Martha Hall, Luther College senior, served as the communications intern at Lanesboro Arts in Lanesboro, Minnesota, over the summer. She is the daughter of Kate Brennan Hall and John Hall of Cedar Falls, Iowa. Hall graduated from Cedar Falls High School in 2014.

Currently, there is a shortage of Registered Nurses in the United States due to changing retirement rates and an increased rate of burnout in nurses. Mariah Olson, Luther College senior of Lewiston, Minnesota, researched how shift rotation and length affect resilience and stress levels in the nursing profession for her summer research project at the college.

Abbie Hughes, Luther College senior, completed a summer internship with the aquatics department of the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Originally from Aitkin, Minnesota, Hughes graduated from Aitkin High School. She is the daughter of Don and Cathy Hughes of Aitkin, Minnesota. In her internship, Hughes was responsible for the care of harbor seals, California sea lions, polar bears, African penguins and tufted puffins. Hughes gained an appreciation of zoos and their conservation efforts through the internship opportunity. In the future, Hughes would like to help conserve animal species facing extinction or threats due to climate change.

Stemming from her interests in sustainability and the visual and performing arts, Luther College senior Alexis Hove of Decorah completed a summer internship at Urban Cottage, an occasional store.

Luther College junior Alex Sekora of Denmark, Wisconsin, served as a summer communications intern for the Iowa Senate Democrats in Des Moines. Sekora, son of Jim and Carole Sekora, graduated from Denmark High School in 2015. He plans to graduate from Luther in 2019 with majors in political science and management.

In 1685, hundreds of thousands of Huguenots were forced to flee France attempting to seek refuge in other countries. Anna Barton Luther College sophomore of Eagan, Minnesota, researched the lives of French Huguenots to create a game based in 17th and 18th century Europe for her summer research project at the college.

In 1685, hundreds of thousands of Huguenots were forced to flee France attempting to seek refuge in other countries. Karina Hoff, Luther College sophomore of Hortonville, Wisconsin, researched the lives of French Huguenots to create a game based in 17th and 18th century Europe for her summer research project at the college.

Runestone Interactive was founded in 2011 by Brad Miller, Luther College professor of computer science. Tyler Conzett, Luther junior of Galena, Illinois, maintained and developed features for Runestone Interactive’s online webservice for his summer research project at the college.

Invasive species have the ability to spread to a degree that can cause damage to the environment, economy and human health, among other things. Shelja Thakur, Luther College senior of Satiwala, Himachal Pradesh, India, saw the first-hand effects of these invasive species during her summer research project when she participated in land stewardship projects on Luther’s natural areas to remove plants such as European buckthorn and garlic mustard.

The landscape surrounding Decorah is home to many springs and streams, making it a prime destination for recreation. Unfortunately, these waters are also home to high levels of bacteria such as E. coli, particularly after summer rains. Tiwonge Chirwa, Luther College junior of Lilongwe, Malawi, was selected to research antibacterial resistance of bacteria inhabiting water sources in and around Decorah.