Entire community bene ts from Gustavus professor’s passion for educating

Entire community benets from Gustavus professor’s passion for educating

By ALLISON K. SCHMITT Correspondent For Chuck Niederriter, the world is a classroom. If he’s not teaching classes in Olin Hall, he might be in the community coaching a robotics team or Down Under looking at upside down constellations. Niederriter is a professor in physics and in environmental studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Mention his name to Barb Larson Taylor of the college’s marketing and communication department and the compliments pour out: He’s super community oriented, he gets young people interested in science and he goes above and beyond. very supportive of our education in general.” She read his papers and suggested improvements. “Although that wasn’t specically science, I would say it helped me a lot to become a better science communicator,” he said. at fertile environment produced four teachers, Niederriter and his three older sisters. Niederriter was a graduate assistant in the early 1980s when, witnessing young people’s enthusiasm for science, he decided to become a teacher. “Just seeing the excitement they have around science, I think that’s precisely why I got involved in science,” he said.

“And he’s just a great guy,” she added. Gustavus physics sophomore Ana Zaalishvili is likewise complimentary. “As a professor, he is always open to questions and always makes time to help the students,” she said. “During classes he makes the atmosphere feel very casual and safe, where it is O.K. for students to ask questions and not know something, because learning is what we are there for!” Niederriter grew up in Erie, Pa., one of ve children of an electrician and an oce worker. At home, his father, Charles, was an avid tinkerer and was adept at xing electric trains, which led to Niederriter’s penchant for the toy. His mother, Rita, “was For a lot of young people, “it’s blowing stu up,” he said. “I will gure out a way to add an explosion or something noisy,” he said. For example, for the “Gustie Buddies” aerschool program, he’ll demonstrate a ping pong ball bazooka or potato cannon. (e liquid nitrogen ice cream is always hit, too.) Who sparked his excitement for science? “I had some teachers who were great at that,” he said. One in particular was his sixth grade math and science teacher. “She actually saw that I need some enrichment,” he said. So she

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Gustavus Adolphus Professor Chuck Niederriter poses in the Olin Observatory atop Olin Hall in 2013. Submitted photo by Terry Clark. (Allison Schmitt/St. Peter Herald)

gave him various math puzzles to keep him engaged. His wife, Debbie, is also a professor and is currently a paraprofessional at North Elementary School. All four of their children are in science-related elds, including one who writes science ction/fantasy. Niederriter participates in a host of activities on campus outside the ocial classroom. One is the Nobel Conference, [gustavus.edu/events/ nobelconference/2020], which brings to campus prominent scholars and researchers to discuss issues in the natural and social sciences. “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to have lunch with, to have long conversations with the caliber of people who win the Nobel,” he said. Niederriter served as director of the conference for four years and has been involved in some way or another almost since he joined Gustavus in 1985.

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Passion for renewables

His main areas of expertise, physics and environmental studies, come together in energy.

“When I retire I would like to feel like I helped the college to generate a signicant amount of its energy by renewable means, helping to put a dent in our green house gas emissions,” he said. His eorts toward that end were noted by others. But competing interests have so far thwarted his eorts.

“It’s oen a battle between nances and sciences,” he said.

Starting 20-some years ago, a coalition of students, faculty and administrators worked industriously PASSION Continued on page 15

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