The Thomas Willing Institute for the Study of Financial Markets, Institutions and Regulations will fund and support student research fellowships and educational outreach programs and will feature public and Internet speaking engagements.

President Rob Oliver's recent editorial in the Argus Leader shares the fact Augustana College long has been a net importer of intellectual capital, with the majority of graduates choosing to stay and work in South Dakota.

Matt Braithwaite, senior, is the recipient of the Elite 88 award for men's cross country, presented (for each of the NCAA's 88 championships) to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average.

Head football coach Mike Aldrich has been named the Region 5 Coach of the Year in NCAA Division II, as voted on by members of the American Football Coaches Association. Aldrich's first year as head coach of the Vikings will go down as the most successful season in school history.

Jim Luce, ’61, the infamous Viking quarterback who led Augustana to the North Central Conference football championship in 1959, has been chosen for induction into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

In their first-ever NCAA quarterfinal appearance, the No. 2 seed Vikings (11-1) will battle the No. 1 seed Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (12-0) for a spot in the NCAA Division II semifinals at Noon on Saturday, Dec. 4, at James A. Malosky Stadium. Watch live streaming video of the game at goaugie.com.

In celebration of its 40^th anniversary, the Center for Western Studies will host its annual Members and Friends Christmas Luncheon on Saturday, Dec.11. Dr. Patrick Hicks, Augustana’s Writer-in-Residence, will present “Harvesting Words, (re)Defining Borders and the Making of a Book.”

The “40th Anniversary Exhibition: Art from the CWS Collection” displays a wide range of artists, media, styles and genres, including a rare painting by Mt. Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Center for Western Studies.

With shaved heads, Steely Dan covers and a passion for making good music, brothers Jeremy Hegg, '94 and Jon Hegg, '99, are making a mark on the local live music scene. Next up, they'll debut their "Holiday Jam with the Hegg Brothers" at the historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minn., in honor of the Sesquicentennial.

"Vikings of the South," a recent feature on Lifetouch Media's Life to the Max program, chronicles the Augustana football team's visit to Shriners Hospital for Children and includes vintage footage and interviews with present and former players and coaches.