Campus clips: Summer study and scholarship

Students in Christ Academy’s Phoebe School, the female division of Christ Academy, study during the two-week event, held this summer at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW). (CTSFW)

The monthly “Campus Clips” column includes brief reports submitted to Reporter by Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) schools, campus ministries, universities and seminaries.

Seminaries host summer study

In June, 95 young men and women spent two weeks studying Scripture and learning about the Lutheran faith at Christ Academy High School, hosted by Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW). Topics included portraits of Christ in Revelation, symbolism and the Scriptures, the Smalcald Articles, Orthodox iconography, Christian martyrs, Christian ethics, Christology in the Old Testament, Haggai and Zachariah, and teaching the faith to children. The students also participated in public service projects in Fort Wayne; sang at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne; and attended a college fair, ice cream social, square dance and minor league baseball game. The event wrapped up with a talent show and awards on June 28.

The Rev. Simeon Raddatz, director of the pre-seminary program at Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill., speaks with a student during Vocatio: High School, held at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL). (CSL)

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, hosted 75 high school students June 22–29 for its annual Vocatio: High School event. Students in grades 9–12 had the opportunity to explore God’s calling and direction for their lives and experience a bit of what life is like at the seminary. Over the course of the week, they toured the campus, participated in devotions and Bible studies, played games, attended a college fair, and heard from faculty and seminarians about church work.

News from LCMS U

Win (not his real name), who is from a country where Christians are persecuted, is a visiting scholar of international law at the University of Pittsburgh. He was raised as a believer by his mother and grandmother but was never able to attend church regularly in his homeland. However, after he moved to Pittsburgh this past January, he began attending weekly worship and Bible study with the LCMS U campus ministry, First Trinity Lutheran Church. This past Holy Week, he attended worship every day and loved it; he also joined the campus pastor, the Rev. Eric R. Andræ, and his extended family for Easter dinner. Win then began catechesis with Andræ. In June, he attended a seminar on Holy Scripture and Luther’s Small Catechism presented by the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Society for the Chinese at CTSFW, and on June 30, Win was baptized into Christ.

In January, a new LCMS U chapter was established on the campus of Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Wash. The group started out with four students, but God grew that small group to a dozen students by the end of the school year. The Rev. Marc DiConti led these students during weekly on-campus Student Engagement Days to witness, pray and discuss life issues while also serving free drinks at their LCMS U table. The chapter also gathered weekly for lunch, studying the Small Catechism and deepening relationships with each other and with Christ. They concluded the academic year with a “Summer Send-off Barbecue” attended by 14 students.

Scholarship recognized

Dr. Elisabeth Dellegrazie, associate professor of leadership and marketing at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), River Forest, Ill., received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 2024–2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dellegrazie will pursue her research project, “Active Learning in Teams and the Link to Transversal Skill Development,” at the University of Maribor in Slovenia from October 2024 to January 2025. According to Dellegrazie’s project statement, she will “explore active learning through the pedagogical method of team interaction and its link to developing transversal skills in a marketing business course in Slovenia.”

In the past, at least seven CUC faculty members have been named Fulbright Scholars, providing them the opportunity to participate in the international academic exchange and bring the knowledge gained from those experiences back to the classroom.

Advancing the mission

The Rev. Dr. Ryan Peterson has joined the staff of Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., as senior development and church relations officer. In this role, Peterson will build relationships with alumni, donors and LCMS congregations to further advance CSP’s mission.

“I thank and praise God that Ryan and his family have joined us in St. Paul,” said CSP President Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich. “His love for the church, passion for and experience in Lutheran higher education, and strong relational abilities will be assets as we seek to strengthen and sustain Concordia, St. Paul, for generations to come.”

Broadcast excellence

Concordia University Irvine (CUI), Irvine, Calif., was awarded six 2024 Telly Awards for its December 2023 PBS broadcast of “Navidad! A Concordia Christmas,” most notably earning the silver award for the Craft/Use of Music category, along with five bronze awards in the general categories of Music, Dance and Performance; Educational Institution; Religion and Spirituality; Music Video; and Holiday and Seasonal Broadcasts.

The Telly Awards annually showcase the best work created for television and video across all screens. Receiving over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents, Telly Award winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies and publishers worldwide. CUI’s “Navidad” broadcast showcased more than 200 performers from eight vocal and instrumental performing ensembles, many of which were produced in the recording studios of Concordia’s Borland-Manske Center. CUI has also earned eight other Telly Awards for previous years’ PBS Christmas broadcasts, including the prestigious gold award.

Care rooted in Christ

Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb., recently announced the launch of the Micah Pre-Health Scholars program. The program is designed to support students interested in health care careers through hands-on experiences working in health care; close relationships with professors, practicing health professionals and peers who share their interests; and graduate or professional school preparation. Rooted in Lutheran Christian values and ethics, the Micah Scholars program encourages a service-minded approach to health care vocations.

For more information about Micah Scholars, visit cune.edu/micah.

Posted Aug. 12, 2024