St. Olaf College

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St. Olaf College

St. Olaf is a nationally ranked liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. One of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, St. Olaf experience.

Olaf College offers a distinctive education grounded in academic rigor, residential learning, global engagement, and a vibrant Lutheran faith tradition. Many excellent colleges provide one, two, or even three elements of the St. What makes St. Olaf unique is the combination of so many distinguishing features working together at the highest level: an intense academic program that sharpens minds and

an emphasis on a global perspective that broadens them; the vitality of a residential community that engages thoughtful people across the full range of human experiences; and a faith tradition that encourages reflection and honors different perspectives. By cultivating the habits of mind and heart that enable graduates to lead lives of financial independence, professional accomplishment, personal fulfillment, and community engagement, St. Olaf College provides an uncommon educational experience that fully prepares students to make a meaningful difference in a changing world.

08/30/2026

Ole Rock Stars: Six Decades of Student Artists at St. Olaf 🎸🎶

The digital edition of the St. Olaf Magazine looks back at six decades of student musicians in "Ole Rock Stars: Six Decades of Student Artists at St. Olaf."

These are just a few of the campus bands on the Hill over the years. Which one was your favorite?

💛 Listen to our curated playlist incorporating not only the sounds of Ole musicians, but the artists who inspired them in their sonic journeys:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4i0mxtKXzgTdH9OjDP1Byc

👉 Read the full story and listen to the music from six decades of student bands at St. Olaf: https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/ole-rock-stars-six-decades-of-student-artists-at-st-olaf

08/28/2026

The St. Olaf community is mourning the death of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway.

“St. Olaf has maintained deep and enduring ties to Norway since the college's founding by Norwegian immigrants more than 150 years ago, and we extend our sincere sympathies to the royal family and the people of Norway. Some of you may remember King Harald's last visit to campus in 2011, where he sat in on a Norwegian class and attended a Sammenkomst in Boe Memorial Chapel. One of the most touching photos of that visit is of His Majesty sitting at a desk in that Norwegian class, laughing heartily alongside our students. It underscored his appreciation for education and joy at the way the Norwegians who founded St. Olaf created a lasting appreciation for his country's culture, language, and values. We will honor his memory by continuing to do this work. We are grateful for the life of King Harald V of Norway. May his memory be a blessing, and may Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans alike find strength and comfort in this time of mourning."

— St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer

08/27/2026

The Science That Saves Lives

As vaccine hesitancy and misinformation grows, Kris Ehresmann ’84 is using her decades of experience as a public health leader to teach new generations of Oles why following the science matters.

“Our students really need to be grounded in the science of vaccines because it’s so foundational to public health,” Ehresmann says. “Aside from clean water, vaccines have saved and changed more lives than any other public health measure.”

To accomplish this, she designed a course that begins with an overview of the history and development of vaccines, and then delves into the basics of vaccinology, how vaccines are licensed and recommended, the vaccine safety system in the U.S., the way vaccines are used to prevent and control disease around the world, and the factors influencing vaccine hesitancy.

👉 Read more in the latest edition of the St. Olaf Magazine!
https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/the-science-that-saves-lives

08/23/2026

How are we at the end of August already!?

08/21/2026

Um! Yah! Yah! The Princeton Review has named St. Olaf in a variety of top rankings this year. Check out the highlights:

Best in the Midwest
#8 Best Classroom Experience
#9 Great Financial Aid

“It is an exciting time to be a student on the Hill! I’m grateful that The Princeton Review recognizes our fantastic classroom experience and commitment to affordability,” says Associate Vice President for Enrollment Chris George ’94.

“St. Olaf is truly a place where our community empowers Oles to navigate what’s next so they can shape the world.”

👉 Read more at St. Olaf News! https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/st-olaf-named-a-best-college-in-the-princeton-review

08/18/2026

The ‘fly’ effect: Oles create an interactive exhibit on sound for young learners!

This summer visitors at the Great River Children’s Museum can explore an interactive exhibit on animal sounds thanks to the contributions of St. Olaf students Wyatt Gurgel ’28 and Mary Cate Pugh ’27 and Associate Professor of Biology and Director of Neuroscience Norman Lee.

The "Sound Seekers" exhibit explores how animals use and produce sounds for communication within their own species, how scientists study animal sounds, and how intended and unintended listeners use such sounds for survival or to reproduce.

🗓️ Curious minds can explore Sound Seekers at the Great River Children’s Museum through August 31.

👉 Read more at St. Olaf News! https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/the-fly-effect-oles-create-an-interactive-exhibit-on-sound-for-young-learners

08/15/2026

Navy Researcher Kathryn Wahl ’87 Receives Award for Breakthroughs in Interfacial Science

Kathryn Anderson Wahl ’87, a senior researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has been awarded the 2025 E.O. Hulburt Annual Science Award for pioneering research that has advanced the scientific understanding of adhesion, lubrication, and nanoscale contact mechanics.

Her research integrated optical spectroscopy with tribological instrumentation, enabling scientists to directly observe chemical and structural changes occurring at sliding interfaces. This capability helped clarify how layered lubricants behave and degrade under stress.

“Underwater adhesion has always been a challenge, and it’s been overcome because of Dr. Wahl’s work,” says Capt. Randy Cruz, the commanding officer of NRL. “This is a very distinguished and well-deserved award.”

👉 Read the full story in the latest edition of the St. Olaf Magazine!
https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/navy-researcher-kathryn-wahl-87-receives-award-for-breakthroughs-in-interfacial-science

08/13/2026

St. Olaf professor earns Fulbright award for research in France!

Associate Professor of Practice in Sociology and Anthropology Marc David has been awarded a Fulbright to conduct research in France on the history and impact of French-language education initiatives in his home state of Louisiana.

Since 1969, the French government has sent generations of teachers to the state’s public schools to help preserve Louisiana’s French heritage, even as the number of native speakers has steadily declined.

David’s award is research-focused and pairs him with the French host institution CY Cergy Paris Université, where he will spend the academic year conducting archival research and interviews.

👉 Read more at St. Olaf News: https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/st-olaf-professor-earns-fulbright-award-for-research-in-france

08/09/2026

Reflections from New Zealand Study Abroad 🇳🇿✈️

Lee Christianson ’27 reflects on how their academic journey at St. Olaf has been impacted by their study abroad experience in Dunedin, New Zealand.

“I decided to come to New Zealand because of the advanced technology and study in kinesiology, the vibrant Maori culture — which I am interested in as a dancer and performer — and the protections that the country offers to transgender individuals.”

“On a weekend away from studying, a group of friends and I traveled to Isthmus Peak to climb the summit on a sunrise hike. As we grew closer to the peak, the sun started to show itself on the horizon. Then, a squawk caught our attention as three of the endangered mountain parrots joined us in taking in our surroundings. The vastness of the landscape and interaction with these birds made me realize how precious our world is.”

“Doing something as difficult as climbing for three hours and being surprised by what was there has been integral to my experience abroad so far. I’ve taken this experience and translated it to being present in my everyday life. Watching other people interact, seeing slivers of sunlight on the floors of classrooms, and making cozy meals for myself in my flat. The most beautiful things to appreciate are right where we are at the moment.”

A new $20 million gift from Louis and Mary Kay Smith, combined with existing scholarships, will enable Oles to participate in a semester-long study-abroad program for the same cost as attending class on campus.

👉 Read more in the latest edition of the St. Olaf Magazine. https://wp.stolaf.edu/news/an-incredible-investment-in-global-education

08/07/2026

On August 5, St. Olaf students presented their internship reflection presentations for the Entrepreneurship Scholars summer internship program and the Biotechnology Internship Program at University Enterprise Labs (UEL).

Both programs connect St. Olaf students with paid summer internships at startups, entrepreneurial organizations, and venture capital firms, giving them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in innovative environments.

🦁St. Olaf Students:
Celine Al Miari '28
Erin Burns '27
Eyuel Woldehanna '27
Dararasmey Eav '27
Audrey Scarlett '27
Lara Oliveira Cutrim '26
Ali Haidar '27
Ibrahim Awada '27
Gelila Lemma '27
Ava Spohn '28
Tinevimbo Museba '28

📸 Steven Garcia '20

Address

1520 St. Olaf Avenue
Northfield, MN
55057

Telephone

+15077862222

Website

http://stolaf.edu/

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