Dr. Birnie received his Ph.D. in German Literature, with a minor in Scandinavian Studies, from the University of Washington, in Seattle. Among the classes he has taught at PSU are Norwegian, Scandinavian literature and film (with separate courses devoted to Henrik Ibsen, Knut Hamsun, August Strindberg and Ingmar Bergman) and German. He is presently collaborating on a translation of works by the Norwegian author, Alexander Kielland.
Dr. Birnie is actively engaged in local Scandinavian events and has served on the Board of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation.