Augustana College chaplain Pastor Melinda Pupillo will depart from the college on June 30, 2026. Pupillo has been the college’s chaplain and director of spiritual development since January 2021, where she works with Campus Ministries. 

After Augustana, Pupillo plans to go to the Twin Cities in Minnesota to live closer to family and friends, where she will take a sabbatical before getting back into pastoral work. 

“I think the biggest piece [for leaving] is higher [education] is changing, and the church is changing, and I feel like as a chaplain, I’m holding a lot of identities. That identity is shifting, and it’s just been really heavy to be fair,” Pupillo said. 

According to Pupillo, as Augustana prepares to hire a new chaplain, it may be changing the job description. 

Campus Ministries lead team member Pheonix Martin has worked closely with Pupillo and has had spiritual and personal conversations with her in classes and one-on-one sessions. 

“Melinda has been very maternal to me. This is my mom at college. This is a person [who], if I need a hug or if I want somebody to go and see a show of mine, I know that I can ask her to do it and that she’ll be there and she’ll respect it,” Martin said. “If I have a celebration that I want to celebrate, she’ll be there to do it with me. If I’m going through stuff, I’ll go and talk to Melinda, and she’ll be there to talk with me.”

Martin said Pupillo has been a consistent source of guidance, helping him navigate personal challenges while encouraging him to reflect on his sense of purpose and vocation. 

Through conversations about faith and life, Pupillo helped him consider paths like seminary and recognize his strengths in supporting others.

“To have that person be so permeating throughout my life and throughout my time here at Augie, at a time of such personal, academic, et cetera, growth has been irreplaceable, and it’s part of what makes saying goodbye for now so hard,” Martin said. 

Around campus, Pupillo works with several religious groups, has partnered with Campus Closet and Cupboard and has been invited to speak in classes and at events like the Transgender Day of Remembrance. 

Pupillo is also a director and mentor in Augustana Leaders in Vocational Exploration (ALIVE) where she helps plan events and sessions around topics of vocation. 

According to sophomore Jaylen Clayton, a student in the ALIVE program, Pupillo has been a strong presence in the program. 

“She always has this energy about her, where we will share something and she’ll share something equally as valuable or as personal that ties to her life, to her purpose, to her why, to her vocation,” Clayton said. “That kind of helps to guide us and our thoughts, our thinking, [and] questions that we may have.” 

As Pupillo prepares to leave, she said she hopes that students will still come and talk to her even if they assume she is busy. 

“I will cherish every last conversation I can have with folks here. The relationships have really been the most important part of my time here, both with students and faculty and staff,” Pupillo said.