On January 7, 2008, Professor Solveig Zempel was appointed Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for her outstanding effort to strengten Norway-U.S. relations, her research on Norwegian language and culture, and not least her dedication to educationl exchange between the two countries. The ceremony to confer the Order of Merit took place April 11, 2008, at St. Olaf College, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
4/16/2008 :: Professor Zempel was born in Roseau, Minnesota. She studied Norwegian and Scandinavian languages and litterature at St. Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. One of her thesis was on the letters written by her grandfather, the great Norwegian-American novelist Ole Rølvaag. She holds her PhD from University of Minnesota. After her studies, Solveig Zempel embarked on a life-long career teaching and promoting the knowledge of the Norwegian language, literature, history and culture in the U.S. and in the Upper Midwest in particular.
As part her career, she has produced numerous articles, publications and served on various boards. She was instrumental in establishing the NORTANA Network and a member of Norwegian-American organizations. Through her engagement she has taken an interest in contemporary Norway, nurtured Norway-U.S. relations, and tauhgt new generations of students to appreciate their Norwegian heritage.