{"id":197,"date":"2013-12-03T12:14:48","date_gmt":"2013-12-03T18:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/?page_id=197"},"modified":"2026-07-09T14:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:38:25","slug":"distinguished-professorships-and-endowed-chairs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/distinguished-professorships-and-endowed-chairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Distinguished Professorships and Endowed Chairs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Chair Photo<\/th>\nChair Info<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nElizabeth Leer<\/strong>
Kenneth Bjork Distinguished Professor<\/a>
Professor of Education
B.A., Concordia College, Moorhead
M.A., Northern Illinois University
Ph.D., University of Minnesota<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nTracey Engleman
<\/b>Oscar and Gertrude Boe Overby Distinguished Professor<\/a>
Professor of Music
B.M., St. Olaf College
M.M., D.M.A., University of Minnesota<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nKristina Medina-Vilari\u00f1o
<\/b>O.C. and Patricia Boldt Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities<\/a>
Associate Professor of Romance Languages – Spanish
B.A., Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
M.A., University of Florida
Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nGregory Walter<\/strong>
Harold Ditmanson Distinguished Professor of Religion<\/a>
Professor of Religion
B.A., St. Olaf College; College
M.Div., Luther Seminary
Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

\"Head<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Seth Binder<\/b>
Frank Gery Endowed Chair in Economics<\/a>
Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies
Ph.D., Yale University
MSc, London School of Economics
BSFS, Georgetown University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nKim Kandl<\/strong>
Paul and Mildred Hardy Distinguished Professor of Science<\/a>
Professor of Biology
B.A., Grinnell College
Ph.D., Purdue University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nChris Chapp<\/strong>
Marjorie C. Hjelmervik Chair in Government<\/a>
Professor of Political Science and Morrison Family Director of the Institute for Freedom and Community
B.A., University of Wisconsin – Madison
M.A., Ph.D., University of Minnesota<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\n\n

Sian Christie<\/strong>
Husby-Johnson Endowed Chair of Business and Economics<\/a>
Entrepreneur in Residence
Diploma in Management, Otago Polytechnic
M.A., Massey University<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Head<\/td>\n\n

K. Brian S\u00f6derquist<\/strong>
Kierkegaard Chair in Christian Philosophy<\/a>
Professor of Philosophy
B.A., Utah State University
M.A., Yale University
Ph.D., University of Copenhagen<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Head<\/td>\nKari Lie Dorer<\/strong>
King Olav V Chair in Scandinavian-American Studies<\/a>
Professor of Norwegian
B.A., Concordia College
M.A., University of Minnesota
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nJeff Schwinefus<\/strong>
<\/strong>Edolph A. Larson and Truman E. Anderson, Sr. Chair of Chemistry<\/a>
Professor of Chemistry
B.S., University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
M.S., Ph.D., University of Michigan – Ann Arbor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\n\n

Kiara Jorgenson
<\/strong>Martin E. Marty Chair in Religion and the Academy<\/a>
Associate Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies
BA, Religion & Women\u2019s Studies – Denver Seminary
MDiv – Denver Seminary
PhD, Theology – Luther Seminary<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Head<\/td>\nSteven Hahn<\/strong>
Marie M. Meyer Distinguished Professor<\/a>
Professor of History
B.A., University of Michigan
M.A., University of Georgia
Ph.D., Emory University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\n\n

Colin Wells
<\/strong>National Endowment for the Humanities Professorship<\/a>
<\/strong>Professor of English
B.A., Boston College
M.A., Ph.D., Rutgers University<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\"Head<\/td>\nNiffer Pflager\u00a0<\/strong>
Patrick J. Quade Endowed Chair in Theater<\/a>
Assistant Professor of Theater
B.A., Minnesota State University, Moorhead
M.F.A., University of Wisconsin, Madison<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nTherees Tkach Hibbard\u00a0<\/strong>
Robert Scholz Endowed Chair in Music<\/a>
Associate Professor of Practice in Music
B.M., Longwood College
M.M., Colorado State University
D.M.A., University of Oregon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/a><\/td>\nJamie Bobb
<\/strong>Elliot M. & Klara Stockdal Johnson Chair in Organ & Church Music<\/a>
Associate Professor of Music
B.M., Capital University
M.M., Eastman School of Music<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nColin Harris
<\/strong>Tomson Family Chair of Law and Economics<\/a>
Associate Professor of Law and Economics
B.S., Florida State University
M.A.\/Ph.D., George Mason University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/a><\/td>\nAnton Armstrong ’78<\/strong>
Harry R. and Thora H. Tosdal Professor of Music<\/a>
Professor of Music
M.M., University of Illinois
D.M.A., Michigan State University<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\nGary Muir<\/strong>
Grace A. Whittier Endowed Chair in Science<\/a>
Professor of Psychology
B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Otago<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Head<\/td>\n\n

Sara Pillatzki-Warzeha<\/strong>
Karen Peterson Wilson Endowed Chair in Theater<\/a>
Assistant Professor of Theater
B.A., Northern State University
M.F.A., Minnesota State University – Mankato
Ph.D., University of Minnesota<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

updated 7\/2026<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chair Photo Chair Info Elizabeth LeerKenneth Bjork Distinguished ProfessorProfessor of EducationB.A., Concordia College, MoorheadM.A., Northern Illinois UniversityPh.D., University of Minnesota Tracey EnglemanOscar and Gertrude Boe Overby Distinguished ProfessorProfessor of MusicB.M., […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":256,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-197","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/256"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197"}],"version-history":[{"count":135,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13337,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions\/13337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}