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Adam Berliner always knew he wanted to be a teacher. As a child growing up in suburban St. Paul, teaching was Berliner’s answer to the evergreen question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

He usually chose the grade he was in at the time as the age of his future students. He also developed a lifelong passion for mathematics.

“Once I realized I was good at math, I was in it for the personal accolades, which fulfilled my competitive streak,” he says. “Then I discovered that my bucket got filled up by being able to talk about math with like-minded people, so naturally I wanted to be surrounded by people who also love math.”

Today Berliner is an associate professor of mathematics at St. Olaf in his 15th year of teaching the calculus sequence, as well as linear and abstract algebra, graph theory, and combinatorics. He first came to Northfield, though, as a Carl — Berliner earned his B.A. in mathematics summa cum laude from Carleton College across the river. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin.

“If you told 22-year-old me that I’d be back in Northfield as a professor, I would have immediately thought you meant at Carleton,” he says. “At the time, I didn’t know about St. Olaf’s amazing Math Department. You don’t always get to choose where you’ll teach after graduate school, but I’ve been very fortunate to have landed here.”

In abiding appreciation for both his education at Carleton and his career at St. Olaf, as well as a desire to help students far into the future, Berliner has designated an unrestricted bequest for each college in his will. 

“It’s my way of giving back to two institutions that have influenced who I am and that are important to me, and have allowed me to use my talents to help others to learn and go out into the world,” he says. “I’ve been blessed by the two outstanding schools in this small town, and I want them to continue doing great things after I’m gone.”

“It’s my way of giving back to two institutions that have influenced who I am and that are important to me, and have allowed me to use my talents to help others to learn and go out into the world.”

Associate Professor of Mathematics Adam Berliner

Recently Berliner led St. Olaf’s January term in Budapest, Hungary, teaching number theory to the students enrolled in the program. He also is St. Olaf’s director of mathematics placement and works as an election judge in Rice County.

Berliner notes that he isn’t directing his gift to St. Olaf for a particular purpose — although making the mathematics study-abroad program in Budapest tuition-free would be nice, he quips — because there is no way to predict what needs the college will have in the future. He also doesn’t want to limit his gift to the Mathematics Department. 

“I truly believe in the idea of the liberal arts, that a benefit to each piece benefits the whole,” he says.

“I don’t know what the priority will be for the college years from now,” he says. “I like to think my gift will benefit students who are seeking opportunities that will change them, and I trust my colleagues will steward my gift wisely.”