Highlights Winter 2021
Student Highlights
Cantamus Women's Choir (Jeffrey Blersch, conductor), was invited to be a featured performer at this year's annual conference of the Nebraska Music Education Association. Cantamus performed during the conference choral hour at St. Paul United Methodist Church on November 18.
Concordia Handbell Choir and Concordia Ringers received a very generous donor gift in Spring 2021. Through this gift, the handbell choirs were able to add an additional 6½ octaves of bells to the instruments that they play. The gift they received included Schulmerich Treble Bells, Schulmerich Silver Melody Bells, Malmark Aluminum Bass Bells, Malmark Cymbells and additional equipment that is used by the top handbell choirs in the nation!
Concordia Handbell Choir received a piece written specifically for the ensemble in August 2021 by nationally known composer and clinician, Matthew Compton. The original composition, Catalyst, features many of the new bells that the ensemble received through a donor gift in Spring 2021. The new piece premiered at Concordia's December Handbell Choir Concert.
The Concordia Theatre Department inducted 9 new members into its Omega Lambda chapter of the Alpha Psi Omega national theatre honor society in May 2021: Ariana Acomb, junior; Drew Boggs, senior; Haleigh Fitzsimmons, senior; Cecilia Minchow, junior; Nathan Leonard, junior; Mikayla Lowe, junior; Broderick Schofield, junior; Allison Story, junior; and Miriam Wolf, junior.
Mackenzie Ferrel, Nicholle Harstad, Tannor Tobler, Michela Tongish and Theresa Tvrdy worked with Dr. Vicki Anderson, associate professor of education, with English learners in Parrita, Costa Rica as part of the Lighthouse Parrita Ministry (headed by Concordia alumni Ethan and Amanda Hutton and Zachary Barz under the auspices of Mission of Christ Network) to develop curriculum and teach ESL online.
In Fall 2021, Rachel Fisher, Faith Jonas, Emily Manley, Ruth Moon, Emma Noel, Travis Parsons and Ben Toenjes worked with Dr. Vicki Anderson to develop curriculum and online ESL teaching for Lighthouse Parrita. Joining in the online teaching were students TJ Huber and Rachel Johnson.
Samantha Howard is graduating as an honors student, an academic journey she began at Concordia University, Portland.
Marlee Hubach, Ruth Moon, Grace O'Neal, Kenny Paetow and Ben Toenjes worked with Dr. Vicki Anderson with English learners in Montreal through Ascension Lutheran Church (connected with LCMS Office of Short-Term Missions) as they developed curriculum and taught ESL online.
Ruth Moon studied Spanish during a summer study abroad session May to June 2021 in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Renata Peperkorn, junior Church Music and Music Education Major, was named the Norma Aamodt-Nelson Scholar by the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians in July 2021.
Renata Peperkorn was invited to be a guest organ recitalist at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and played as part of their concert series on October 5, 2021.
Tabitha Ristvedt took science and psychology courses for her majors while studying abroad for a semester in Seoul, South Korea from February to June 2021.
Kassidy (Grosserode) Sloup, senior B.F.A. studio art and B.S.Ed. Art Education major, had her artwork, Original Developing Place, selected for the Women’s Work exhibition at the Indianapolis Arts Center. The exhibition ran from June 18 to August 10, 2021.
Elizabeth Stottlemyre is graduating as an honors student, an academic journey she began at Concordia University, Portland.
Faculty and Staff Highlights
Drs. Vicki Anderson, Annette Anschutz, Amanda Geidel and Keith Kerschen presented at the Rockford, Illinois, area Lutheran Educator’s Conference on August 10. Each presented on a variety of topics during several sessions throughout the day.
Dr. Vicki Anderson, associate professor of Education, worked with and supervised two teams of students in the Spring 2021 semester and a team of students in the Fall 2021 semester as they developed curriculum and taught ESL online with two different mission organizations.
Dr. Vicki Anderson presented three workshops on August 10, 2021 at the Greater Rockford Area Lutheran Schools Teacher Workshop in Rockford, Illinois: Teaching Academic Language for Success in the Classroom, Increasing Motivation for Student Success, and Teacher Motivation as a Key to Student Success.
Dr. Vicki Anderson led teacher training in teaching Bible and ESL for Mission of Christ Network mission recruits in May 2021. She also presented three talks at the Concordia Missions Institute (joint conference of Mission of Christ Network and Lutheran Bible Translators) on July 13-14, 2021: Games in an ESL Classroom (joint presentation with Concordia alumna Angela Steinbacher, MCN partner in China), ESL Platform, and A Virtual ESL Program (the last two joint presentations with Concordia alumna Stephanie (Lund) Parkinson). With Stephanie's help, Dr. Anderson also helped launch English Bits, a monthly newsletter authored by Dr. Anderson to help MCN missionaries with English teaching principles and resources.
Dr. Vicki Anderson served as the MIDTESOL (MidAmerica Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) 2021 Conference Chair for the MIDTESOL 2021virtual conference, Paradigm Shift in ELT Education: Forming an Educational Framework for a Post-Pandemic World. She was also appointed by the MIDTESOL Officers to the position of communications director for the organization for the next three years.
Dr. Annette Anschutz, associate professor of education and director of early childhood education, presented two sectionals at the November Connections Conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, titled “The Many Hats of Leadership” and “A Few of My Favorite Things.” Participants were educators from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio Districts.
Dr. Jeffrey Blersch, professor of music, published two new volumes of organ hymn-tune preludes with Concordia Publishing House in May 2021: Firm Foundation: Preludes on Shape-Note Tunes, and the fifth volume of his series A Thousand Voices: Hymn Tune Preludes for Organ.
Dr. Jeffrey Blersch had two of his hymn tunes included in Christian Worship, the new hymnal of the WELS, released in October 2021. In addition, 30 of his keyboard settings appear in companion volumes to the pew edition.
Dr. Jeffrey Blersch had his organ setting of the hymn ASCENDED TRIUMPH included in the Proclaim! Hymn of the Day series published by Concordia Publishing House.
Dr. Jeffrey Blersch had his setting of the hymn To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray included in the latest volume of the Piano Hymn Prelude Series published by Concordia Publishing House.
Dr. Jeffrey Blersch was named Dean of the American Guild of Organists, Lincoln Chapter, in October 2021.
James Bockelman, professor of art, had one of his drawings, called Fortified, featured as the book cover for Political Theology on Edge: Ruptures of Justice and Belief in the Anthropocene which was edited by de Clayton Crokett and published through Fordham University Press.
James Bockelman completed a twenty-foot acrylic mural commission for the Dunklau Center on the campus of Concordia University. Titled Creation Waits in Eager Expectation the mural reuses some of the original fragments from the Science Center mural.
James Bockelman has annually supported community arts organizations across the state of Nebraska through his participation in charitable auctions; two of his paintings were placed into private collections through the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha.
Rev. Dr. David Coe, assistant professor of theology, presented Kierkegaard and Luther: What Søren Kierkegaard Lauded, Lanced, Missed, and Misjudged of Martin Luther for the Julia Watkin Memorial Kierkegaard Lecture (St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, May 2021).
Rev. Dr. David Coe was a guest speaker for three episodes of The Lutheran Hour, presenting his book, Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments (May 2021).
Rev. Dr. David Coe taught a 3-day continuing education course on his book, Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments, for Concordia Seminary’s Faculty-Led Workshop Series (St. Louis, MO, July 2021).
Rev. Dr. David Coe presented his book, Provoking Proverbs: Wisdom and the Ten Commandments, for the LCMS Nebraska District All-Workers Conference (Kearney, NE, Oct 2021).
Joe Davis, director of forensics, was one of two nation-wide recipients of the American Forensics Association Best New Coach of the Year Award in April 2021. A collegiate forensics coach can earn this in the first 7 years of coaching, but it requires outside nomination and a submission process with letters of recommendation before being voted on by a national committee.
Dr. Amanda Geidel, special education program director and education department chair, presented at the Greater Rockford Area Lutheran School Teacher Conference on August 10, 2021. Her presentation was titled Pre-Referral: A Classroom Teacher’s #1 Responsibility in the Seven Step Special Education Process.
Dr. Amanda Geidel presented at the Rocky Mountain District Church Worker Conference on October 21 and 22, 2021. Her presentation was titled The ABC’s of Classroom Adaptations.
Dr. Keith Kerschen, assistant professor of education, presented two sessions at the Greater Rockford Area Lutheran School Teacher Conference in Rockford, Illinois, on August 10, 2021. The presentations were titled, Engaging Learners and Realizing the Development of the Mathematical Practices and Real Problem Solving Adventures.
Dr. Keith Kerschen presented a session at the School Science and Mathematics Association (SSMA) Virtual Conference on October 29, 2021. The presentation was titled Vignette Writing to Support the Development of PreService Teachers.
Dr. Kathleen Loftus, Teach Out adjunct faculty for the Master’s in Education, will be presenting at the Learning Disabilities of America (LDA) International Conference in New Orleans in January 2022, about helping students with learning disabilities be successful in college and beyond.
Dr. Carol McDaniel, adjunct professor in the music department, was commissioned to write lyrics for a new choral and orchestral work by Matt Riley and J. S. Bach. The piece, Agnus Dei, Lamb of God, had its premiere on December 6, 2021, in Costa Mesa, California, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The piece, which includes several melodic fragments of Sheep May Safely Graze from Bach’s Cantata BWV 208, was also featured in December on PBS in a Christmas program featuring the 2021 Concordia Irvine Choir and Orchestra.
Rev. Dr. John L. Mehl, adjunct instructor of mission, had an article on mission engagement published in the May 2021 issue of Lutheran Mission Matters, the journal for the Lutheran Society for Missiology.
Bryan Moore, professor of communication and theatre, enters the second year of his 2-year term as president of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA). He helped coordinate the organization’s annual conference this past June, which included asynchronous online content, a 2-day synchronous virtual conference and a 2-day in-person conference in Mexico City. He is currently helping organize LMDA’s upcoming conference in Philadelphia, scheduled for July 2022.
Aaron Nix, assistant professor of art, won a “Best in Nation” award in the Video Program category from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization. The video was awarded to the video titled Follow Us which was produced in collaboration with the Concordia football team.
Aaron Nix directed and co-wrote the short film Soap Opera Soap Opera which won Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Use of Prop and Runner up for Best use of Required Dialogue Line at the 2021 Omaha Film Festival 48 Hr. Film Competition. Jordyne Vanselow ’20, co-wrote and starred in the film. Kassidy Sloup ’22, also starred in the film.
Aaron Nix had two photos from his Paper Series selected to The Magic Silver Show: The Elena Diane Curris Juried Photography Exhibition, a biennial international juried show open to artists working in all photo-media processes. His photo, Paper Series #4, won 3rd place overall and received a Purchase Award leading to his work belonging to the permanent collection of the Clara M. Eagle Gallery at Murray State University. The exhibition showed September 9 to October 28, 2021.
Dr. Jerrald Pfabe, professor emeritus of history and Spanish, published an article titled Divorce in Seward County, Nebraska, 1869-1906 and 1919-1948 in the winter issue 2021 of the Nebraska Magazine of History.
Michelle Sabata, adjunct professor of criminal justice, was appointed by Governor Pete Ricketts to the Separate Juvenile Court of Lancaster County.
Dr. Dylan Teut, Executive Director of the Plum Creek Literacy Festival, completed and defended his dissertation, Novice Teachers’ Perspectives of Efficacy Using Literacy Assessment Data to Make Decisions through Walden University’s PhD in Education program and was awarded a PhD in Reading, Literacy Instruction and Evaluation.
Dr. Dylan Teut’s dissertation, Novice Teachers’ Perspectives of Efficacy Using Literacy Assessment Data to Make Decisions, was nominated by two faculty members as an outstanding dissertation in the Ph.D. program for the year of 2021 at Walden University and was named a finalist.
Dr. Dylan Teut presented Literacy and Learning in Such a Time as This at the Nebraska District All Professional Church Worker’s Conference in Kearney, Nebraska, in October 2021.
Dr. Dylan Teut presented Comprehension in Context at the Iowa Midlands Reading Council Conference in October 2021.