Established in 1992, this chair was made possible by estate gifts from long-time Northfield resident Grace Whittier and her sister Gladys (Petie) Coleman of California. The Buck Hill ski area in Burnsville was included as part of the Whittier estate, which also included bequests to Carleton College and the City of Northfield. Former holders of this chair have been James Cederberg (Physics), Robert Jacobel (Physics), Eric Cole (Biology), Douglas Beussman (Chemistry), Jill Dietz (Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science), and Kristina (Tina) Garrett (Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science).
Current Chair:
Gary Muir, Professor of Psychology, has taught at St. Olaf since 2004. His research is in the area of Neurobiology of Navigation where he explores the intersection of brain and behavior especially in with regards to spatial navigation. He has taught various classes including Neuro234: Introduction to Neuroscience and Psych257: Understanding Human Behavior in a Global Context. In 2008 he received the Minnesota Psychological Association Walter D. Mink Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award and in 2009 he received the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) Distinguished Mentor Award. Dr. Muir has served as a panelist for various workshops and symposiums including Duke University’s Psychology One conference in 2022. His current manuscript is titled: Improving student metacognition through reflection on exam preparation practices.