ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/30/2012)(readMedia)-- Augustana's 152nd commencement took place at the i wireless Center in Moline, Ill., on Sunday, May 20. In all, 558 undergraduates earned their degrees.

Students from your area earning degrees and graduating with honors include :

Erica Aten, from Coal Valley, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology.

Courtney Brown, from Port Byron, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology.

Owen Engstrom, from Davenport, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

Tyler Henning, from Rock Island, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science and business administration-management information stystems.

Gaetano Iaccarino, from Davenport, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music general and anthropology.

Nathaniel McDowell, from Rock Island, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, philosophy, and classics.

Lauren Reid, from Sherrard, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration-marketing and communication studies.

Amber Soike, from East Moline, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and psychology.

Peter Wessels, from Bettendorf, graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration-finance and accounting.

Jennifer Youngs, from Taylor Ridge, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and political science.

Students from your area receiving degrees include :

Amanda Eslinger of Coal Valley, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in art.

Timothy Gillman of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in geography.

Karla Guadarrama of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in business administration-marketing.

Randi Johnson of Silvis, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders.

Megan Keller of Taylor Ridge, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in communication studies.

Momina Khan of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in religion and pre-medicine.

Adam Lang of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in business administration-management.

Anthony Linden of Orion, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in accounting and business administration-finance.

Conner Martinez of East Moline, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in accounting.

Melissa Mc Greer of Illinois City, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in biology.

Timothy Murga of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in biology.

Michelle Nguyen of East Moline, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in business administration-management and psychology.

Nicholas Nolte of Rock Island, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in music general.

Samantha Ott of Milan, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in sociology-social welfare.

Troy Rorer of Bettendorf, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in business administration-finance.

Lisa Schippers of East Moline, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders.

Blythe Sharp of Milan, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in English.

Dain Swetalla of Davenport, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in communication studies.

Bo Weber of Illinois City, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in physics.

Alexander Wenskunas of Davenport, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in political science.

Laurel Williams of Milan, received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders.

Augustana President Steve Bahls told the graduating Class of 2012 he hopes they will use their liberal arts education to tackle problems from all angles, and the commencement speaker, Broadway's SPIDER-MAN: Turn off the Dark director Philip William McKinley '73, urged them to use their talents and to take risks.

Mr. McKinley urged the grads to not treat their dreams like mom's fine China or save them up for a special vacation, he suggested students "try them out and test them as often as they can."

Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 182 full-time faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- More than 75 Augustana students from all academic areas shared their advanced research projects on Saturday, May 5, at the Celebration of Learning. This on-campus research symposium annually gives students an opportunity to show off their academic accomplishments to their families and the Augustana community.

Among the students involved:

Alannah Golden, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in elementary education. The research was titled Expanding the Boundaries of Teacher Candidates in General Education: An Immersion Experience. Elementary education and communication sciences and disorders majors worked together to gather research for appropriate classroom accommodations when teaching exceptional children. Research was gathered during an immersion experience at The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Students researched literacy, technology, and a variety of accommodations as they worked with students with special needs within the school. The two majors worked together in order to effectively research ways to better meet the needs of exceptional children.

Manisha Kumar, a junior from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in biology and pre-medicine. The research was titled Characterizing the Cold-Conditioning Response in a Vertebrate Ectotherm. Ectothermic animals rely on seasonal increases in cold hardiness to survive a thermally variable environment, but a more rapid and supplementary subzero chilling may elicit a better response to a subsequent extreme chilling. In the present study, winter-acclimated Chrysemys picta (painted turtle) hatchlings were put in groups that were cold-conditioned to -3, -7, and -10.5°C. These turtles were later chilled to a more extreme temperature (-12.7°C) and monitored for recovery to determine the magnitude of the cold-conditioning response. To determine the effect of the cold-conditioning, levels of glucose, lactate, and urea were assessed in blood plasma, brain, and liver. Results showed that cold-conditioned turtles fared better, offering higher survival rates than those in the control condition. Turtles cold-conditioned to -3.5°C, however, had both the highest concentration of brain glucose and the highest survival rate. Concentration of brain glucose may be an important factor in determining survival of turtles exposed to cold.

Melissa McGreer, a senior from Illinois City, Ill., majoring in biology. The research was titled Mapping Infection Prevention Factors in Hospital Settings: A Clinical SI for the BA/BSN Dual Degree Program. Augustana pre-nursing students have the option of completing a dual degree BA/BSN including a clinical Senior Inquiry experience coordinated by the Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences in Rock Island, IL. After junior year as Augustana biology majors, these "nurse-scientists" take a summer nursing skills course at TCON&HS, followed by a 100+ hour clinical experience that allows them to explore a question bridging biology and nursing research. During summer 2011, I shadowed different departments at two hospitals in the Quad Cities. After a week or two learning from hospital staff, I proposed the idea that the precautions taken do vary from floor to floor in each hospital. I then created maps showing the interaction of these factors, sometimes referred to as a "web of causation" in epidemiology studies. Such maps can be used as guides for staff education to help healthcare workers see the gaps in their own practices.

Crystina Mayfield, a senior from Coal Valley, Ill., majoring in French, africana studies, and classics. The research was titled Creole Language in the Works of Patrick Chamoiseau. While Patrick Chamoiseau writes primarily in French, he uses a certain amount of Martinican creole language in his works to enhance the effect of his writing style. What exactly are the effects of the inclusion of creole language in a text when many readers will not be able to understand these phrases? What are the effects of including translations of the creole versus leaving it to stand on its own? What are the difficulties a creole writer faces when needing to use French to document a society which is firmly rooted in creole? These and other questions are the basis of this inquiry.

Celebration participants presented their research through a poster display or an oral presentation. Many students expounded on the results of their Senior Inquiry, a multiple-term research project required for most academic programs. Other students shared honors capstone projects or student-faculty research findings. Because of the advanced level of research involved, most of the presenters are upperclass students.

Anne Earel and Stefanie Bluemle, Augustana reference librarians and the event's co-directors, said the Celebration of Learning provided an outlet for students to showcase their accomplishments.

Presentations topics varied greatly and included anthropology, biology, physics, geography, gender studies, theater and more.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (04/18/2012)(readMedia)-- Five Augustana seniors majoring in art will display their work at the Augustana College Art Museum (3703 7th Ave.), as part of the Senior Studio Art Exhibition. The exhibition opens Saturday, April 28, and runs through Saturday, May 19. The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and closed for final exams May 15-17.

The exhibition is the culmination of a process and the student's academic experience at Augustana. The process, known as Senior Inquiry, is a signature of the Augustana experience. It encourages seniors to demonstrate the critical thinking and communication skills they've developed and to reflect on the value of their work for the common good.

Amanda Eslinger, a senior from Coal Valley, Ill., majoring in art, has a cermanic sculpture portfolio that confronts the guises that people don to "mask" unpleasant social reactions.

This student has been guided by a faculty mentor and has worked countless hours to properly display her efforts, expression and progress made during the past four years.

The exhibiting artists will discuss their art in the Augustana College Art Museum during a 50-minute walking tour program on Tuesday, May 8, at 10:30 a.m. The public also is invited to the closing reception for the exhibition on Sunday, May 20, from 12:45-2 p.m.

ROCK ISLAND, IL (04/13/2012)(readMedia)-- Augustana College's student-run newspaper, the Augustana Observer, won 14 awards at the annual Illinois College Press Association (ICPA) conference held recently in Chicago. The publication received third place in general excellence and set an Augustana record by receiving six first-place journalism awards.

James Stratton, a sophomore from Sherrard, Ill., majoring in multimedia journalism and mass communication was among the students honored.

"The student newspaper is an ideal place for journalism and graphic arts students to hone their skills," said Jim Dyer, visiting associate professor of communication studies and advisor to the Augustana Observer.

Kelvin Mason, associate professor of art and graphic design, added, "I think it's a really great collaborative opportunity between different people who have different things in mind about what they want to happen in a publication."

The Observer competed in two divisions: the Open Division, which includes all colleges and universities in the state, and the Non-Dailies Division for colleges with a student population less than 4,000.

The ICPA awards and other Augustana College journalism awards will be handed out at the annual Fourth Estate Awards Banquet on Sunday, May 6, at 12:30 p.m., in the Loft of the College Center (3750 7th Ave., Rock Island, Ill.). At this event, administrators, faculty, staff, students and their parents will celebrate the journalism successes of all students during the last year. The keynote speaker will be Mark Konkol, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at the Chicago Sun Times.