Academics
Annika Reierson ‘24
“All faculty members in the HES Department have prepared me for my future career as a Physician’s Assistant.” Planning to pursue a career as a Physician’s Assistant, Annika chose a major in Exercise Physiology due to an interest in exercise as “a pillar of health and wellness.” Annika appreciates the atmosphere within the Health and […]
Olivia Falk ‘24
“The community you build with fellow students within the department is also extremely supportive and you make real connections.” As a Biology and Biology Education double major, Olivia has spent much of her time at Gustavus in the Biology department. She describes the department as incredibly welcoming, with professors and fellow classmates always being there […]
Benjy Vandeberg ‘26
“[Education faculty] have challenged me to think critically, encouraged me to explore new ideas, and supported me in developing my teaching skills.” Choosing to come to Gustavus primarily for the Education Department, Benjy decided to major in Health and Physical Education hoping to teach and coach at the high school level. Throughout his time in […]
Xeanna Willaert ‘24
“I think the small class sizes play a big role in fostering such a close-knit community. [The Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department] is truly a wonderful place to learn and grow as an individual.” As a future nurse, Xeanna decided to pursue an additional major in Spanish in hopes of becoming a bilingual nurse […]
Itzell Martinez ‘24
“[Faculty] have helped me with course planning and experience with working with Latino communities.” Itzell decided to major in Spanish because she wants to help bridge divides between Spanish and non-Spanish speakers. She says, “In a professional setting, majoring in Spanish allows me to take on more projects that help non-English speakers.” Something that Itzell […]
Avery Thompson ‘26
“Discussion is a highly-valued learning practice within the department because the discipline is based on learning about and appreciating diverse perspectives.” As someone who enjoys helping people and unpacking structural problems, Avery decided to become a Sociology/Anthropology major with a Management minor with hopes of working for a nonprofit organization in the future. She describes […]
Andrew Escoto ‘26
“[Prof. Kate Knutson] has guided me into realizing my interests but also is there to simply hear me out.” Andrew was drawn to a major in Political Science due to an interest in understanding “why people make the political decisions that they make.” After taking Politics of Race and Racism with Dr. Jill Locke, he […]
Casey Elledge
“It’s always fun to encounter the unexpected when studying religion. “ What are your areas of research and teaching expertise? The New Testament, Christian Origins, and Ancient Judaism What is your teaching style? In my field, we do a lot of close reading and interpretation of ancient religious texts. We share ideas about what we […]
Lauren Hecht
“My primary areas of research focus on understanding how our minds interpret the world around us (perception) and how we process or ignore a subset of what we perceive (attention).” What are your areas of research and teaching expertise? My primary areas of research focus on understanding how our minds interpret the world around us […]
Sheng Yang
“I believe that critical and analytical thinking skills are the key for students to achieve a successful career.” What are your areas of research and teaching expertise? I teach courses in economics and finance, including corporate finance, investments, and international trade and finance. My research primarily focuses on the empirical analysis of strategic behavior and […]