Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, MN has established the Thorstensson, McKnight, Nordstrom Endowed Chair in Scandinavian Studies, which launched at the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year. The endowed position was created this past spring by Steve Heim ’81 and Susie Björling Heim ’83 of Edina, MN. Gustavus Professor Dr. Ursula Lindqvist (Scandinavian Studies; GWSS; Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies; Comparative Literature; African & African Diaspora Studies; LALACS; Film & Media Studies) has been appointed as the new Chair’s inaugural faculty member.
The post is named in honor of the three professors who in the 1970s founded Gustavus’ highly regarded program, which became the Department of Scandinavian Studies in 1981: Dr. Roland Thorstensson, Professor Emeritus in Scandinavian Studies; Dr. Roger McKnight, Professor Emeritus in Scandinavian Studies; and Dr. Byron Nordstrom, Professor Emeritus in History and Scandinavian Studies.
Upon donating the funds, Steve Heim and Susie Björling Heim (daughter of Anders Björling ’58 and Janet Neidt Bjorling ’58, and granddaughter of Jussi Björling) expressed their “wish to support the humanities at Gustavus Adolphus College, specifically Scandinavian Studies. Additionally, [we] wish to honor the legacies of three outstanding professors whose distinguished careers helped shape the Department of Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus.”
Endowed Chair positions at Gustavus require a minimum $2,000,000 commitment, and this particular endowment reflects the College’s pronounced connection to its roots.
“Growing out of the College’s heritage as an institution founded by Swedish immigrants, our Scandinavian Studies program is a living embodiment of our continued relationship with Sweden and Scandinavia,” President Bergman said. “I am grateful to the Heims for their generosity and desire to recognize the dedicated faculty members who built and nurtured this program.”
Professor Lindqvist expressed her gratitude for being named to the post and stressed her commitment to enhancing this academic field of study.
“It is such an honor and a privilege to hold a Chair position named for our three founding faculty in Scandinavian Studies,” she said. “This Endowed Chair also signals to the world that Gustavus continues to lead in this distinctive interdisciplinary field, which intersects with many other fields of study. In Sweden, where I’m currently conducting sabbatical research, my Nordic colleagues are impressed to hear that Gustavus now has an Endowed Chair in Scandinavian Studies.”
This Homecoming Weekend, the College will hold a luncheon at The Dive in the Center for Inclusive Excellence to formally announce and celebrate with the donors, alumni, current students, emeriti, and current faculty in Scandinavian Studies.
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