Anna Peterson granted Nena Amundson Distinguished Professorship

Luther assistant professor of history Anna Peterson has been granted the Nena Amundson Distinguished Professorship.

Peterson joined the history department in 2013 as a specialist in modern European history. Her current coursework includes European history from 1648, Russian history, Scandinavian immigration history and the history of the Holocaust. She received her bachelor's degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, her master's degree from the University of North Dakota and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.

Peterson will serve as the Amundson Professor through the 2019-20 academic year. Her Amundson project will explore gendered ideas of health and wellness at the Norwegian-American-run Bethany Indian Mission School from 1884-1934.

The professorship honors the late Nena Amundson, a 1956 graduate of Luther who taught physical education and coached women's athletics for more than 40 years, primarily at California Lutheran University. A pioneer in collegiate women's sports programs, Amundson provided an estate gift to fund the endowment for the Luther wellness program.

The Amundson Professorship Award provides a faculty stipend, a student stipend and funding for a research project. The award is competitive, based on the selection committee's evaluation of project proposals, particularly those focusing on health and wellness issues for women.