Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, has announced the appointments of eight faculty members to endowed chairs. Four of the appointments went to women.
Molly McNicoll, associate professor in biology and natural areas manager, will serve as the next Nena Amundson Distinguished Professor. The endowed chair is named in honor of Nena Amundson (1932-1999), who taught physical education and coached women’s athletics at the college for more than 40 years. Dr. McNicoll’s research focuses on how to apply ecological knowledge to maintain and restore native habitats. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in botany, Dr. McNicoll earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in plant biology from the University of Illinois.
Amy Weldon, professor of English and the English department head, will serve as the next Dennis M. Jones Chair in the Humanities. The chair is named in honor of Luther Professor of English Dennis M. Jones (1932-1990). Dr. Weldon teaches courses on creative writing and British Romanticism. She is the author of several novels as well as works on nonfiction, including The Hands-On Life: How to Wake Yourself Up and Save the World (Wipf and Stock, 2018). Professor Weldon is a graduate of Auburn University in Alabama, where she majored in English and journalism. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Jodi Enos-Berlage, professor of biology, will serve as the next Russell R. Rulon Endowed Chair in Biology. The chair honors Russell R. Rulon (1936-2016), a professor of biology at Luther College from 1963 to 2000. Dr. Enos-Berlage conducts water quality research in the Dry Run Creek Watershed. This 20,000-acre watershed drains into a common stream that enters the City of Decorah and subsequently empties into the Upper Iowa River. Professor Enos-Berlage is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she majored in microbiology. She holds a Ph.D. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Charlotte Kunkel, professor of sociology and identity studies department head, will serve as the first Wardell Professor in Sociology. The chair was established through a generous endowment gift by Mark Wardell (1946-2024), a 1968 graduate of Luther College. Professor Kinkel joined the faculty of the college in 1995. Her research focuses on the topics of gender, stratification, and visual sociology. Dr. Kunkel is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.