It’s not business as usual. The higher education landscape in the United States is changing. Yet world-class education is still happening—dare we say, thriving—on the Twin Cities campus.
The recently opened Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories at Fraser Hall is one example.
“This space is built for how students actually learn today,” said Tucker Besel, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical physics and a chemistry teaching assistant. “The new design encourages teamwork and critical thinking, not just memorizing steps.”
Talia Glinberg, a Wayland E. Noland Scholarship recipient, is seeing the benefits firsthand.
Glinberg didn’t intend to major in chemistry. But an inspiring physical chemistry course, a professor who encouraged her curiosity, and the opportunity to join a research lab changed her path.
The class sparked her interest in how molecules move and interact—and she wanted to dig deeper. Glinberg started going to office hours, asking questions, and looking for ways to explore science beyond the classroom. Her dedication led her to 3M Alumni Professor Aaron Massari, who invited her to join his research lab.
“I loved applying what I was learning in the lab,” she said. “That’s where I started to connect the dots.”
Today, Glinberg hopes to become a professor and run her own collaborative research lab.
“I’m really passionate about environ-mental sustainability,” she said. “With physical chemistry, there’s so much potential to help develop cleaner energy. I want to do something that makes the world better.”
That’s why receiving a scholarship named for Professor Noland means so much to her. Noland, who was 95 when he died in 2022, believed in doing good—specifically, “creating something useful for the future,” he would say. He was also known for giving undergraduates meaningful research opportunities, even paying out of pocket when funding was scarce.
“I’ve been lucky to learn from people who really care,” Glinberg said.
Now, she’s excited to do the same for others, with knowledge she gains in the new chemistry building.
—by Kristin Kelker
