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Students and scholarship donors to be recognized today during Honors Day

By David Gonnerman '90
May 6, 2005

St. Olaf Professor of Physics James Cederberg will deliver his address, "Getting it All Together," during this year's Honors Day celebration today (Friday, May 6) at 10:10 a.m. in Boe Memorial Chapel. The event recognizes St. Olaf students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or above, students receiving special honors and senior students who are members of honor societies. The 40-minute event, which is open to the public, will begin with a procession of faculty in academic regalia.

Cederberg, who plans to retire next year, says he'll tell the students present about the importance of consistency and his views on how consistency is fundamental to the interdisciplinary nature of liberal arts.

After the event, scholarship donors and their student recipients will have the opportunity to meet one another during a special luncheon. "It's a good way for the students to thank the donors and it's a chance for the donors to see that their gift is making a difference in the lives of the students," says Director of Stewardship Jean Callister-Benson. "It's a pretty magical event."

Cederberg has served on the St. Olaf physics faculty since 1964. He served for 10 years as chair of the physics departments and for five years as chair of the college's Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. During his career at St. Olaf, Cederberg has traveled to Duke and Harvard universities, the University of Washington and Canterbury University in New Zealand during various sabbatical leaves.

In 1981 Cederberg acquired a molecular beam spectrometer from Harvard that provides information about the interactions between atomic nuclei and their molecular involvement. In recognition of the 70 students involved in the project and the science they produced, Cederberg was awarded the 2002 "Prize to a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution" presented annually by the American Physical Society.

Cederberg earned a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from the University of Kansas in 1959. He earned his doctorate in physics from Harvard University, where he also spent a year serving as a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer.

Cederberg is married to Judith Ness Cederberg '66, an associate professor of mathematics at St. Olaf since 1967. The Cederbergs have twin daughters, Anna and Rachel.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.