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Northwest News
New ag department chair welcomes alumni input With less than a year as chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Eric Mousel has identified what he calls “a great formula for success” in
As a new employee as well as the new chair of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Eric Mousel is impressed with the hands-on opportunities available to Northwest’s students.
Northwest’s agriculture program: giving students hands-on experience in the field coupled with current studies in the classroom. Mousel came to Northwest from South Dakota State University with experience in livestock business research, agricultural economics and forage management. He teaches farm management and advanced livestock, and believes Northwest graduates have a competitive advantage in the agriculture field. “Students want to learn the fundamentals in the classroom and then go out to the R.T. Wright Farm and apply what they learn,” said Mousel, who with his wife owns a cow-calf ranch in northern Minnesota. “I think that’s what really sets Northwest apart; we’re able to
not only train field personnel academically, but also get them some hands-on training so they have that experience for their future employer.” The department chair said he has never met a “kinder or more helpful group of people than the Northwest family,” and is excited to involve more agriculture alumni in the future. “We value alumni input,” Mousel said. “They have been through the program and are in the industry, so it would be great for them to come back and share their experiences so we can adjust what we’re doing to better match what they see out in the field.” Mousel can be contacted at 660.562.1155 or mousel@nwmissouri. edu. n
Student employment program highlighted by U.S. Department of Education Northwest’s student employment and Career Pathing programs, which have been internationally benchmarked, are now highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education among “Promising and Practical Strategies to Increase Postsecondary Success.” Northwest’s Career Pathing Program is a structured student employee earn-and-learn development program that provides opportunities for advancement, training and development, performancebased evaluations, affordability of a postsecondary education and encourages retention and degree completion through a comprehensive student
experience. The program offers eight training and development sessions each fall and spring that explore personal and professional development issues presented by oncampus and professional speakers. The program is voluntary and open to all student employees. Those student employees who complete the program criteria may benefit from wage advancements. “The Career Pathing Program provides our student employees with the opportunity to build relations and basic skills that enhance their current employment as well as their future careers,” said Paula McLain ’93, ’08, coordinator of
Northwest Alumni Magazine
Spring 2013
student employment. “Student employment, along with the Career Pathing component, is truly a stepping stone between classroom learning and experiential learning.” About 950 students are employed at Northwest in nearly every area of the campus, including the University farm, custodial services, academic departments, the University Police Department, Residential Life and student service departments. They work in roles such as farm assistants, custodians, lab assistants, tutors, dispatchers, onair announcers, ambassadors, web developers and office assistants. n
Failure not an option for Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, who spent 20 years with NASA and was the astronaut portrayed by actor Bill Paxton in the blockbuster film “Apollo 13” depicting the ill-fated 1970 space mission, visited Northwest in the fall as part of the University’s Distinguished Lecture Series. His lecture, titled “Failure is Not an Option,” was well-received by an enthralled audience in the Houston Center for the Performing Arts and even included personal video shot by Haise from within the lunar module. During his campus visit, Haise also spent time visiting students at Horace Mann Laboratory School. Haise began his NASA career as an aeronautical research pilot and became an astronaut at Johnson Space Center in 1966. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon. n