Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park

We receive seven people into membership at Augustana on Sunday, October 16th – Chrisida Nithyakalyani Anandan, Deb Burnet, Bob Klonowski, Katja Della Libera, Jeneal Duff, Alex Kolar, and Linnea Kremer. After worship, please join us in welcoming them at an Oktoberfest-style potluck meal in the fellowship hall.

If you are interested in joining or are unsure about your membership status, please speak with one of the pastors. Membership is an opportunity to publicly add your voice to the good news that is proclaimed at Augustana. In addition, each member has the opportunity to vote in important matters, such as calling new pastors and approving our annual budget.

Katja Della Libera is from Germany and moved to Hyde Park summer of 2021. She is a PhD student at UChicago in the program of Ecology & Evolution, studying gut microbiome ecology. In her free time, she loves to run, hike, climb, learn about different cultures, and cook or bake for friends. Katja is looking forward to continue finding community at Augustana and Campus Ministry.

Chrisida Nithyakalyani Anandan is an ordained minister from India, currently serving on the auxiliary faculty at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She recently completed PhD studies at LSTC and has attended Augustana since 2016.

Linnea Kremer is a 4th year PhD student in Medical Physics at the University of Chicago. I help coach the undergraduate women’s soccer team in my spare time, and was also a soccer player at Roanoke College and at the semi-professional level in England and the USA. Augustana was my mother’s family home parish, and I look forward to serving and living for Christ with you all at Augustana.

Bob Klonowski and Deb Burnet were members of the Augustana community 1994-2008, and are delighted to be returning! Bob is a Lutheran pastor, recently retired and now enjoying his reading, cycling, community work, grandparenting, and participation at Augustana. Deb is a professor of medicine at the U of Chicago, currently serving as the Chief of Internal Medicine there. She loves literature and the Bible, and she’s an accomplished triathlete, proud that she qualified this year for the USA National Team in her age group. That means she’ll be representing the US in the World Championships next year in … Spain!

Jeneal Duff is the mother of Camden (who was baptized at Augustana last month), spouse of Kyle, and serves as a physicians assistant at Lawndale Christian Health Center. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University and Shenandoah University.

Alex Kolar is a PhD student in Quantum Engineering in Dr. Tian Zhong’s lab at the University of Chicago. He studies quantum hardware control systems as well as quantum network simulation.

Alex’s research focuses on leveraging emerging quantum technology and classical computing resources to develop scalable quantum networks, including robust protocols and applications such as secure communication and distributed sensing. He received his BS in Computer Engineering and Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University.