ARCHIVE

< July 2012
September 2012 >


Math professor receives NSF research grant
AUGUST 30, 2012

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ryota Matsuura has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for a collaborative research project that will examine secondary teachers' mathematical thinking and how that relates to their teaching of the subject.



Family history meets American history
AUGUST 28, 2012

Jessica Ballard '13 used a research paper assignment to begin delving into her grandfather's experiences as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II. The paper evolved into a long-term project that's taken Ballard all the way to Alabama as she continues to explore the history of the first African American military aviators.



Research on bees leads to advice for area farmers
AUGUST 27, 2012

After a summer spent studying native bumblebees in the Northfield area, Lara Palmquist '13 and Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Diane Angell provided local farmers with advice on how to protect and provide for these vital pollinators.



Chicago Tribune highlights recent graduate's career path
AUGUST 24, 2012

Colin Piepho '12 turned down a full-time job offer with General Mills to work for his family's 60-year-old moving and storage business, a career choice that the Chicago Tribune featured in an article titled "Joining the family business takes planning, hard work."



Where art meets athletics
AUGUST 23, 2012

Joshua Iverson '01 parlayed his interests in football, philosophy, and art into a career as a designer at Nike, where he develops the look of college football uniforms across the country.



Student composer creates new band work
AUGUST 20, 2012

As part of St. Olaf College's Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry program, Jesse Brault '13 worked closely with St. Olaf Band Conductor Timothy Mahr '78 to compose a new piece titled Illuminatio. The band will premier the work this spring.



Emeritus faculty member Charles Lunder dies
AUGUST 20, 2012

Professor Emeritus of Physical Education Chuck Lunder, 98, died August 19 in Northfield. "Coach Lunder helped to mold the foundation of the Recreation, Exercise Science, and Athletics Program at St. Olaf," says Director of Athletics Matt McDonald.



'A Prairie Home Companion' to feature 'Holy Oles'
AUGUST 17, 2012

This weekend's A Prairie Home Companion will feature a combination of shows that host Garrison Keillor and company have done on the St. Olaf College campus, including music by the St. Olaf Choir and St. Olaf Orchestra, in a broadcast dubbed "Holy Oles."



St. Olaf team presents at Gordon Conference
AUGUST 16, 2012

Associate Professor of Physics Brian Borovsky '94 and a team of student researchers recently presented their findings on the frictional properties of metal oxides — research that could help scientists build tiny machines smaller than the width of a hair — at the prestigious Gordon Research Conference on Tribology.



Studying the impact of cell phones
AUGUST 15, 2012

Thomas Hegland '13 was one of six students from across the country selected to participate in a National Science Foundation program at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, where he worked with scholars from a wide array of disciplines while studying how cell phone service has transformed the global business landscape.



Theater students hone skills at renowned programs
AUGUST 13, 2012

David James Peterjohn '13 and Sterling Melcher '14 are honing their theater skills this year at the National Theater Institute, while Julia Valen '14 will spend a semester at the British American Drama Academy. "I'm thrilled at the prospect of learning from and working with so many theater professionals," says Valen (at left).



Summer innovation at Mayo Clinic
AUGUST 9, 2012

The first Mayo Innovation Summer Program gave four St. Olaf students an up-close look at how science and business intersect as they worked with a Mayo Clinic surgeon to evaluate the marketability of his online learning curriculum.



The search for 'green' energy
AUGUST 8, 2012

Associate Professor of Chemistry Greg Muth and three student researchers have spent the summer studying how algae store energy — and whether it could one day power the modern world.



Filmmaking in a foreign language
AUGUST 7, 2012

Five St. Olaf students are in Russia this summer as part of an academic internship at Mosfilm, one of the oldest and largest film studios in Europe, where they're doing everything from editing subtitles to acting as extras in a soap opera.



Two professors named to endowed chairs
AUGUST 6, 2012

Professor of Religion John Barbour (left) has been named the O.C. and Patricia Boldt Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities, and Professor of Chemistry Robert Hanson has been named the Edolph A. Larson and Truman E. Anderson Sr. Chair of Chemistry. 



Examining the origins of life
AUGUST 3, 2012

As part of St. Olaf College's Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry program, Evan Anderson '13 has created a research project to examine how membranes formed before there was life on earth.



St. Olaf, Carleton receive grant to explore collaboration
AUGUST 1, 2012

A grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will enable Carleton and St. Olaf colleges to explore how increased institutional collaboration could enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of a variety of services.