APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University geologist Marcia Bjornerud, choral director Rick Bjella and music historian Julie McQuinn were honored Sunday, June 10 at the college’s 158th commencement for excellence in teaching and scholarship.
Bjornerud, professor of geology, was the second recipient of the college’s Excellence in Scholarship or Creative Activity Award, which was established in 2006. The award recognizes the importance of excellence in scholarly and creative work for advancing the mission of Lawrence, with preference given to a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained programs of excellent work for a number of years and whose work exemplifies the ideals of the teacher-scholar.
A structural geologist specializing in mountain building processes, Bjornerud was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of American in 2003 and is the author of two books, the textbook “The Blue Planet: A Laboratory Manual in Earth System Science” and “Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth,” which was published in 2005 to rave reviews.
“Reading the Rocks,” a history of the Earth and the toll human activity is exacting on the planet, draws upon Bjornerud’s field research conducted as a Fulbright Scholar on exposed rock complexes on the island of Holsnøy in western Norway. Since its initial release, the book has been reprinted in French, Dutch and Japanese, with a Chinese edition for Taiwan slated for publication later this year.
“You have impressed your colleagues with both the quality and quantity of your scholarly research,” President Jill Beck said in presenting Bjornerud her award. “Your interest in how ‘rocks behave,’ to use your words, has contributed important ideas to our understanding of tectonic plates and earthquakes.”
In April, Bjornerud was appointed the first holder of the new Walter Schober Professorship in Environmental Studies, established by a $2.5 million gift from Schober.
She joined the Lawrence faculty in 1995 after six years with the geology department at Miami University in Ohio. She has served as the chair of the Lawrence geology department since 1998 and helped establish the college’s environmental studies program as a major in 2000, serving as its director through 2006.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in geophysics at the University of Minnesota, Bjornerud earned master’s and doctorate degrees in geology at the University of Wisconsin.
Bjella, professor of music and director of the Lawrence concert choir and Viking chorale, received Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, given annually for outstanding performance in the teaching process, including the quest to ensure students reach their full development as individuals, human beings and future leaders of society.
Since joining the faculty in 1984, Bjella has conducted in concert halls around the world, including Paris, Prague, London and Lucerne. He also has guest conducted more than 350 festivals and workshops in 25 states.
Beck cited Bjella’s “skill, dedication and sense of joy” in presenting him his award.
“As a teacher, you are described as passionate, inspiring, energetic, spirited and knowledgeable,” said Beck. “The work you demand from your students is accepted with the grace of those who know the final result will be worth every bit of expended energy. Those who have watched you work with choir groups have described your effect as magical.”
Bjella’s ensembles have been featured on Wisconsin Public Radio and in the Green Bay Packer video “Legend of Lambeau Field.” His concert choir was the first to record “Songs of Children” by Robert Convery, a cantata of nine poems written by children interned at Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp.
In 2006, Bjella received the Hanns Kretzschmar Award for Excellence in the Arts for his 20 years of service as artistic director of the community-based White Heron Chorale.
A member of the Washington High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bjella earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College and a master’s degree from the University of Iowa.
McQuinn, assistant professor of music, received the Lawrence’s Young Teacher Award in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the classroom and the promise of continued growth.
A musicologist, McQuinn joined the faculty of the Conservatory of Music in 2003, where she has taught courses on the history of music, music and gender, opera and “borrowed music” in the movies. She also has delivered several pre-concert lectures for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In presenting the award, Beck praised McQuinn’s “legendary” ability to engage students and create excitement for learning.
“When you teach, your enthusiasm makes the material leap off the pages of books and scores and into the hearts and minds of your students,” said Beck. “You have enriched the lives of many Lawrence students and given them the power to grow in their love for music of all kinds and all eras.”
Prior to coming to Lawrence, McQuinn taught at Northwestern University and Elmhurst College. She earned a bachelor of music degree in voice performance and a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Oberlin College. She also holds a master’s degree in voice performance from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and earned her Ph.D. in musicology from Northwestern University.
