Alumni Achievement Award

honors alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their chosen career or area of professional life.

Name: Carsten Falkenberg
Major: Chemistry and Mathematics
Home:  Crown Point, Indiana
Employer: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Job Title: Senior Financial Consultant

CARSTEN FALKENBERG ’72 graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and mathematics. For the next two decades, he enjoyed a career in forensic and environmental chemistry, first as a senior analytical toxicologist for the Great Lakes Forensic Laboratory and later as a senior scientist for Lockheed Environmental Services. During this time, Falkenberg held membership in both the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists and the American Chemical Society, in addition to which he authored two articles that were published in a pair of peer-reviewed international technical journals. In 1994, Falkenberg entered into his second career path as a financial adviser with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. During the past 15 years, he has earned several professional designations from key organizations, including that of certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant, chartered life underwriter and fraternal insurance counselor. In addition to these achievements, Falkenberg has been awarded the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ National Quality Award (1999-2008) and the National Association of Fraternal Insurance Counsellors President’s Award (2007 and 2008) and Quality Service Award (2007 and 2008). In 2008, Falkenberg gained lifetime membership to the Million Dollar Round Table, and also was one of 69 national winners of the Lutheran Community Foundation's Voice in Philanthropy Award. Falkenberg has been extensively supportive of the Lutheran Deaconess Association, wherin he served on both the National Investment Committee and the Endowment Committee, the former on which he still serves. His alma mater has benefited from his sponsorship of workshops, his participation in the university's current visioning process, and his role as a guest speaker during many campus events.