Concordia honors Cobbers with Alumni Achievement, service awards
Concordia College announces the 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards will go to Wayne Wold ’76, Dr. Jason Botten ’96, Christine Schulze ’78, and Christina Jackson-Skelton ’87.
The 2026 Sent Forth Award recipients will be Anna (Haugo) Argo ’11 and Dr. Molly Haugen ’14, and the 2026 Called to Serve recipients are Kristin (Johnson) Thompson ’90, Dr. John Toso ’73, and Dr. Tom Strinden ’84, who is being honored posthumously. Layne ’95 and Helene (Svir) Danielson ’96 will receive the 2026 John S. Pierce Ambassadorship Award.
2026 Alumni Achievement Award
Wayne Wold ’76
Wayne Wold ’76 is a composer, performer, educator, and church musician who has created more than 400 published works, shaping modern Lutheran worship and enriching congregations worldwide.
For more than 17 years, Wold served Evergreen Chapel at Camp David, where he directed choirs, supported weekly worship services as organist and pianist, and led special events for presidential families and staff through three administrations. He served as professor of music, college organist, and chair of the music department at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and since retiring in 2020, he has been director of music ministry at First Lutheran Church, Ellicott City, Maryland.
Dr. Jason Botten ’96
Dr. Jason Botten ’96 is a virologist whose research on emerging infectious diseases has advanced understanding of virus-host interactions and enabled development of therapeutics and vaccines.
Botten is professor of medicine and adjunct professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. He also serves as associate director of the Vermont Biomedical Research Network, head of the Disease Ecology Group of Vermont, and director of MAP2LE, an initiative for monitoring and predicting infectious diseases. At the center of his work is a research program investigating RNA viruses.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Botten led efforts to develop diagnostic tests and co-founded a network expanding global testing capacity.
Christine Schulze ’78
Christine Schulze ’78 is a leader in global education whose five decades of service to Concordia College and the Concordia Language Villages have transformed language learning and cultural exchange, impacting generations of students and establishing one of the most respected immersion programs in the world.
She was appointed executive director of Concordia Language Villages in 1989, a position she held for more than 30 years. Under Schulze’s leadership, CLV experienced extraordinary growth in scope, scale, and reputation, evolving into a globally recognized model for immersive education. During her tenure, enrollment grew to more than 10,000 participants annually across 15 languages.
She reimagined the villages as a comprehensive global citizenship initiative.
Christina Jackson-Skelton ’87
Christina Jackson-Skelton ’87 is an executive leader in faith-based philanthropy, global mission, and financial stewardship.
She served as director for finance in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Global Mission unit, before being elected treasurer of the ELCA and president of the Mission Investment Fund. Then Jackson-Skelton became executive director of Mission Advancement for the ELCA and president and CEO of the ELCA Foundation, leading churchwide marketing and communications, development, and mission funding initiatives. She led the church’s first comprehensive campaign, exceeding its $197 million goal.
As treasurer and chair of the finance committee of the Lutheran World Federation, she guided financial strategies that balanced institutional sustainability with global humanitarian work.
2026 Sent Forth Award
Anna (Haugo) Argo ’11
Anna (Haugo) Argo ’11 is a business leader, entrepreneur, and innovator.
As chief business officer at Cytotheryx, a company at the forefront of cell therapy and regenerative medicine, she is helping lead the development of treatments for liver disease. In addition, she has founded and helped build multiple biotechnology ventures, serving as chief business officer of Ponte Biosciences and novavita thera. She was named to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2025.
Argo remains engaged in community and service, supporting Children’s Minnesota, the YWCA of St. Paul, and Pinky Swear Foundation. She serves on the board of the Shooting Star Foundation, contributing to initiatives that expand educational opportunities.
Molly Haugen ’14
Molly Haugen ’14 is a leader in environmental science and technology whose work advances solutions to challenges in air quality, energy systems, and climate impact.
As co-founder and chief executive officer of Aetosense, which develops air quality sensors, she translates research into practical tools improving public health and environmental outcomes. At the University of Cambridge, Haugen contributed to more than a dozen peer-reviewed publications and led campaigns for data collection. Her research has influenced policy and practice.
She has secured more than £500,000 in funding, holds multiple patents, and led the development of technologies designed to expand access to environmental monitoring and support equitable climate solutions.
2026 Called to Serve Award
Dr. Tom Strinden ’84
Dr. Tom Strinden ’84 is honored posthumously with the Called to Serve Award in recognition of a life of unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others.
Strinden co-founded Bagan Strinden Vision in Fargo, North Dakota, becoming a highly-respected ophthalmologist. During his career, he performed more than 10,000 surgeries and provided care to thousands of patients, restoring sight and improving their quality of life. He also served as an associate clinical professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.
He participated in numerous medical mission trips, and was active at Atonement Lutheran Church, Fargo, and in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He coached youth hockey and football. His life reflected a drive to “leave the woodpile higher,” faithfully giving of himself for others.
Strinden passed away on July 13, 2025, after a 17-month battle with brain cancer.
Kristin (Johnson) Thompson ’90
Kristin (Johnson) Thompson ’90 is an educator, leader, and advocate committed to Holocaust and human rights education.
As founder and director of Humanus Network, she has created transformative learning experiences that foster empathy, critical thinking, and human dignity. Thompson served as a social studies educator for nearly two decades. She joined the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., as an education program coordinator, training educators in Holocaust history and pedagogy. Her work helped shape how the Holocaust is taught internationally.
Through Humanus, dedicated to professional development for educators and the advancement of Holocaust and human rights education, Thompson created and facilitated learning experiences for teachers, reaching 1,910 of them and impacting 178,250 students.
Dr. John Toso ’73
Dr. John Toso ’73 is a physician and missionary whose service has improved healthcare access for underserved populations.
As a missionary in Madagascar, he served as medical director of Manambaro Lutheran Hospital, providing critical care in a resource-limited setting and developing a mobile clinic for rural villages. Toso helped found Global Health Ministries, dedicated to strengthening healthcare systems. In Tanzania, he helped establish Dodoma Christian Medical Center, guiding its early development as its first project director. Now it serves tens of thousands of patients annually.
His writing includes “Windows on Global Health” and “From Shadows to Light — Poems of a Grieving Man,” and contributions to “Emergency Medicine in Developing Countries.”
2026 John S. Pierce Ambassadorship Award
Layne ’95 and Helene (Svir) Danielson ’96
Layne ’95 and Helene (Svir) Danielson ’96 have been enthusiastic ambassadors for Concordia College for decades, strengthening Cobber connections throughout the Brainerd-Baxter area and encouraging prospective students to consider Concordia.
Together, they have chaired the Brainerd Area Corn Feed for 20-plus years, creating meaningful opportunities for alumni, parents, and friends to stay connected to the college.
Layne has served on Concordia’s National Alumni Board, including as secretary, and has actively supported alumni recognition efforts by nominating fellow Cobbers for awards. Helene traveled to Tanzania to mentor Concordia students and work with underserved youth near the Grumeti Reserve.
Dedicated volunteers and generous financial supporters of the college, Layne and Helene have also continued their family’s Cobber legacy through their son, Atlie, a 2024 Concordia graduate.
About the awards
Concordia’s National Alumni Board recognizes alumni who are notably carrying out the mission of the college and who have distinguished themselves in their careers and service to others by conferring upon them the Alumni Achievement Award (alumni of more than 20 years) and the Sent Forth Award (alumni of less than 20 years). Alumni of any age who are devoted to local community service are honored with the Called to Serve Award. The John S. Pierce Ambassadorship Award is given annually to someone who embodies what it means to be a Cobber and is deeply invested in advancing the mission of Concordia College.
The awards will be presented to the recipients during the Homecoming Banquet Friday, Oct. 9.
More
- Past and present alumni award winners
- Celebrate Homecoming at Concordia