Learning for Life @ Gustavus

Gustavus students Ainsley Langerud, ’24, and Alex Dillon, ’25, co-chairs of this year’s annual student-run Building Bridges (BB) Conference at the College on Saturday March 2, 2024, talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, the conference’s focus on childhood poverty, the work and rewards of planning BB and (without giving too much away) what attendees can expect, and their cases for majoring in History and Geography respectively. Tickets to the conference are required and free for students and the public, except for the separate luncheon tickets, and can be obtained here: https://gustavus.edu/diversity/buildingbridges/

Allie Skjerven Boyd, Gustavus Class of 2010, talks about her background and path to Gustavus, why she majored in History and Russian Studies, her path from graduation to working in the private sector with Fortune 500 companies Nestle and Clorox, how she obtained her current position with the Minnesota-based global firm Datasite, the nature, challenges, and rewards of her employment in the corporate world, the value of her humanities education in that setting, and her case for Gustavus and the liberal arts.

Dr. Pamela Kittelson of the Biology Department and Environmental Studies program at Gustavus talks about growing up in Colorado, her path to college and eventually an unanticipated PhD in plant biology, coming to Gustavus, teaching Gustavus students in the field and abroad in India and Bangladesh, the ingredients of teaching excellence, directing the campus Fellowships Office, her ongoing research on “diversity and change in plant populations,” the adverse impact of human beings on “the biological world” and how that affects her personally as a human being and someone who studies it, and what makes liberal arts colleges special.

Lt. Col. Jess Langerud, ’96, on his path to Gustavus and its nursing major, and from there to nursing and medical-related work in both the civilian and military (U.S. Army) sectors, the nature of his work and what he loves about it—including a major project with Poland’s military and his newest position as commander of an Army Reserves civil affairs battalion—the ongoing value of his Gustavus education, and his advice for leading a rewarding professional life. 

Kevin Quealy, ’03, majored in Physics at Gustavus and is currently editor of The Upshot, the online data visualization feature of the premier U.S. news organization.  In this episode, Kevin talks about his path to Gustavus and physics, how and why he went from there to the Peace Corps in South Africa, then the Missouri School of Journalism, and eventually The Upshot, where he has been in various roles since its inception in 2014, the feature’s purpose and the work involved in creating content for it, and one of his favorite Upshot stories concerning a certain Nike shoe.

Laura Abbott, ’06, on her early love of history, her path to Gustavus, how and why she became a ranger with the National Park Service, her work as a ranger on the National Mall in Washington, DC, including at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, leading running tours focused on various aspects of DC history, her subsequent posting at the pre-Civil War Fort Scott in Kansas, her current work at Yellowstone, what might come next in her NPS career, the transformative impact of Gustavus on her life, and her pitch for our nation’s parks.

Dr. Jeff La Frenierre of the Gustavus Environment, Geography, and Earth Sciences Department at Gustavus on his path to the discipline of Geography, how and why he decided to research glacial melt and its impact on people and communities, the process and challenges of conducting research outdoors at high elevations in the Andes, including Gustavus students in his fieldwork, the findings and significance of his research, his objectives as a teacher, and the appeal of teaching at a liberal arts college.

Senior Abby Joy Neptun, ’24, talks about her path from Chicagoland to Gustavus, majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Political Science, her summer 2023 internship experience with World Chicago (a nonprofit organization dedicated to “citizen diplomacy”), her current fellowship with Emily’s List, her co-curricular involvement on campus, the transformative value of a liberal arts education, and what in her eyes makes Gustavus so special. Bonus: A special gift to listeners from Abby Joy at the episode’s conclusion.

Bridging Town and Gown: Shanon Nowell, Executive Assistant to the Provost of Gustavus and Mayor of St. Peter, Minnesota, where the College

Ashley Ley '23 and Tessa Yeager ’24, co-chairs of the 2023 Gustavus Building Bridges Conference on March 4, talk about their backgrounds and paths to Gustavus, how and why they became involved in Building Bridges, the rewards of their involvement, developing this year’s conference topic and title, highlights of the conference program, their experiences as, respectively, a summer undergraduate research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and a campus Sustainability Intern, and their pitches for Gustavus.