At the end of June, Augustana College’s Rev. Melinda Pupillo is set to conclude her service as campus chaplain, ending tenure with Augustana that had begun in 2021. 

This announcement was made on March 30 to the entire campus body via an email sent out by President Andrea Talentino. In her announcement, Talentino commended the work that Pupillo did, and said Pupillo has been, “…a thoughtful and creative leader for religious and spiritual life on our campus…”

In her time with the college, Pupillo has spearheaded numerous movements, some of which include sparking the rebirth of Augustana’s Campus Ministries student-led leadership team as well as her work with Augustana Leaders in Vocational Exploration (ALIVE).

Pupillo is also responsible for implementation of new places and ways for students to worship, no matter their religious background, one of those being her renaming of the Wednesday night sacred gathering, 8:31. While a reminder of the time it takes place, the name has a connection to Romans 8:31 which says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

According to Augustana’s website, Pupillo had the goal of welcoming students and encouraging them “…to remember that God is for them, regardless of where they are in their faith journey.”

In her statement, Talentino said that Pupillo will partake in a sabbatical following her and her husband’s move to the St. Paul, Minnesota area before taking up another position.