the past year. This plan, now approved, will
create the first facility in the nation to combine a Pre-K – 8 Title I public school with a College of Education.
Concordia’s students will benefit from being embedded as mentors, coaches, and student teachers in an
urban public school from the very start of their college experience.
Thank you for joining us and praying as we continue, guided by the Holy Spirit, down this path of
education innovation.
For His Students,
Dr. Charles E. Schlimpert
President, Concordia University-Portland
P O R T L A N D, O R E G O N
2
14
SUMMER 2014
Concordia Connection is published twice per year by
Concordia University in Portland, Oregon.
PLEASE ADDRESS ALL CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Concordia Connection
Concordia University
2811 NE Holman Street
Portland, Oregon 97211
or email: alumni@cu-portland.edu
SENIOR EDITOR: Shari Altree
COPY EDITOR: Todd Duvall
ART DIRECTOR: Christine Dodge
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Katrina Dinges
PHOTOGRAPHER: Phil Sedgwick
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Dr. Barbara Archer, Dr. Keylah Boyer ’97, Jason Dormeyer,
Shawn Daley, Matt English, Cheryl Franceschi, Chad Greenwood,
Sarah Kenney ’10, Rev. Dr. David Kluth, Dr. Joe Mannion,
Kevin Matheny, Dr. Sheryl Reinisch, Dr. Joel Schuldheisz,
Missy Somers, Becky Sprecher, Madeline Turnock,
Dr. Mark Wahlers, Scott Winegar, and Gary Withers
•
SUMMER 2014
Campus Life. Interactive game-based learning puts Concordia in
the spotlight; SAP University Alliance gives Concordia business students
a leg up on the competition; New app delivers Food On Demand; Bod Pod
brings innovation to Concordia’s Exercise & Sports Science program;
3 to PhD™ reaches major milestone.
New Columbia River Campus
8
puts Concordia students in the center of the
action – and the innovation. Smart classrooms,
room for growth in a booming online education
department, and a best-in-the-nation homeland
security simulator make for an innovative new
branch campus.
Current Issue.
Senior TED Fellow Dr. Juliette LaMontagne brings
her Project Breaker to Concordia, challenging student teams to create
viable products that target Portland’s growing manufacturing industry.
Alumni Notes. Concordia’s own country crooner
16
climbs the charts; A trio of Concordia MBA grads sprout a
great idea for a business; One of “Tommy’s Boys” comes
full circle; Plus the latest about life after Concordia
straight from alumni themselves.
Navy & White.
24
Winter and spring sports
make their mark on the record books; Field athletes
bring home national championships; Amy Dames
Smith, Concordia Compliance Officer, talks about the
upcoming move to NCAA Division II.
29Nailed to the Door.
“Glass Explorer” and
Assistant Professor of Education, Shawn Daley, gives
us his take on innovative technology and becoming a
Concordia Cyborg.
Cover Photo: Togetherfarm Blocks, co-founded by Concordia Portland alums, Joe Aakre, Doug Holcomb,
and Matt Stormont. www.togetherfarm.com. See story on page 21.
Summer 2014
1
Campus Life
Interactive
Game-Based
Learning Puts
Concordia in
the Spotlight
In the spring of 2014, Concordia
University-Portland partnered with
GoGo Labs, a learning technology
startup, to launch an innovative
pilot program that leverages gamebased learning technology. As part
of the program, six Concordia staff
members were selected to create six
university courses – each utilizing
3D GameLab technology to drive
what is called interactive “questbased” learning courses.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE QUEST
Quest-based learning is a
relatively new form of education
that uses elements of gamification
to increase student engagement and
help educational subjects resonate
more effectively.
Quests consist of online learning
activities that address the core
of the subject matter. A typical
quest can range from listening to a
podcast and watching a short video
to writing a brief essay. Instead of
courses that consist primarily of
textbook learning and lectures,
classes are built around a series of
JANUARY 14, 2014
The Oregonian reported that the Concordia
neighborhood is the trendiest neighborhood
in Portland! We could have told you that, but
it’s nice to have confirmation.
2
concordia connection
quests. As students
progress and complete
their quests, they earn
experience points,
levels, and badges –
tools that can be used
to translate to a grade.
LEARNING
ADVENTURES LET
STUDENTS MOVE AT
THEIR OWN SPEED
GoGo Lab’s 3D
GameLab learning
platform enables
professors and
students to design,
play, and share quests in order to
create personalized learning. GoGo
Labs provides professors with the
tools, technology, and onsite training
they need to facilitate game-based
learning courses in their classroom –
each geared toward the subject being
taught.
For the six courses that
participated in the pilot program,
quests could typically be finished in
10-15 minutes. Since students learn
at their own pace, their progress and
success don’t impact one another.
Even though it’s quest-based
learning, the GoGo Labs program
actually provides the exact same
amount of time in the classroom as
any other normal university course.
Executive Vice President of
Strategic Planning, Dr. Johnnie
Driessner, was one of the professors
who implemented quest-based
learning into his classroom –
Some 78 percent of
the students felt they
learned more in this
environment than in
a more traditional
lecture format.
» Dr. Johnnie Driessner,
Executive Vice President - Strategic Planning
Professor of Biology and Education
beginning with his human
physiology course. During
the semester, his class consisted of
190 quests over a 15-week period.
“Quest-based learning courses are
not easy,” says Dr. Driessner. “The
« MARCH 8, 2014
Concordia University Health & Human Services students
collaborated with Bethesda Lutheran Ministries to provide a Day
of Respite to families of children with special needs. This annual
event engages Concordia students in community service through
childcare so that families can enjoy a day of rest and relaxation
and know their children are in good hands.
Campus Life
learning expectations are identical
to previous traditional curriculum
that didn’t use the interactive
technology.” Student feedback was
overall positive, with students feeling
that the quest-based learning helped
the information sink in and resonate
better, while also helping them study
more consistently. “And it was fun!”
noted one of Dr. Driessner’s students.
A NEW APPROACH TO THE TIMETESTED METHODS OF TEACHING
This pilot program is one
of several efforts Concordia is
implementing to explore emerging
forms of instructional design,
while also providing professional
development opportunities for
faculty. Currently, Concordia
University is the only university in
Oregon implementing this type of
program.
Says Dr. Driessner, “I have used
the 3D GameLab platform to
provide a quest-based environment
for my human physiology course. I
saw improvements in both student
engagement and student learning
resulting from the incorporation of
the quest-based design principles.
Some 78 percent of the students
felt they learned more in this
environment than in a more
traditional lecture format, with 40
percent identifying the ability to
work on their own schedule as a
powerful aspect of the design.” 
MARCH 17, 2014
»
Concordia’s Hawai’i Club presented the fifth annual Hui
‘O Hawai’i Luau to celebrate the culture of Hawaii. The
theme was: “Ke Ao Nani…It’s a Beautiful World.” Dinner
was followed by a wonderful program of cultural dances
highlighted by the Fire Knife Dance and a Poi Ball Dance that
brought the audience to their feet!
Technology Alliance Gives
Concordia Business Students
a Leg Up on the Competition
Concordia’s School of
Management was recently accepted
into the University Alliance program
with the SAP (Systems Application
and Products) software company.
SAP business operations software
is used locally
by companies
such as NIKE,
Adidas, Columbia
Sportswear,
Intel, TripWire,
Mentor Graphics,
PacifiCorp, and
Kaiser Permanente.
What’s more,
Concordia is the
only university in the Northwest
offering SAP-anchored training in
accounting, management systems,
and enterprise resource planning –
career-ready training designed to give
students a competitive edge in the
marketplace
THE ABCS OF SAP
SAP is both the name of the
company, and the acronym for their
software – Systems Applications and
Products in data processing. SAP
software is used by more than 230,000
clients in nearly 190 countries, making
it one of the largest global enterprise
management software and solutions
install base in the world.
Simply put, SAP software manages
the complex business units of large
enterprises. Raw materials, production,
inventory, marketing, and sales can
all be managed via a single point.
SAP is designed to provide effective
communication
and data sharing.
By using SAP
software, a business
can centralize all of
their organizational
needs – from human
resources, payroll, and
customer relationship
management to
materials handling,
supply chain, and sales.
GIVING CLASSROOM LEARNING A
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The first elective course available
was principles of enterprise information
systems, taught this past spring. The
course was developed by David Petrie,
professor of management, who has
a long history of working as an SAP
consultant to a number of businesses
and universities.
Ultimately, the goal of being able to
learn with SAP software is to give
Concordia business students a
discernable advantage when applying
for graduate school or a job in a
business field that uses SAP. 
MARCH 21, 2014
Concordia University teamed up with
HotChalk Inc. to donate more than 300 new
technology devices to children and
teachers at Faubion school.
Summer 2014
3
Campus Life
Hungry For Some Innovation at Lunch?
When you think of innovation
on a college campus, the dining hall
usually isn’t one of the places that
comes to mind. Thanks to Sodexomade improvements in technology,
that’s all changed.
Food On Demand is a free app
that lets you order and pay for
breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the
Concordia dining hall using your
iPhone or iPad (you’ll find it under
“Sodexo FOD” in the app store).
This unique program can be used
from any location. What’s more, you
can plan an order at any time to be
picked up later. Let’s say you have a
break between classes at 10:55. You
can place your lunch order…pay for
it using your meal plan or credit
card…and schedule a pick-up
for a later time, like 12:15. Show
up at the dining hall at 12:15 and
voila, your Food On Demand order
is ready. For those who are hungry
and in a hurry, this is the kind of
innovation that can’t be beat. 
The
system
currently
works with
iPhones and iPads. An
app for other smartphones
– as well as a desktop computer
version – is coming soon.
Bod Pod brings Innovation to Concordia’s
Exercise & Sports Science Program
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
nearly 35 percent of adults in
America today are obese. Yet
sometimes measuring obesity can
be difficult and inaccurate. In the
past, people have primarily used
Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure
whether or not someone is obese.
While easy to calculate, BMI doesn’t
take body type, gender, ethnicity, or
activity levels into consideration.
Body composition – the amount
of your body that is lean muscle
and the amount that is fat – is now
considered a critical measurement
for health purposes. Thanks to the
Bod Pod, students in Concordia’s
Exercise & Sports Science (ESS)
»
APRIL 3, 2014
Concordia University-Portland business
and marketing students presented at the
Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s National
Student Marketing Competition in St. Louis!
4
concordia connection
program now have the tools to
accurately take this critical health
measurement.
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE
ACCURATE
A scale can’t tell the difference
between a pound of muscle and a
pound of fat. What’s more, people
can lose muscle and gain fat without
any obvious change in overall weight.
The Bod Pod accurately measures
body composition, allowing for
sensible, customized information
regarding diet and exercise programs.
Whether looking to lose fat, gain
muscle, or maintain a healthy
balance, the Bod Pod is an essential
tool to help achieve that goal.
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT’S
ACCURATE, FAST, AND SAFE
The Bod Pod body composition
tracking system is based on the same
principle as underwater weighing
– considered by many as the “gold
standard” for measuring body
composition. Instead of dunking the
person in water, the Bod Pod uses
patented air displacement technology
to provide highly accurate results –
faster and easier than the “dunk tank”
method.
A roomy interior accommodates
a wide range of body types – from
professional runners to sumo
wrestlers and everyone in-between. A
complete Bod Pod analysis takes less
than five minutes. The ESS student
MAY 1, 2014
Alums and professors met for happy hour, Concordia style,
for Pints with Profs at the Concordia Ale House! Alumni
got together to catch up with their favorite
professors and support scholarships for
Concordia University-Portland students.
Campus Life
“By having some of the latest technology
tools at our disposal, we can help prepare
our graduates to serve in rewarding
careers in science and healthcare.”
» Dr. Joel Schuldheisz, Chair,
Dept. of Exercise & Sport Science
enters basic subject information into
the system. The subject is weighed.
Then the subject sits comfortably
in the Bod Pod for three different
40-second measurements, relaxed
and breathing normally. That’s all
there is to it. Test results are displayed
and printed, allowing the student
to develop a customized diet and
exercise plan for the subject.
PUTTING THE POD IN PERSPECTIVE
“Having access to using and
training our students to use the Bod
Pod makes Concordia’s Exercise &
Sport Science program unique,” says
Dr. Joel Schuldheisz, department
chair. “Our majors gain extensive
experience in testing a variety of
subjects and hone their customer
service skills as well as their ability
to apply evidence-based practices in
real world situations. It fits with our
mission of developing servant leaders
by serving the community through
this technology.”
Students are trained on how to
use the Bod Pod and interpret the
results. Throughout the year, ESS
students and faculty
are involved in testing
MAY 3, 2014
At the fourth annual
TEDxConcordiaUPortland
event, TEDTalks video and
live speakers combined to explore the
theme of Pulse: the interconnected nature of
communication and the effect we can have on each other.
a number of different
groups, including
students, studentathletes, referrals (such
as high school wrestlers),
and subjects for research
(including high school
basketball referees).
“Since obtaining
the Bod Pod,” says
Schuldheisz, “the ESS
department has been
able to expand its use of
technology by obtaining
a metabolic cart that
accurately measures
oxygen consumption, an
electromyography unit
that detects electrical
potential generated
by muscles, digital
filming and analysis
systems, radar systems,
and Tendo units that
measures speed and
power while weight
lifting. Innovation is
built in to what we do
every day.” 
«
MAY 17, 2014
Dr. Sheryl Reinisch, dean of the College of Education, travelled to American
Samoa to celebrate the graduation of 35 teachers who received their master’s
degree in education from Concordia University-Portland. Graduates teach in
the territory’s Department of Education, which oversees 22 early childhood
education centers, 22 elementary schools, and six high schools.
Summer 2014
5
Campus Life
3 To PhD™ Reaches Major Milestone
with Community Support
Wednesday, April 16, 2014,
seemed like any other spring
evening in Portland. But after
months of community input, the
Portland Public School Board
voted unanimously to approve
the architectural master plans for
rebuilding Faubion Pre-K – 8 School
with Concordia University’s College
of Education.
“It’s incredibly exciting, and we are
thrilled to see this unique partnership
move forward,” exclaimed the
Portland Public School Board’s
Director, Ruth Adkins.
“Once complete, this project will
be the first of its kind in the nation
to combine a public school with
»
MAY 19, 2014
Concordia University, The Construct Foundation,
Wieden+Kennedy’s startup lab, Portland Incubator
Project (PIE), and Project Breaker teamed up to bring a
product design challenge to campus. Emerging entrepreneurs
competed in the Future of Stuff Product Design Challenge,
showcasing their innovative designs. Full story on page 14.
6
concordia connection
a private, non-profit university’s
teacher preparation program,” said
Gary Withers, Concordia’s chief
strategic relations officer. “We have a
lot of work ahead of us – not just
raising the millions in capital
funding that Concordia
will contribute toward
the new joint facility,
but also in working
with Faubion and PPS
to design the innovative
educational experiences that
will happen inside the walls.”
The day after the school
board vote, it was business as
usual at Faubion. A typical day of
learning at this federally designated
Title I school includes more than
505 students and 40 educators, along
with dozens of Concordia students,
faculty, and staff who can be found
working and volunteering.
On this particular Thursday,
Faubion second grader, Jourdyn,
reminded her mother, “Tonight is the
night I go to college,” referring to her
weekly reading coaching session with
a Concordia mentor.
Jourdyn’s mom, Latasha,
encourages her daughter’s
participation. “Now she talks about
‘when I go to college…’ and I’m not
sure if she would be thinking that
otherwise,” says Latasha.
With the goal of ensuring that
every child is prepared for college,
career education, and to pursue
their highest dreams, 3 to PhD – a
term coined by Faubion Principal
LaShawn Lee – is under development
and making progress.
What comes next is a busy fall
2014. The school district, Faubion,
and Concordia will continue to
host open public forums of the
Design Advisory Group to review
and provide input on detailed
architectural plans underway for
the building’s interior. Meanwhile,
work will begin to take shape
around the development of three
critical program areas: health and
wellness, education innovation, and
teacher preparation and professional
development. 
Stay tuned for the
many opportunities
to participate in 3
to PhD. For more
information, visit
our website at
www.3toPhD.com.
JUNE 5, 2014
Concordia partnered with local radio station K103 to host a
panel of HR leaders from NIKE, Symantec, and MedCure in a
discussion on how to “Improve Your Employability.” Guests
gathered at the T-Mobile Sky Lounge to ask questions
and soak up professional development expertise
from these respected business leaders.
Plans for the Collaborative Concordia University/PPS/Faubion Space
7
Feature Story
NEW
COLUMBIA
PUTS CONCORDIA STUDENTS
IN THE CENTER OF THE ACTION
– AND THE INNOVATION.
8
concordia connection
Feature Story
It’s 4:15 on a busy Friday,
RIVER
CAMPUS
the start of a long Memorial Day
weekend. Word reaches your office
that a ship containing fertilizer
has caught fire at the port – one
of the busiest shipping facilities
in America. Across town, a freak
tornado leaves a business park in
ruins – with details sketchy at best.
On the local interstate through
the mountain pass, the driver of a
tanker truck slams into the lane
barrier trying to avoid a collision,
stopping traffic and releasing a toxic
chemical spill mere yards from the
area’s largest river. Resources are
stretched thin. Manpower needs to
be mobilized – and quickly. Decisions
have to be made. And as the head of
the regional emergency command
center, it all falls to you. Now what?
Summer 2014
9
Feature Story
Welcome
to another day
of real-world practice at Concordia
University’s innovative new state-ofthe-art disaster simulator, designed
for use by our students in the
homeland security program.
The homeland security simulator is just one of the
many exciting new innovative and high-tech features
you will find at Concordia’s new Columbia River
Campus – a building designed from the ground up
with the space and technology to move Concordia
University forward.
BOLD NEW VISION FOR NEW
CONCORDIA SATELLITE
CAMPUS
With a 25-acre campus in northeast
Portland bursting at the seams and
neither enough office nor classrooms
space, opening a nearby remote campus
was an excellent solution to Concordia’s
current exponential growth. Following
an extensive search for space, a 35,000
square foot former Best Buy building
at Glenn Widing Drive, just off
Airport Way, is being leased and
retrofitted to become Concordia
University’s Columbia River Campus.
According to physical plant services
director, Doug Meyer, HS ’71, “The
empty canvas gave us the ability to
create all of the spaces that will best
serve us. The need primarily grew
from the online learning program
that is exploding with higher numbers
coming in every month.”
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concordia connection
Inside, the building is light and
airy, with plenty of open spaces
designed to foster collaborative work.
Bright red and yellow mixes with
gray, taupe, and dark walnut give a
feeling of warmth and friendliness.
LED lighting is used throughout.
Mid-century, environmentally savvy
furniture, in white, keeps the look
clean and contemporary.
SMART CLASSROOMS AND A
SOUND-PROOF STUDIO
The Columbia River Campus
will also feature new classrooms
– five, in total, to start with. But
these aren’t just any classrooms,
they’re “smart” classrooms. These
computer-enabled rooms provide
professors with the essential tools to
encourage collaboration. In a smart
classroom, students are encouraged
to BYOD – bring your own device –
and to have opened to their favorite
browser, ready to use. This way,
research-related information can be
found and shared on the spur of the
moment, throughout the classroom.
For example, in a smart classroom,
a professor using a PowerPoint
presentation can instantly share
the presentation with everyone in
the room, sending the PowerPoint
directly to each student’s computer.
In doing so, everyone has access to
the presentation, turning students
into instructors.
“We expected to have 5,000
online students by 2020. It’s
only 2014, and we currently
have more than 7,000 online
students enrolled.”
— Dr. Trish Lichau Shields,
Vice President Educational
Delivery Systems
On the opposite side of the
new building’s entryway, you will
find a state-of-the-art audio/video
recording studio. Here, the walls are
double-insulated and sheet-rocked
to make the room soundproof for
recording purposes. The HVAC
system is specially designed to control
both temperature and sound. While
not in place yet, equipment such
as sound-boards and mixers will
complete the space. “It’s a wonderful
dedicated space to use for audio
video production needs in the
future,” says Eric Sayasene, director
of operations for CU Online. “We
are pursuing potential partnerships
to produce videos and online course
curriculum.”
Feature Story
ONLINE GROWTH FUELS
NEED FOR MORE SPACE
One of the key reasons
for needing to expand to an
additional site comes from the
exponential growth coming
from Concordia University
online. How fast is Concordia’s
online program growing? Dr.
Trish Lichau Shields, the vice president
educational delivery systems, says, “We
expected to have 5,000 online students
by 2020. It’s only 2014, and we
currently have more than 7,000
online students enrolled.” And things
are just getting started.
In early 2014, Concordia University
Online finalized its partnership with
Concordia University, Nebraska and
Concordia College-New York. This
trio, known collectively as Concordia
Online Education, brings together a
powerful selection of online graduate
degree programs to meet careerfocused educational interests and needs.
Students here at home and around
the world will be able to find their
purpose, earn their degree, and build
a stronger career through Concordia
Online Education.
Projections estimate that by October
2014, there will be 48 master and
doctorate degrees available through
Concordia Online Education – degrees
in arts & social sciences, business, and
education. “We’re curious, positive,
energetic, and passionate about
what we do, which is to provide
transformative learning opportunities
to people around the world,” says Dr.
Lichau Shields.
Summer 2014
11
Feature Story
HOMELAND SECURITY
SIMULATOR CENTER
PROVIDES MAJOR DRAW
CURRENT PLANS CALL FOR THE SIMULATOR TO BE MADE AVAILABLE
FOR LEASE TO EMERGENCY RESPONDER ORGANIZATIONS.
Tucked nearly into one corner of
the Columbia River Campus lies the
building’s crown jewel, the homeland
security simulator center. “This is
the only simulator of this level and
magnitude on the west coast,” notes
Program Director Scott Winegar,
“And it’s customized specifically for
our use.” Between the system and the
upgrades to the space, the simulator
cost is roughly $1 million.
To begin the simulation, the
instructor selects a scenario, such
as a factory explosion. The incident
commander stands in front of an
enormous, semi-circular display
that’s 22' wide by 10' high. A joystick
lets him move around the action on
the screen. He decides that he needs
12
concordia connection
a better look at the scope of the
damage, so he uses a helicopter for an
overhead view of the scene.
Around the commander, six
stations are set up, each with a large
video monitor. These six stations can
represent anything the commander
wants them to be – a hospital, a
fire battalion, a police group, an
ambulance, and so on.
The entire system moves in real
time and requires real action in order
to survey damages, neutralize further
danger, and help the wounded. For
example, it requires two people to
move an injured person. Using the
joystick, hovering over that injured
person will tell the command center
the severity of their injury.
Time – as you can imagine – is of
the essence. Does the commander
commit extra fire units to the factory
floor, hoping to more quickly douse
the fire? Does he call a hazmat team
in case the factory was producing
something using dangerous
chemicals? Maybe he deploys an
extra team of ambulances and puts
an additional hospital on notice. The
options are endless, with a goal of
training leaders to learn what their
roles are in a disaster and how to best
work together.
In a separate room, just off to the
side of the simulator, a command
center has been created. This is
where key decisions will be made.
There are 10 seats – and 10 leaders
Feature Story
“The two most important skills we teach in homeland
security are critical thinking and ethical decision making.
The simulator helps us explore both and helps make
students better thinkers and analysts.”
— Scott Winegar, Program Director, Homeland Security
– who deal with everything from
planning and logistics to what they
tell the press. These high-pressure,
realistic scenarios often hold lives
in the balance. It’s in this manner
that students learn what homeland
security and disaster management are
really about.
In the end, an on-screen student
profile is created for each person
involved in the scenario. Students
work their way up the chain of
command – from field worker
to incident commander. And the
scenarios are all different and
varied. A chemical spill scenario,
for example, can take place via a
warehouse explosion, tanker accident,
plane crash, or factory fire. “We
prepare for the expected and the
unexpected,” says Winegar.
FROM SIMULATOR TO SECRET
SERVICE
Along with intensive simulator
training, students in the homeland
security program also receive two
years of online education – courses
such as emergency preparedness and
management, character and ethics of
leadership, and social and political
roots of terrorism.
Homeland security graduates
go on to find careers in a variety
of areas, including TSA, border
patrol, secret service, cyber security,
counterfeit detection, maritime
security, FEMA, customs, and the
Coast Guard. “Students learn to look
at security differently, critically,” says
Winegar. “They think about the big
picture and how different actions and
reactions affect one another.”
NEW WAYS OF THINKING
REQUIRE A NEW BREED OF
SPACE
With the opening of the new
Columbia River Campus in the
summer of 2014, a new era begins
at Concordia University-Portland.
With expansion comes more
services. More interaction. And more
innovation. Approaching Concordia’s
110th anniversary, there are more
opportunities than ever before for
leaders in new thought. Through
continued service to students and
community, the Concordia of today
brings innovation to the forefront. 
Summer 2014
13
Current Issues
Project Breaker Turns Creativity
into innovation
and activism, Dr. LaMontagne had a
revelation. “I learned from observing
students that the real impact of teaching
was not in the state mandated
curriculum, but in the project-based
learning that took place after school.”
She noticed these hands-on creative
projects attracted kids’ voluntary
participation and ignited their
curiosities, while engaging them with
their local communities.
FROM COLLABORATION COMES
CHANGE
Dylan Evanston ’13, Emily Carino, Niko Hughes, and Josh Sanchez on Pitch Day presenting their Spread it! project.
T
he lobby of the George R. White
Library & Learning Center is
usually filled with comfortable sofas
and students doing homework. For
two weeks in May, this same locale
was filled with hundreds of neon pink,
blue, and yellow sticky notes covering
10-foot-tall poster boards. Large signs
reading “Free Geek,” “Indow Window,”
and “Spooltown” hung at the top of
the boards, while photographs of
students and workers were peppered
throughout the sticky notes. What
may, at first glance, have looked
like an avant-garde art exhibit was
actually a student-centered creative
project designed to change the world.
Welcome to Project Breaker.
14
concordia connection
A NEW WAY OF THINKING
“I was frustrated by the current
education world. I wanted to focus
more on ‘learning to learn’ as opposed
to ‘learning to test,’” said Dr. Juliette
LaMontagne, describing what led her
to create Project Breaker, a non-profit
that facilitates creative problemsolving. Dr. LaMontagne has been
working to influence public school
reform in New York City for fifteen
years – first as a teacher, then as a
professional developer, professor,
and leadership coach. She began
her career as a high school English
teacher in the NYC public school
system. After starting an after school
program that combined art, literacy,
Project Breaker’s mission is to
drive social innovation and alternative
learning by mobilizing driven, creative
college students to provide business
solutions that address relevant world
problems. It connects teams of 18-24
year olds with global thought leaders
and industry experts to answer major
challenges facing today’s world – such
as literacy and urban agriculture.
Project Breaker facilitates a creative
problem-solving design process that
serves as a true collaboration between
the Breaker team (students), the
visionaries who pose their challenge
(business leaders), and the industry
experts who support the process.
In addition to her teaching and
educational background, Dr.
LaMontagne’s three-year tenure as a
TED Senior Fellow introduced her to
design thinking, which she incorporates
into the Project Breaker format.
TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Another goal of Project Breaker
is to teach and provide young adults
collaborative and entrepreneurial skills
Current Issues
necessary to transform ideas into viable
business solutions. “I’m a huge believer
in working together with people and
utilizing their knowledge and talent
to find solutions, but I’ve never been
taught how to do that. Project Breaker
provided me the opportunity to be
a part of that collaborative process,”
said recent 2014 University of Oregon
Journalism graduate Emily Carino.
“Sometimes the weirdest ideas can
lead to the most tangible solutions,”
she adds with a smile. Portland-based
ad agency Wieden+Kennedy’s
sponsorship of Project Breaker was a
huge draw for Emily, as was the ability
to build up her resume with the hope of
landing a job that values innovation.
THE FUTURE OF STUFF
Similar Project Breaker challenges
and professional development workshops took place last year in Detroit
and New York City in conjunction
with Stanford d.school’s K12 Lab.
During it’s first-ever time in Portland,
the project featured a variety of
high-profile local partners, including
Wieden+Kennedy and Portland
Incubator Experiment (PIE), a business
incubator for startups, as well as
involvement from companies such as
NIKE, Spooltown, Daimler, Biamp
Systems, and ADX. Officially titled
“The Future of Stuff,” the Portland
project challenged students, or
“Breakers,” to research, design and
create viable products that target
Portland’s growing manufacturing
industry. Project Breaker culminated
with “Pitch Day,” where students
presented their final products to an
audience of local decision-makers and
industry leaders within manufacturing.
AN ATMOSPHERE OF CHANGE
“Portland strikes me as a perfect
place for a project like this,” said Dr.
LaMontagne, referring to the city’s
renowned innovative and creative
artistic culture where unique, out-ofthe-box ideas often thrive. “To create
value for making and manufacturing
in Portland – well, this industry is
quite vital to the community,” she
further noted. In a recent Oregonian
article, “Five trends that could impact
Oregon’s economy: new Fed report,”
manufacturing was identified as one of
the main industries that could have a
major impact on the growth of the west
coast economy – specifically Oregon.
“I really loved interacting with and
visiting businesses like Ziba and
Langlitz Leathers,” said Concordia
University business major Melissa
Hatheway. “Participating in Project
Breaker helped me see what kind of
opportunities are out there within
manufacturing, and it gave me the
knowledge and confidence to develop
attainable business ideas with design
in mind.”
A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION
Concordia’s partnership with
Project Breaker reflects the university’s
commitment to innovative teaching
and learning, and understanding the
importance of hands-on alternative
learning projects that provide relevant,
practical skills to students. Concordia
University, in partnership with Gina
Condon, President and Founder
of the Construct Foundation, was
honored to sponsor this one-of-akind design challenge. 
To watch Juliette LaMontagne’s TED talk, visit
fellows.ted.com/profiles/juliette-lamontagne
“I learned from observing students that the real impact of teaching was not in the state
mandated curriculum, but in the project-based learning that took place after school.”
» Dr. Juliette LaMontagne, senior TED Fellow and Founder of Project Breaker
Summer 2014
15
Alumni Notes
Alumni
otes
N
What’s New in Your Life?
Stay in touch and keep us posted on all of your news...
new baby, new job, new spouse, new house, great
vacation, milestone anniversaries, or recent retirement?
Send us an email and update on what’s happening in
your life. Feel free to include photos, especially highresolution (300 dpi) wedding and baby pictures:
EMAIL: alumni@cu-portland.edu
Or send mail to Alumni Notes, 2811 NE Holman Street, Portland, OR 97211
1946
Victor Messerli, HS, retired several years
ago. He has traveled the world while
fishing, one of his greatest passions.
Victor has fished in Russia, Costa Rica,
Brazil, and Canada, as well as 39 trips
to Alaska. Some of his most memorable
catches include a 14 lb. rainbow trout
from Russia, a 140 lb. tarpon from Costa
Rica, and a 325 lb. halibut from Alaska.
When he’s not out fishing, he makes –
surprise! – custom fishing rods. Victor
resides in Salinas, CA.
16
concordia connection
Benjamin Bauer, graduated from
Concordia in ’05, then added an MAT
in ’12. Kerry and Ben became parents
of triplets (Kory, Cullen, and Lena)
on 11/8/13. They joined big sister,
Ellianna, who is eight years old. The
triplets were born ten weeks premature
at around three pounds each and
remained in the NICU for over six
weeks. All of them are now healthy and
growing well. The Cullens say, “God
has been extravagantly gracious in
providing protection and care, as well
as support from many people.” They
are long-time members of Bethlehem
Lutheran Church in Aloha, Oregon.
1969
Rev. Ronald Nitz, JC,
is currently in his
pre-retirement call at
Resurrection Lutheran
Church in Seward,
AK, which he says
is “a ‘tourist town’
congregation with
many interesting
challenges.” He and
his wife of 32 years,
Jackie, have two
grown children,
Regina and John. His
children, their spouses, and their
first grandchild, Micah, live in
suburban Seattle. Rev. Nitz is looking
forward to retirement in July of 2015
and to transitioning to a part-time call
somewhere closer to his children and
grandchildren.
1971
Jim Cullen, JC, and his wife, Chris (Bierly)
Cullen, JC, are certainly a Concordia
legacy family! Their daughter, Kerry
(Cullen) Bauer graduated from
Concordia in ’04 and her husband,
1979
Richard Keegan, JC, is
currently an assistant
professor at the school of nursing at
Sacramento State University. He is also
a family nurse practitioner at a local
community clinic in Sacramento. He
writes, “I am enjoying my career as a
nurse/educator and I thank Concordia
for offering me the opportunity to reach
this goal.”
1989
Lori (Gray) Druzynski is married and
living in Huntsville, Alabama.
Alumni Notes
1993
Sharon Cusack is
a holistic health
practitioner in
Phoenix, AZ. She is
a certified life coach,
clinical hypnotherapist, and spiritual
coach. She says, “I help those desiring to
up-level their life so they can empower
themselves to be the best they can be. I
specialize in Fat Ban Hypnotherapy, EFT
(tapping), smoking cessation, and stress
management.”
Greetings from the New
Director of Alumni
& Parent Engagement
2002
Jesse Eveland recently accepted a
position as Rex Putnam High School’s
athletic director in Milwaukie,
Oregon. He taught and coached at
the school for nine years. Prior to this
move, Jesse was the athletic director at
Milwaukie High School. He has two
sons, Jace (7) and Peyton (5) who play
Putnam youth baseball and basketball.
Jesse says, “I really look forward to
going back. Being in Milwaukie,
everyone was
awesome, but it
definitely feels like
I’m going back
home.”
GREETINGS!
My name is Becky (Raedeke) Sprecher
and I am the new Director of Alumni &
Parent Engagement for the Concordia
University Foundation. I joined the
University family back in January and it’s
already feeling like home. My last position
of nine years was as executive director of
the Oregon Club of Portland, a fundraising
arm of University of Oregon Athletics in
1995
Portland.
Marcus Brown accepted a position as
a physical education teacher at East
Elementary School in Tillamook, Oregon
in November of 2013. He and his family
(wife, Kristin and children, Joel and
Monica) moved to Tillamook over
Christmas break. He says, “We absolutely
love it here! We purchased a lovely house
and love our time walking the beaches
and fishing in the rivers for salmon and
steelhead.”
I hail from a long line of family members
1998
Koty (Zelinka)
Cole and her
husband, Jason,
welcomed
their son,
Henry Justin
Cole, on
December
5, 2013.
The newest
addition to
the Cole
family
weighed 8
pounds and was 21.5 inches long. While not a Concordia alumna directly,
who either graduated from or taught at
various Concordia campuses. I attended
Portland Lutheran High School (go Blue
Jays!) and am continually amazed at
the number of Concordia connections
between faculty, staff, and fellow alums.
I am looking forward to getting to know
Troy Soles is in his
twelfth year of teaching
English, including AP
classes, at Canby High
School. He also coaches
football and track &
field, teaches community
education classes, and
serves on the principal’s
instructional leadership
advisory council and crisis
response teams. Through
his work, he works to resolve
employment disputes with the
union’s negotiation team and
acts as the grievance chair at
Canby High School. His wife, Jenny,
and sons, Ben and Luke, are his “joy
and inspiration.”
you, supporting you, and being a part of
the ever-growing and dynamic Concordia
community.
Becky Sprecher
Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement
Keep in Touch!
Please contact me at 503-493-6454
or email bsprecher@cu-portland.edu
Summer 2014
17
Alumni Notes
Meet Concordia’s Own
Cum Laude Country Crooner
F
OR AS LONG AS ANYONE COULD REMEMBER, BEN RUE ’10 LIKED TO SING.
There was his first public performance singing in a church play. Then there
was the sixth-grade talent show where he covered an ’N Sync tune. “Growing
up, I was always humming or singing on the farm,” says Rue. “My brothers
would say, ‘Stop singing! Why are you working on the farm? Do something with
music!’” And do something, he would.
THE CONCORDIA CONNECTION
Over time, music took a backseat
to baseball. It was, in fact, a baseball
scholarship that brought Rue – a
native of Silverton, Oregon – to
Concordia University-Portland. He
earned his Bachelor of Arts in High
School/Middle School Education,
graduating cum laude in 2010. In
addition, he played four seasons for
the Cavalier baseball team and one
season on the basketball team.
Following graduation, he signed
with an independent professional
baseball team in Kalamazoo,
Michigan. Released after a year, he
decided it was finally time to try his
hand at a music career – and fate
seemed to be leading the way.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Having won a radio station contest,
he met country station KUPL’s DJ Tik
Tak. “I’ll give you three months to put
something into my hand to listen to,”
the DJ told him. And that’s how his
first EP came to be.
He played a few times live on the
air and got to open at a local Stars
and Guitars event.
Then came the X Factor TV show.
He auditioned in Seattle, but never
heard anything and completely forgot
about it. That is until eight weeks
later when the show’s producer called
him up and asked him to perform in
front of an audience of 4,000 people,
along with industry heavyweights (and
show judges) Simon Cowell, Paula
Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, and L.A.
Reid. Four songs later, Rue was sent
to Hollywood for the next round, but
that’s as far as he went.
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD
Rue headed back to his family
grass-seed farm, but not for long. He
decided to throw caution to the wind
and head for Nashville. He spent the
first several weeks getting to know
the area and contacting producers
he met while in Portland. Then Rue
spent the better part of a year writing
songs. He’s also been taking minitours across the heartland with other
up-and-coming young singers. And
he got his songs on iTunes. As one
reviewer put it, “Genuine country
music sung by a genuine country guy.
Can’t go wrong buying his music!”
Visit Ben’s website (benruemusic.com) or check him out on iTunes!
2004
Alicia (McConkey) Bowman met fellow
alum, Mason Bowman ’03, at Concordia
in 2001 and they have been together ever
since. They married in 2006 and have
two children, Owen (4) and Elise (2), as
well as, two Labrador retrievers. They
live in Gig Harbor, Washington where
Mason works as a pharmaceutical
representative and Alicia works as a
physical therapist. The couple avidly
follows CU athletics and sport navy
and white any chance they get!
18
concordia connection
Rosa Palomino moved back to her
home state of California after living and
working in New York City for nine years.
She currently works in fiscal services for
a public school district in Orange County
and resides in La Habra, CA.
2005
Karlia (Lindeke)
Rogers and her
husband Zac Rogers,
welcomed their
second daughter,
Caia Noreen Rogers
on October 2, 2013.
They reside in
Kent, Washington.
Alumni Notes
Jessica (Stern) Tosh married fellow alum,
Adam Tosh ’04, at St. Michael’s Lutheran
Church on May 18, 2013. Adam proposed
marriage to Jessica in front of Elizabeth
Hall where the two met in 2001. Adam
works remotely from his home office for
an email marketing company. Jessica is an
educator at the Oregon Zoo.
2006
Nicholas Caleb is an attorney and parttime faculty member at Concordia. He
teaches courses in environmental studies,
government, political studies, cultural
geography, and public speaking. He has also
worked as a political field organizer, and
public policy advisor. Nicholas earned his
J.D. from the University of Oregon, where
he also taught animal behavior and genetics
to undergraduate biology students.
Subsequently, he traveled quite a bit
internationally including to India and The
Netherlands, where he earned a L.L.M. in
Law and Technology from Tilburg
University. He has also been an invited
speaker at TEDx ConcordiaUPortland
conference and his speech was called “This
Time a Great Notion.”
Nikk Sherlock just completed her MBA
at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
She is a quality integration manager with
The Boeing Company.
2008
Stephanie (Solarek) Bauer met her
husband, Aaron, when she moved to
Idaho in 2009. They married
March 2, 2012. Shortly after,
she received her Master of Arts
degree in Elementary Education
from George Fox UniversityMeridian, Idaho in 2012. The
couple welcomed their first
child, daughter Brinnley Marie,
in February of 2013. Stephanie
is a third grade teacher at
Wilder Elementary School in
her second year of teaching
and her husband works in
retail management. They
reside in Nampa, Idaho.
Michael
Drawbaugh
was recently
promoted
to assistant
principal of
instruction at
South Flores Academy in San Antonio,
Texas. He says, “It’s bittersweet to leave
the classroom but it is exciting to make a
bigger impact on students.”
2009
Maryam (Razavi) Samuel-John is enrolled
in the College of Oriental Medicine and is
pursuing a license in Chinese medicine to
become an acupuncturist and herbologist.
She says, “I truly embrace this program
and I feel as if I have found my niche
and true passion. It is an incredibly
fascinating and effective medicine that
I strongly believe in.” In the winter of
2013, she married her husband, Aidan.
2010
Brooke Sahlstrom married
fellow alum, Ryan Bumcrot ’11
near Snoqualmie Pass shortly
after graduation. Their daughter,
Celicia, is
three yearsold. Brooke
remembers
fondly, “Cafe
1905 and running
around campus.”
Her husband,
Ryan, currently
works at Premera
Blue Cross in
the operations
department and Brooke works at Bayview
Retirement Community as a move-in
coordinator. Brooke is also attending
Seattle University to pursue an MPA and
expects to graduate in 2016. The couple
enjoys watching their daughter excel
in pre-school and gymnastics. Brooke
says, “We have a garden patch, attend
services, and assist with community
meals at Calvin Presbyterian Church.
We’re planning to visit Portland for the
Rose Festival Parade, one of Celicia’s
favorite events of the summer.” She hopes
to reconnect with Concordia friends and
sends “Blessings to all of them!”
2011
Edward Barrett is working to
become a life coach, focusing
on academic and health
coaching. He resides in
White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Matthew Campbell MAT,
accepted a new position teaching
at Pendleton High School. He
started PHS’s Robotics for FTC
tournaments this past fall. He
received a grant
for taking a
group of 30-40
students light
attracting for
Lepidoptera
(moths and
butterflies) in May.
Mark Waufle MAT, currently teaches
health, physical education, and communications in the Lake Oswego School
District and resides in Tigard, Oregon.
Summer 2014
19
Alumni Notes
2012
Jimmy Sanchez recently accepted a
job with the San Diego Padres Triple-A
affiliate in El Paso, Texas, where he
is responsible for marketing, public
relations, and baseball operations.
Thomas Araneta and his wife, May Chen,
have started a consultancy business called
Latchkey Co. to assist in cultural transactions and interactions between Chinese
tourists and American businesses. The
company focuses on HR services, learning
cultural cues, sales, and marketing.
Mandy Federici graduated from
Concordia University-St. Paul, MN in
October with a master’s degree in Early
Childhood Education. She was recently
contracted to work as a track and field
coach for the Wounded Warrior Marine
Corps Trials in San Diego, CA. After the
2015 season,
she will be
moving out
of MN to
further her
experience as
a track and
field coach
and pursue
working with
athletes with
special needs.
Anthony Lantz moved to Happy Valley,
Oregon after graduation where he and his
wife welcomed their second child. He is
currently a stay-at-home dad and “Loves
spending every minute with daughters,
Isla and Brinley.” He writes, “I enjoyed my
time at CU and will always remember the
students, instructors, coaches, and family
atmosphere that CU is known for!”
Belinda Sewell
currently lives in
Chicago and has
started a new job
at the Salvation
Army. She recently
traveled to
Cozumel, Mexico,
Cayman Islands,
and Las Vegas.
Belinda will return
to Concordia this
year to begin a doctoral program. She
says, “I am truly excited and I want to
thank Concordia for helping me stay on
the right path in life to achieve my goals.”
20
concordia connection
Kailey (Anderson) Tillman married
Micah Tillman in September of 2013. She
and her husband enjoy time with their
new puppy, Vienna. They named the dog
after the city where Kailey studied abroad
while she was a student at Concordia. They
also recently purchased their first house.
Jennifer Thi Le earned her master’s
degree in education in August of 2013.
She is an active member of the national
Phi Kappa Phi society. Jennifer has
tutored over 45 students in the subjects
of calculus, trigonometry, algebra,
and geometry.
She resides in
Portland, Oregon.
2013
Evalyn Fulmer
completed her
M.Ed., bought
a new house,
and published
her fourth
book. She says,
“The past nine
months have been full of changes, but
very rewarding and exciting.”
Jeremiah Jensen was offered a research
position at OHSU in the Department
of Behavioral Neuroscience this past
February. He is doing wet and
analytical chemistry work in the lab of
Deb Finn. Her lab studies alcohol binge
drinking and withdrawal behaviors.
Jeremiah says, “I’m loving it and I
feel I have a lot to thank
Concordia for getting me
here. I really wanted to
thank Chuck Kunert for
the myriad of classes I had
with him and the advice
he gave me for my thesis,
or just on the way to
understand what science
is and isn’t. I also wanted
to offer myself as a contact
for any students that might
be interested in a potential
thesis placement or just has questions I
might have some insight about.”
Donald Rumsey was recently admitted
to Washington State University’s Doctor
of Education program and will begin this
fall. He resides in Kennewick, Washington.
Marie
(Fleischmann)
Timbreza MAT,
recently received a promotion within the
OHSU Department of Psychiatry in the
Child and Adolescent Division. As the
newest division manager, she is able to
put her Concordia degree to good use in
the service of children and adolescents in
Oregon. She says, “Thank you, Concordia!”
In Memoriam
Supporters & Friends
Ralph R. Baughman (97)
passed away in Twin Falls,
Idaho on January 18, 2012.
His parents were William H.
and Nellie Strong Baughman.
He was born February 25,
1914 and was one of nine
children. Ralph graduated
from Buhl High School in 1933. On June
3, 1937, he married the love of his life,
Marjorie Parberry and they had three
children – Ralph “Bud,” Ernest, and Sally.
Ralph farmed and ranched in the Buhl
area, raising Black Angus cattle. His son,
Ernest is a Concordia alumnus and former
faculty member. Ralph was a friend of
Concordia and will be deeply missed by
all who loved him. Surviving are his three
children, five grandsons, and six great
grandchildren.
Alumni Notes
Margarete “Marge” Carlson (97) died
in Portland surrounded
by family. Marge was
born October 6, 1916, in
Greensboro, North Carolina,
the daughter of the Rev. Fred
and Emma Wahlers. She
grew up in St. Paul, Minn.,
graduated from Macalester
College, and taught high school English
and German. On June 22, 1941, she
married Norman “Nor” Carl Carlson,
M.D. Marge resumed her teaching
career in 1966. In 1995, Marge moved
to Portland to be closer to family.
Marge is survived by her children Norm
(Joanne) Carlson, Steven (Jill) Carlson,
and Jannine Provinzino; twin sister
Henrietta Mack; and brother the Rev.
Arthur (Carol) Wahlers; and numerous
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Russell “Russ” des Cognets, Jr. (90)
husband of Julie Crouch
des Cognets, died Thursday,
March 13, 2014. A native
of Lexington, Kentucky,
he was a 1941 graduate of
Woodberry Forest School.
As a U.S. Army WWII
veteran, he received two
battle stars, and a combat rifleman
badge while serving in the 104th
Infantry Division, 415 Regiment. After
the war he attended the University of
Kentucky and graduated in 1948 with
a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. In
addition to being a breeder and owner
of thoroughbred horses and cattle,
Russ was a land owner of several farms
throughout the Bluegrass. He was a
strong supporter of and Director of the
Shakespeare-Oxford Society in America
and was a tremendous supporter of
Concordia University’s Shakespeare
Authorship Research Centre. Survivors
include a son, Russell (Laura) and two
granddaughters, Emma Davis and
Estelle Drayton.
Myra Jeanette (Peterson) Gibeson
(87) passed away January
24, 2014 in Portland,
Oregon. Myra was the
mother of Concordia
professor, Jeanette Eggert
and a friend of Concordia.
She was born October 12,
1926 in Fertile, Minnesota,
the daughter of Rev. Christian Nels
(continued)
Watching a
Seedling Business
Take Hold and Grow
W
HAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU
combine giant-sized Lego-like
blocks, a sunny patch of soil, and
a handful of vegetable seeds or
starts? According to Togetherfarm
co-founders Joe Aakre, MBA ’13,
Doug Holcomb, MBA ’13, and Matt
Stormont, MBA ’12, you get a home
gardening idea that’s as easy as it
is innovative – and perfect for city
dwellers with limited outdoor space.
INTRODUCING THE GARDEN YOU’VE
ALWAYS WANTED, SIMPLIFIED
The concept of raised garden beds
is nothing new. However, they are
typically made from heavy, expensive
wood that’s hard to work with and
requires tools and know-how to put
together.
Enter Togetherfarm Blocks.
Made from lightweight, durable
recycled plastic that’s both BPAand phthalate-free, they look like
oversized Legos and snap together
in seconds to create a raised garden
bed. Each block is 10" long, 2"
wide and 2" tall – and there are 24
blocks per kit. A single kit builds a
box that’s about four square feet.
Need something bigger? Combine
kits to build larger gardens in
various shapes to fit nearly any yard,
balcony, or rooftop space. No tools
or carpentry experience needed. And
they’re made in the USA.
“We wanted to come up with a
product that would meet a need
and serve an urban population and
home gardener,” says Stormont. And
Togetherfarm Blocks do just that.
While the traditional colors are slate
gray or earth brown, you can also
order a mosaic kit that adds sky blue,
terra cotta orange, and kale green
to the mix. You can buy the blocks at
Amazon.com.
GREAT IDEAS SPROUT FROM
CONCORDIA MBA PROGRAM
So how does a trio of Portland
businessmen come up with a
green-thumb gardening idea for
the masses? As luck would have it,
the three would-be entrepreneurs
met here at Concordia UniversityPortland, where they were all in
the same MBA cohort working on
a business plan. “Why not try to
create something meaningful?”
asked Holcomb. “All three of us are
avid gardeners. We care about the
environment and want to make sure
we make things as good as we can for
the next generation.” 
For more information, visit togetherfarm.com
Summer 2014
21
Alumni Notes
Peterson and Jeanette Pauline (Thoreson)
Peterson. Myra attended Concordia
Teacher’s College and graduated in 1948.
She received a call to teach at Immanuel
Lutheran School in Columbus, Nebraska.
On June 11, 1950, Myra married her college
sweetheart, Richard E. Gibeson. Myra was
preceded in death by her husband Richard.
She is survived by four children, Rick (Joan),
Jeanette (John), Paula, and Karl (Debra) and
by her five grandchildren.
Schlimpert’s words encapsulate Dick’s
contribution to the university, “He never
wavered in his commitment of time,
energy, and influence in assisting the
university. Dick has served continuously as
the only chairman of the Dean’s Advisory
Committee since it was created and has
been instrumental in the young program’s
enormous success. He will be sorely missed
by faculty, staff, students, and especially his
family and colleagues in Boise.”
Richard “Dick” Fields (83) was born on
January. 10, 1931 and passed
away on April 23, 2014.
Dick was a member of the
Concordia University Board
of Regents, the founding
chairman of the Concordia
University Law School
Advisory Council, and the
recipient of the Law School’s Leaders in
Action Award. He was a dedicated friend
of the university who supported student
scholarships. Dick graduated from Harvard
University in 1952 with an A.B. (magna
cum laude) and went on to receive his J.D.
from the University of Denver in 1964. He
began his career as a staff attorney for the
National Labor Relations Board and was an
attorney at Moffatt, Thomas, Barrett, Rock
& Fields in Boise, Idaho. He was actively
involved in his community and served in
the following capacities: Chairman of the
Ida County EMS Advisory Board, President
of the Learning Lab, member and past
President of the Boise Rotary Club, and other
organizations. He was also the recipient of
many awards and was recently selected for
inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®
2013 as “Lawyer of the Year”
for health care law. President
Miriam Elizabeth (Stuenkel) Hoelter (66)
was born January
28, 1947 in Monett,
Missouri, to Rev.
Walter W. and Helen
Reith Stuenkel. She
attended Concordia
College in Milwaukee
(where her father
was the president) for two years. She
graduated from Concordia College, River
Forest, Illinois with a teaching degree.
When the family moved to Portland,
OR, in 1990, she served as an elementary
school counselor for 19 years, retiring from
education in 2009. She has also served
as an adjunct professor at Concordia
University, Portland, Oregon and Lewis
& Clark College. At Trinity Lutheran
Church, where her husband Mark was
pastor, she was Trinity Adult Choir
Director, Sunday school teacher, and
was active in the Dorcas Society. In the
national church body, she became the first
woman elected to serve on the Board of
Regents of a Lutheran Church–Missouri
Synod Seminary, Concordia Theological
Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, from 2004 to
2010. Miriam is survived by her husband,
Pastor Mark Hoelter, sons Peter (Jenny),
Harold Alfred Iben (95) passed away on January
8, 2014. He was born July 7, 1918
to the Rev. Theodore and Marie
Iben in Litchfield, Illinois, where
he was the last of four children.
On Aug. 15, 1942, he married
Helen Luepke shortly before being
ordained as a Lutheran pastor.
In his early ministry, Harold
specialized in organizing and establishing new
congregations. He was the founding pastor of
St. Paul Lutheran Church in Trenton, Michigan
in 1942, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in
Muskegon, Michigan in 1946, and Resurrection
Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri in 1956.
Later Harold moved to Portland where he served
11 years in geriatric ministry in hospitals and
nursing homes. He retired in 1983. Harold will
be remembered for his faith, commitment to the
Church, devotion to his family. His beloved wife,
Helen, preceded him in death. He is survived
by his children, Sharon (Erwin) Wichner,
Carolyn (Jim) Shore, Douglas (Carole) Iben,
Cynthia Keepers and Sylvia Luepke-Iben, nine
grandchildren, and 13 great- grandchildren.
Martin Charles Mueller, MD (89) was born in
Council Bluffs, Iowa on March 9,
1925 to Rev. Martin and Mabel
Mueller. As Martin completed an
undergrad degree at Valparaiso
University, his dad said Martin
had three choices for his career:
a pastor, doctor, and carpenter.
Martin successfully blended all
three by becoming an orthopedic physician,
healing over 25,000 patients in Portland.
AUGUST 5 & 28
OCTOBER 3 – 5
DECEMBER 2
Summer Story Time
Carl Wolfson Art Exhibit, Reception Oct 3
Christmas Tree Lighting
AUGUST 7
OCTOBER 3 – NOVEMBER 8
DECEMBER 5 – 7
Alumni Golf Game, at McMenamin’s Edgefield
Local Political Artists Exhibit, featuring
Allen Schmertzler, Reception Oct 5
64th Annual Christmas Chorale
AUGUST 14
Alumni Volleyball Game
OCTOBER 10
AUGUST 16
Alumni Soccer Game
Concordia Concert Choir performance,
at Portland Reformation Festival,
Zion Lutheran
AUGUST 18
OCTOBER 31
Columbia River Campus Open House
Halloween in the Halls. Residence halls
open to public for trick-or-treating,
games, and fun
SEPTEMBER 20
Alumni Softball & Baseball Games
22
Christopher (Allison), Micah, Lucas, and
grandchildren Owen, Sara, Andrew, Jackson, and
Carson, and her brothers and sisters Rev. Robert
(Julie) Stuenkel, Dorothy (Rev. Paul) Marschke,
Rev. Roger (Margaret) Stuenkel, Grace (John)
Bruss, and Rhoda (Paul) Hayes.
concordia connection
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Alumni Notes
He came to Oregon in 1948 fresh from
Creighton Medical School as an Emanuel
Hospital intern. There, he met Marian, also
freshly graduated from Emanuel School of
Nursing. They married in August 1952, and
the Army drafted Martin to Germany as a
medical doctor. After returning, Martin never
let Marian out of his sight.
Martin and Marian lived in Chicago and
Salt Lake City accomplishing training and
four medical residencies. They returned to
Portland in 1959 where Martin was the first
orthopedic doctor in East Portland. He had
one of the longest surgical tenures in the
Providence Portland system, with 50 years
of medical practice. Martin and Marian and
their five children lived in the Parkrose area
until the mid-1980s. He and his wife were
friends of Concordia, endowing a scholarship
for nursing students, to continue their legacy
of compassion and care in the medical field.
Martin is survived by his children: Sandra
Bottens, Mary Meranda (Michael), Patricia
Mueller, Nancy Horton, (Brad), and John
Mueller (Lori), as well as his siblings Richard
Mueller and Marilyn Honsinger and 10
grandchildren.
Remembrances may be made to the
Marian Lee Mueller Memorial Scholarship
for Nursing (Concordia University, 2811
Holman Street, Portland, OR 97211), or
Resurrection Lutheran Church Memorial
Fund (1700 NE 132nd Avenue, Portland,
OR 97230).
Edward “Ed” Slaughter (88) passed away
on Christmas Day, 2013. He
was born in Portland to Robert
and Elva Slaughter, where he
attended Benson High School.
During the Korean War, he
served as an Army medic
and was awarded the Bronze
Service Star. Ed married Grace
Kindred in 1950; their son, Edward Grant
Slaughter Jr. was born in 1951 and died six
days later. Grace died in 1952. In 1959, Ed
married Jean Templeton and they remained
happily together for 48 years until her
death in October 2007. Ed was employed
by the Southern Pacific Railroad and the
US Postal Service. He was highly respected
by the Concordia University faculty, staff,
and students and attended many university
sporting events. Ed is survived by several
nieces and nephews. He will always be
remembered for his wonderful smile, sense
of humor, and his love for his family. 
One of “Tommy’s Boys” Recalls
Concordia’s Impact on His Life
“I
WAS THEN AND REMAIN NOW
one of Tommy’s Boys,” recalls Karl
Koch fondly. When Koch came to
Concordia Junior College in 1951,
Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Coates was the
president. “It was so long ago that it
was a time when Art Wahlers was still
single!” says Koch with a laugh.
Koch had no idea that years later,
in New York City, the connections he
made while a student in Portland
would cross his path. “I love New York
City,” says Koch. “Its sense of village,
the people, the city streets, the shops
and restaurants, the total ambiance
of the place.” He found himself there
during Christmas in 1957 for his
vicarage, when he received a surprise
phone call from Dr. Coates. “He was
in town for an American History
Society meeting and wanted to take
me out for dinner,” Koch remembers.
“We had the most delightful visit. How
did he know where I was on vicarage?
Why did he care about taking me out
for a visit and a meal? Now you know
why I remain one of his ‘boys.’”
“DOING GOD’S WORK IN A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY”
Koch earned his master of divinity
from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis
in 1959, followed by his master of
sacred theology in 1960. After marrying
in 1958, he spent the next several
years of his pastoral career in Illinois,
Washington, and in campus ministry
at the University of Cincinnati. Five
years later, when seeking a call, he
received one – “doing God’s work in
a slightly different way.” He accepted
a position with the State of Ohio in its
Crime Prevention division. He went
on to develop an eight-state regional
training program for the investigation
of organized crime, drugs and narcotics
trafficking, and white-collar crime.
HELPING CONGREGATIONS GROW
While assisting in various vacancy
pastorates, Koch co-authored the
book Computerizing the Corporation,
which Computerworld rated as one of
the ten best computer tech books of
1990. It was through his experience
in private sector consulting that
Koch realized he could put what
he’d learned in corporate America to
good use in boosting congregational
health for the Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod and churches in
general. For the past 16 years, he has
chosen to work in interim ministry
while running a consulting business,
Gospel Centered Growth, which aims
to support the health and growth of
congregations.
COMING FULL CIRCLE
Just as Dr. Coates mentored young
men like Koch, so, too, does he plan
to give back to the university with his
time and expertise through classroom
presentations and chapel. It is alumni
like Koch who perfectly exemplify the
servant leadership values that those
who attended Concordia remember
so well. “This is the Concordia spirit,”
says Koch proudly, “and I pray it
always remains.” 
Summer 2014
23
Navy & White
Winter and Spring Sports Make their Mark
on the Concordia Record Books
W
ith the school year just concluded, Cavalier sports went out with a bang – including
record-setting seasons in softball, baseball, golf, and track & field. Not to mention
55 Concordia student-athletes receiving All-American status. Here is a quick recap of the
winter and spring sports teams.
M E N’ S BASKETBALL
Behind the school’s all-time
leading scorer, the Concordia men’s
basketball team posted its best season
in over a decade as the Cavaliers
earned the No. 2 seed in the Cascade
Collegiate Conference (CCC)
Tournament and advanced to the
NAIA DII National Championships
in Point Lookout, Mo.
Facing the eighth-ranked Bellevue
(Neb.) College in the opening round
of the national championships,
Concordia trailed for most of the
game before a second-half comeback
gave the underdog Cavaliers a
two-point lead in the final minute.
With 19 seconds remaining, the
Bulldogs connected an old-fashioned
three-point play to send the Cavs to
an 81-78 defeat.
Senior Adam Herman, who
finished with a school record 2,257
career points, picked up numerous
postseason accolades, including
24
concordia connection
CCC Player of the Year and NAIA
First Team All-American. Herman’s
final tally of 2,257 points shattered
Alphonso Niles’ former school record
of 1,883 points, established from
1996-2000. Esvan Middleton joined
Herman as an All-CCC first-team
member while point guard Tyler
Velasquez earned honorable mention
honors.
Concordia finished with a 22-10
overall record on the season and an
11-7 mark in the CCC. Along the
ride to the national championships,
head coach Brad Barbarick earned his
300th career win.
WOMEN’ S BA SK E TBA LL
Another year beset with injuries,
the Concordia women’s basketball
team missed the CCC Tournament
for the second straight season,
though the team will have many
solid pieces in play for a successful
rebound in 2014-15.
The Cavs struggled out of the gate,
opening the season with a 1-11 mark
before back-to-back wins at Linfield
and crosstown rival Warner Pacific
stopped a month-long skid.
Returning from Christmas break,
the Cavaliers once again found
themselves battling deficits, eventually
falling to 3-17 on the season. After
collecting just one win in the first
round of conference play, the Cavs
broke through with stunning wins
on the road against College of
Idaho and Eastern Oregon to end a
stretch of four wins in five games.
The road sweep of C of I and EOU,
both of whom were nationally ranked
at the time, led to a NAIA National
Player of the Week honor for Caitlyn
McCutcheon as the junior averaged
23 points and 11 rebounds while
shooting a remarkable 81.8 percent
from the floor over the weekend.
The reboot wasn’t enough,
however, as Concordia missed out on
Navy & White
the CCC Tournament’s final playoff
spot by a single game. With just three
seniors on its roster, Concordia will
return six of its top eight scorers next
season, including McCutcheon, the
team’s leading scorer who was named
an honorable mention All-CCC
player after averaging 13.9 points and
9.3 rebounds per game.
BAS E BAL L
After snagging the NAIA West
Tournament title as the No. 4 seed
a year ago, the CU baseball nearly
put together another miracle run to
the NAIA National Championships
in 2014. With a 16-12 conference
record, the Cavs got the benefit of
the No. 2 seed in the NAIA West
Tournament with tiebreakers over
Corban University and College of
Idaho, but missed out on homefield advantage as British Columbia
captured the regular-season title.
Living up to its history with
the dramatics, the Cavaliers
fell 2-1 against Corban in the
opener of the double-elimination
tournament but returned with three
straight wins to stave off an early exit.
The Navy & White ended the seasons
of three competitors with a 4-1 win
over College of Idaho, a 7-6 win over
Menlo (Calif.) College and a 4-2 win
in a rematch against Corban before
facing the top-seeded Thunderbirds.
Outhitting the Canadian club 7 to
6 in its home park, the Cavs’ season
finally came to a close in the NAIA
West finals but not before mustering
a 29-20 overall record for skipper
Rob Vance to post the team’s first
back-to-back winning seasons in
more than four decades.
A trio of Cavaliers were named
to the All-NAIA West team as
centerfielder Blake Drake, catcher
Ben Talbot and pitcher Harrison
McGhee were all lauded for their play
by the league’s coaches.
SOFTBA LL
Following a year that saw the Cavs
extend their season to the NAIA
National Championships for just
the second time in program history,
the Navy & White went out and
one-upped itself in 2014, becoming
the first team to make national
tournament appearances in back-toback seasons. After a disappointing
7-11 start to the season, the Cavs
went on a
Concordia closed out the year
in the Opening Round of the NAIA
National Championships where
the Cavs defeated St. Thomas (Fla.)
University 5-0 but fell to Simpson
(Calif.) University 6-4 in a seasonending match with Simpson
advancing to the championship game
of the Concordia-Irvine bracket.
Head coach Carrie KosderkaFarrell’s squad wrapped up the
season with a 34-18 overall record
and a 22-6 mark in the CCC, the
second-best CCC winning percentage
in the history of the program.
26-5 tear to climb into a top-25
national ranking.
Led by All-CCC performers
Taylor Bussey, Taylor Copher,
Cassidy Horner, Meghan Luebbert
and McKenzie Marshall, Concordia
finished the year trailing regularseason champion Oregon Tech by
one game but dispatched the Owls in
a 9-8 come-from-behind win in the
CCC Tournament en route to
the CCC postseason title.
Summer 2014
25
Navy & White
M E N’S & WOMEN’ S G OLF
Keeping one of the more
impressive streaks in conference
history alive, the Concordia men’s
and women’s golf teams, led by
head coach Ronn Grove, once again
hoisted the Cascade Collegiate
Conference trophies after another
stellar year on the links.
In addition to its seventh straight
CCC crown, the CU men’s team
earned its first ever trip to the NAIA
National Championships where
Jesse Heinly, Kolton Kyne, Ryan
Melnychuk, Josh Vizcaino, and Jess
Wingett proved the team’s admission
to the final tournament was long
overdue.
Ranked No. 19 in the country
beforehand, the Concordia quintet,
led by Heinly, a two-time NAIA
All-American, claimed an eighthplace team finish at nationals while
playing at the LPGA Jones Course in
Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Concordia women’s team
also captured its seventh straight
conference title but missed out
on the
national championships for the
first time
since the
team’s
inaugural
season in 2003-04,
despite ending the
year ranked No. 20 in
the country.
26
concordia connection
After collecting back-to-back
CCC Player of the year honors,
senior Sunny Powers closed out her
Concordia career as a three-time
NAIA All-American and represented
the Cavs at nationals with a seventhplace finish. Powers fired a 14-over
302 over four rounds of play at the
national championships and will
leave Concordia with a school record
78.1 strokes per round average over
her four-year career. In addition to
Heinly and Powers, fellow All-CCC
performers included Vizcaino,
Kyne, and Melnychuk on the men’s
side and Jennifer Gibbons, Kelsey
Whiles, and Madison Alamillo for the
women’s team.
MEN’S & WO M E N’ S
TRACK & F I E LD
Adding four more individual
national champions to its esteemed
ledger, the Concordia track &
field teams continued to add to
its legacy with a strong 2014
season. The men’s team fell just
five points shy from recapturing
the CCC team title after being
edged by Southern Oregon
University, but went on to
post third-place results at
both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor
National Championships.
The CU women placed third at the
CCC Championships and cracked the
top 30 in the team standings at both
NAIA National events.
First-year transfer, Darien Moore,
provided the bulk of the highlights
for the team as the junior notched a
pair of indoor national championships
with wins in the shot put and the
weight throw before claiming the
national title in the hammer throw
during the outdoor games. Setting
three school records along the way,
Moore was named NAIA Indoor
Performer of the Meet and the CCC
Field Athlete of the Meet.
Senior Nate Moses provided the
Cavs its fourth national title with his
second national title in the discus
throw. Moses cracked the 200-foot
barrier several times throughout the
year to continue to add to his own
school record and place inside the top
20 on the U.S. performance list in the
event.
In all, behind second-year head
coach, Isaac Frederick, the two teams
combined to secure 31 All-CCC
honors and 33 All-American
performances. 
Navy & White
MAKING THE MOVE FROM NAIA TO NCAA DIVISION II:
Ten Questions with Concordia Compliance Officer Amy Dames Smith
In preparation for applying to become a member of NCAA DII, Concordia University
athletics recently hired a compliance officer. To find out what that means, Amy Dames Smith,
Concordia’s first full-time compliance officer, recently sat down for a Q & A session and
talked about the challenges of her first year on the job.
Q U E S T I O N 1:
First off, what does a compliance
officer do for an athletics department?
AN SWE R: Compliance officers are the
‘go-to’ person for enforcement of,
and clarification on, rules from the
national governing body of athletics
for a university – typically either
NAIA and/or NCAA. Compliance
officers are also the lead on approving
eligibility of all the student-athletes.
areas (rules education and new
policies) will be very important as we
transition to NCAA membership, so
it has been great to get a jump-start
on them this past year.
QUES TI O N 3 :
As Concordia’s first full-time
compliance officer, what kind of
special challenges have there been in
starting the office from scratch?
I think the challenges are
similar to what anyone would face
building something from the ground
up – being patient and knowing the
process will take time. On the flip
side, I think a real positive of building
from the ground up is getting to put
systems in place to ensure we are
doing things the right way since we
will be held to a high standard by the
NCAA throughout the membership
process. Thankfully, there was a good
foundation already in place before
my arrival.
ANSWER:
Q U E S T I O N 2:
Talk about your role as Concordia
moves through the transition to
NCAA DII.
Much of what I have done
at Concordia over the past eight or
so months has involved regular rules
education for the athletics department
staff and other key offices involved
with student-athlete eligibility
on campus, such as admissions
and financial aid. I have also been
involved in the policy writing that
was part of our application for
NCAA membership. Both of these
AN SWE R:
Q UE STI O N 5 :
How massive is the compliance
manual and have you read it cover
to cover?
The DII manual is about 250
pages – which is shorter than it used
to be a few years ago thanks to some
of the de-regulation that has recently
taken place. I haven’t read it cover to
cover per se, but close to it. There are
definitely sections of the manual I go
to more frequently than others – like
the recruiting bylaws.
A N SW E R:
Q UE STI O N 6 :
What does it take for getting a
student-athlete certified to compete?
Are there differences between
freshmen and transfer students?
QUES TI O N 4 :
What are some things that our
athletes, parents, or fans might not
know about being a compliance
officer?
ANSWER: People are often surprised
to learn that compliance officers at
a lot of NCAA DI schools have law
degrees. Having a background in the
legal field is definitely beneficial to a
compliance position, but isn’t always
a requirement – particularly in DII
and DIII.
Summer 2014
27
Navy & White
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Y
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#BL
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H US ONL
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N
CO N
Want to learn more about Concordia
University-Portland’s premier athletic
programs and extraordinary
student- athletes? Or just an avid
Cavalier sports fan? Check out our
official website
WWW.GOCUGO.COM
dedicated solely to news around
our games, coaching staff, and of
course, our student-athletes.
If you need to get your daily or
hourly fix on the latest and greatest
Cavs sports news, follow us on
Facebook and Twitter! Whether it’s the
latest score of a championship game or
an in-depth student-athlete interview,
you’ll be kept informed in real-time.
Facebook: Concordia Cavaliers
Twitter: @gocugo
There are two steps to the
eligibility process – initial eligibility
and continuing eligibility. Initial
eligibility is what freshmen and
new transfers go through before
being declared eligible to compete.
The Eligibility Center assists in this
process and has the final say on if
someone is initially eligible or not
(this is the same in both the NAIA
and NCAA). Once amateurism and
academic requirements have been
verified, student-athletes must meet
continuing eligibility requirements to
stay eligible for competition. ANSWE R:
QUESTI O N 7 :
What major differences are
there between NAIA and NCAA
compliance?
ANSWE R: The amount of on-campus
monitoring the NCAA expects
is more extensive. For example,
coaches must log athletically
related activities on a weekly basis.
The NCAA also expects the lines
of communication to be more
formalized on campus. This is why
we now have a designated point
person for athletics in the registrar’s
office, financial aid, admissions office,
and academic advising which helps
with more efficient and consistent
communication.
QUESTI O N 8 :
At a game or a Concordia studentathlete yourself? Share your
experience or photo by adding
#CUPDX
28
or
#BLEEDNAVY!
concordia connection
Your job at Concordia isn’t solely
working with compliance. Talk
about your other roles in the
department.
I oversee academic support
for student-athletes, which involves
managing study table, a study group
for all student-athletes, and being
the point person for student-athletes
who need to get connected to other
academic resources on campus.
The other part of my position is a
designation that all NCAA schools
ANSWE R:
give to the highest ranking female
in the athletics department – that
of Senior Woman Administrator.
Essentially, this designation ensures
there is female representation when
it comes to the decisions being made
within the athletics department.
Q UE STI O N 9 :
How did you get started in the field?
A N SW E R: I was a student-athlete at
University of Portland and had a
fantastic experience there. A few
years after graduating from U of P,
I was offered a coaching position at
Linfield College (NCAA DIII) that
had a compliance component to it,
which made the position full time. I
mainly accepted the position because
I wanted to coach, but as the years
went on, I found that I really enjoyed
the work I got to do with compliance.
I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that at
a certain point I made the decision
to transition out of coaching and get
into compliance full time. Thankfully,
Concordia has been the perfect place
to do that!
Q UE STI O N 1 0 :
What’s the most rewarding part of
your job?
A N SW E R: Any time I can help
someone. Sometimes it is providing
someone an answer, other times it is
providing education. I really enjoy
the service aspect that is inherent to a
compliance position. 
Nailed to the Door
Nailed to the Door provides Concordia staff, faculty,
alumni, and students a forum for editorial comment.
Confessions of a Concordia Cyborg
This past January, I attended “Spark,” a local TEDesque event run by the Oregon Educational Technology
Consortium (OETC), where I listened to scholar Amber
Case. Case works for ESRI, a software company, who
hired her after purchasing her Portland-based tech firm.
She had recently delivered a popular TED talk, “We are
all cyborgs now,” and so OETC tapped her to speak.
Her presentation reviewed her argument that humans
are increasingly becoming “cyborgs.” She referenced
the work of inventor Steve Mann, showing a series of
photos of his 1980s work developing cumbersomelooking devices appended to his body to perform
computing tasks. From there she traced how the
interface of human brain and technological supplements
has only increased, leading to a reality where our
physical experience is only one part of our daily life.
We now have extensions of ourselves in the digital
realm, through smartphones and social media. To
Case, this signaled that we had become fused with
our technology, “cyborgs.” At the time I remember
chuckling at the photos of Mann and was hesitant to
accept Case’s premise.
And now I talk to my glasses.
A few weeks after, Spark Google invited me to be a
“Glass Explorer.” Through generous campus support,
I was able to secure a pair of Google Glasses. The
experience has been equal parts revelatory and
frightening. When I first donned Glass, with its tiny
LED screen sitting just above my field of vision, I did
it at home when no one was around. After initiating
the program with the phrase “Okay Glass” I began a
dialogue with my eyewear, chirping commands like
“Record a Video” and “Take a Note,” which it would
then do for me. It took awhile before I wore them
in front of my children, who giggled at their dad’s
futuristic visor, but soon I was comfortable enough
to walk around campus.
That first week was
extraordinary in how
the community reacted.
There was no shortage of
comments about my new
position in the NSA, mixed with inquisitive glares
and the enthused query, “is that Google Glass?” My
students seemed genuinely enthralled when I wore
them to class, although when I offered the opportunity
to wear them, only a few people were willing to don the
spectacles. Part of it was that natural fear of breaking
an expensive device I’m sure, but I also think that there
was an apprehension of what Glass can represent:
this greater merging of tech and humanity that Case
spoke about. There is something just different about
watching that screen light up over someone’s eye, and
then watching that person “disappear” into it.
When I was asked to pen this tract, the topic was
supposed to be about tech trends lying ahead. I chose
Glass not because of the physical hardware – Steve
Mann crossed that bridge for us – but because Glass
is possibly the most dynamic current representation of
the steady synthesis of our digital and physical lives.
The jury is still out as to whether this is a good thing –
I frequently envision the humans from Pixar’s WALL-E
as the natural end of this development – but I believe
this steadily burgeoning connection between the two is
what we should be carefully observing.
» Shawn Daley,
Assistant Professor of Education, College of Education
Follow Shawn at @ProfDaley and
@CavalierGlass on Twitter
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