Andrew Ellingsen, a longtime Decorah educator and former director at Vesterheim, has taken charge of Luther College’s Richard L. and Judith A. Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies. He began directing the center on Aug. 12, and Luther College Provost Pam Bacon announced the appointment during the week of Aug. 17, 2026.
Ellingsen succeeds Nordic Studies Associate Professor Maren Johnson, who was recently appointed executive director of the center. The leadership change places a familiar local educator at the intersection of Luther College, Vesterheim and the broader Norwegian-American heritage community in Decorah.
Ellingsen’s Luther and Vesterheim background
Before returning to a leadership role at Luther, Ellingsen spent more than five years as director of folk art education at Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School in Decorah. The source says he expanded participation and grew programs through strategic planning and other organizational initiatives.
His work at Vesterheim included educational partnerships with Luther College. Those collaborations included January Term classes hosted at the museum, a Vesterheim–Torgerson Center internship pipeline for Luther students and plans for education-focused tours in Norway.
Ellingsen also co-taught FCUL 139: Nordic Tales and Traditions with Johnson. The course was piloted in 2024 for Luther students studying away during their first year.
His career began in elementary music education. Before joining Vesterheim, he taught elementary music for nearly 20 years in the Twin Cities and later in Decorah. He also taught undergraduate elementary music methods at Luther and served on the faculty for Orff Schulwerk graduate courses at Southern Methodist University, the University of Memphis and the University of St. Thomas.
Ellingsen earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Luther in 2003. He also holds a master’s degree in music education from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.
What the Nordic Studies Center does
Established in 2018, the Torgerson Center reflects Luther’s history as the first college in the United States founded by Norwegian immigrants. Its mission is to build connections with modern Norway and other Nordic countries through innovative programs and strategic partnerships.
The center creates learning opportunities for students and faculty and collaborates with Vesterheim on programming. Luther describes it as the only endowed undergraduate Nordic Studies center in the United States.
Bacon pointed to Ellingsen’s experience as an educator and program leader, as well as his Decorah roots and connections within the Norwegian-American heritage community, in announcing the appointment. Johnson welcomed the selection and described Ellingsen as a thoughtful leader who can help advance the center’s work.
From Luther’s Decorah campus, Ellingsen’s background in classroom teaching, museum education, international programming and the college’s academic community is expected to support ongoing work with students, faculty, Vesterheim and Nordic partners.