Northwest News

“No matter what your identity is, we want to be able to provide learning opportunities for our students and for our employees.”

DR. JUSTIN MALLETT

Northwest breaks enrollment record with 8% increase in total headcount, marking fourth consecutive year of growth

Northwest’s total headcount this fall is 7,870 students, making it the highest enrollment in the institution’s 116-year history. The recordbreaking headcount is fueled by large jumps in international enrollment, which increased 59 percent; graduate enrollment, which increased 44 percent; online enrollment, which increased 19 percent; and dual credit enrollment, which increased 16 percent. “We’re so proud of our students who have been buoyant and shown so much resolve throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “Our faculty and staff continue shining through multiple challenges and delivering on an affordable and highquality education. Record enrollments do not happen by accident or chance. Our Northwest team is to be commended as we uplift our culture and deliver on being a high-performing institution and one whose future is vibrant.” Additionally, Northwest maintains a high retention rate with 76 percent of last year’s freshman class – matching the second-highest rate in the institution’s history – choosing to return to the University in the fall. “The collective effort of our entire campus community led to achieving these enrollment and student success outcomes,” Dr. Allison Strong Hoffmann ’99, ’03, Northwest’s assistant vice president of admissions and student success, said. “We are pleased with our progress while remaining focused on the importance of achieving future enrollment and student success goals.”

FIVE YEARS OF NORTHWEST ENROLLMENT

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Undergraduate 5,474 5,654 5,710 5,482 5,306 Graduate 864 1,203 1,394 1,785 2,564 Overall 6,338 6,857 7,104 7,267 7,870

REMODELED DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION OFFICE FOSTERING CONNECTIONS

Students have a new place to study, gather, connect and even get their hair cut or styled with the opening of a remodeled Offi ce of Diversity and Inclusion in the J.W. Jones Student Union. The new space within the Student Engagement Center on the Student Union’s second fl oor includes study spaces, conference areas for organizational meetings and collaboration, and lounge areas as well as staff offi ces. A barbershop has its own room, outfi tted with a barber chair, mirror and portable sink. Any Northwest student, employee or community member may sign up for a hair appointment. The remodel was completed during the summer after the Offi ce of Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with University leaders, gathered input from students to create an inviting space where cultural exchange and learning can occur. “We wanted to make sure we started the process of creating a welcoming and stronger environment for not only our underrepresented students but also providing education and learning opportunities,” Dr. Justin Mallett, the University’s assistant vice president for diversity and inclusion, said. “Through our guideposts of listen, align and act, we started the process of building this space.” Mallett said the space provides a “home away from home” where all students feel comfortable exchanging ideas and lived experiences. The University also hopes it will positively impact retention, persistence and completion rates among its underrepresented population. “No matter what your identity is, we want to be able to provide learning opportunities for our students and for our employees,” Mallett said.

CHOI WINS INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

Dr. Jiwon Choi, a staff accompanist in Northwest’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts, earned first prize in June at the Puerto Rico International Collaborative Piano Competition. Choi, who received a $500 cash prize, has performed as a soloist and a collaborative pianist at venues throughout the United States, South Korea and Italy. She has performed at Carnegie Hall as a first prize winner of the 2018 Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition and debuted there as the 2014 winner of the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music. She also was selected as a finalist in the professional division of The American Prize national competition in the performing arts. She joined the Northwest faculty in 2016 and collaborates with the University’s choirs, vocal and instrumental studios, student pianists, music faculty and guest artists.

NORTHWEST ENHANCES SOLAR ENERGY USAGE, SAVINGS THROUGH EVERGY PARTNERSHIP

Evergy Inc., which delivers electrical service to eastern Kansas and western Missouri, provided the University in July with an $80,000 gift for the installation of a 25KW grid-connected photovoltaic solar electric generating system at the Dean L. Hubbard Center for Innovation. The Hubbard Center on the north edge of campus serves as the home of the School of Agricultural Sciences in addition to containing classrooms, laboratories and offices serving the Department of Natural Sciences. The 100-panel grid on its roof allows Northwest to track energy savings and efficiencies as well as solar production. Through October, the system had saved Northwest approximately $1,484 in energy costs. The new system at the Hubbard Center complements an 18.75KW solar array on the roof of the B.D. Owens Library and a smaller system on the Jon T. Rickman Electronic Campus Support Center.

FROM NAMED FELLOW OF ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS Dr. Karen Gould From ’87, an assistant professor in Northwest’s School of Health Science and Wellness and the director of the University’s Didactic Program in Dietetics, recently became a fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Becoming a fellow distinguishes individuals from their peers and demonstrates a high level of volunteerism and professionalism. “You do so much in your professional world, and you think that everyone does that, and it’s common,” said From, who joined the Northwest faculty in 2009. “Putting it down on a piece of paper really made me realize I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in many professional roles, and I’m very blessed and fortunate that I’ve been able to have them.”

ABINGTON IS 2022 GOVERNOR’S AWARD WINNER

Dr. Casey Abington, an associate professor of economics, is Northwest’s 2022 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education recipient. Abington, who joined the Northwest faculty in 2010, teaches courses related to economics, banking and financial management. Abington’s nomination commended the continuous development and evolution of her teaching to help students and stay current in the discipline. She adopted a new textbook, adapted an undergraduate course for delivery in the online professional program and created an economics course for the Master of Business Administration program. Students also commented that her teaching methods are engaging and effective, and she is enthusiastic, helpful and positive in her interactions. One student commented, “I went from not knowing anything about economics to having a pretty good grasp as to how the economy works and how it influenced my everyday life. Dr. Abington brought the core ideas of economics very close to the student in easy to understand bites.” The Governor’s Award is sponsored by the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education and presented annually to an outstanding faculty member representing each of Missouri’s four-year public institutions. Northwest’s recipient is chosen annually from faculty members who receive the University’s Faculty Excellence Award for teaching and exemplify the Governor’s Award criteria for effective teaching, effective advising, innovation in course design and delivery, service to the University and community, and a commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.

NORTHWEST GARNERS NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PANDEMIC RESPONSE

For the fifth time in seven years, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities recognized Northwest in November with an Excellence and Innovation Award, honoring the institution for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our pandemic response was not with an award in mind, but this recognition validates our approach and deployment thereof as well as Northwest’s role model status,” President Dr. John Jasinski said. “The unbelievable hard work, dedication, perseverance and resilience of our student body and entire faculty and staff are truly the hallmarks of this recognition. We said from the beginning we wanted Northwest to be stronger coming out of the pandemic, and it is clear we are on that path.” The award reflects Northwest’s work throughout the pandemic to maintain on-ground operations and services while implementing mitigation measures that decreased the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission on campus. Through the collaborative work of campus leaders and “Green Teams” consisting of employees and students, the University successfully aligned actions with a guiding philosophy encompassing four themes – learning and success, health and safety, agility, and viability.

Northwest’s mitigation measures throughout the pandemic have included a requirement of face coverings in classrooms.

INITIATIVE PROVIDING FREE FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS

The Student Senate’s approval this fall of $22,000 in funding is helping Northwest unlock feminine hygiene boxes and provide feminine products for free in academic buildings. The funding supports We Gotchya, a group of Northwest faculty and staff working to provide resources to women while engaging in a broader discussion about menstruation and the taboo that exists about periods in society. “The funding helps the campus in so many ways,” Jacquie Lamer, the founder of We Gotchya and a senior instructor of mass media, said. “The most immediate is that students won’t miss class when their periods start.” With the support of donations, We Gotchya can keep feminine hygiene boxes open. For more information about We Gotchya, visit

wegotchya.org.

SIGMA SOCIETY OPENS ORGANIZATION TO ALL GENDERS

After more than 50 years as a women’s service organization, Sigma Society is now open to any person, without regard to gender identity. The organization amended its constitution and removed restrictions regarding gender identity. Sigma Society, founded at Northwest in 1970, supports local and national charities while helping its members build leadership skills. “I’m just so incredibly proud of Sigma Society,” Dr. Adrienne Reynolds, the Sigma Society faculty advisor and an assistant professor of management, said. “This was certainly a big decision to make, and I’m very proud that they see how our society is today and how we’re moving forward in the future.”

NORTHWEST AWARDS $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP, PRIZES FOR COVID VACCINATIONS

Kate Kilpatrick, a sophomore geology major from Warrenton, Missouri, gladly accepted a $10,000 scholarship as the University sponsored prize drawings during the fall semester as an incentive to students who submitted copies of their COVID-19 vaccination records to the Wellness Center. Northwest also awarded $2,500 scholarships, parking passes, $100 Bearcat Bookstore gift cards and $50 in Campus Dining dollars. JAZZ ENSEMBLE PERFORMS AT NEBRASKA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

For the second time in four years, Northwest’s Jazz Ensemble was selected to perform in November at the Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA) Conference on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The Jazz Ensemble, which was the only university jazz ensemble to perform at this year’s conference, was selected through a competitive application and audition process from among scores of submissions.

TOWER YEARBOOK ALUMNI CELEBRATE 100th EDITION

Alumni and current staff members of the Tower yearbook gathered during September’s Family Weekend for a night of reminiscing and swapping stories as they commemorated last spring’s publication of the 100th edition. First published in 1917, Tower is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press Hall of Fame and a perennial Pacemaker finalist, an honor bestowed annually on outstanding college media publications. View a documentary produced by Tower staff members, “A Century of Moments,” online at bit.ly/3CQU5UJ.

Dave ‘80, ‘85, and Carole Patterson ‘80 Gieseke page through a collection of Tower yearbooks at a September reunion celebrating the book’s 100th edition.

WITH PRECISION

Stafford-Jones is using agriculture techniques he learned in the Midwest to teach a different way of farming in Hawaii

It’s 6:20 a.m. on a Thursday in October and Shyloh Stafford-Jones ’13 is driving his ATV on a rugged dirt road over rocky terrain en route to a fi eld for a morning of crop scouting. There’s a midwestern feel to it, but the clumps of prickly pear cactus along the roadside, the mountains on either side of him, the songs of Hawaiian geese echoing across the acreage and the calming blue ocean in the distance tell a very different story. Stafford-Jones is some 3,800 miles from northwest Missouri and the tobacco farm where he grew up. He’s out – way out – on his own, but his profound passion for agriculture and the skills he learned at Northwest are motivating him to help jumpstart crop production on the island of Maui.

“It’s kind of funny now because my dad would always tell me, ‘You need to go to college so you can get a real job when you get older and not farm,” Staff ord-Jones says while he drives, wearing dirt-stained jeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with SJ Ag Operations. “I basically have been in the ag industry my entire life. I have a farm now on Maui – of all places in the world to have a farm.”

STARTING WITH TOBACCO

As a child, Staff ord-Jones spent many days helping his father with the grueling hand labor needed to operate their 200-acre tobacco farm in northwest Missouri. Until high school, growing tobacco was all he knew about farming. He arrived at Northwest as an agriculture education major, thinking he might follow in the footsteps of his high school FFA advisor. He soon realized he wasn’t cut out for teaching, however, and changed his major multiple times, fi nally fi nding a fi t with agronomy and the University’s newly created precision agriculture minor. During his fi rst year at Northwest,

PRECISION

Staff ord-Jones stood at the R.T. Wright Farm with classmates who grew up raising corn, soybeans and cattle at larger farming operations throughout the four-state area. He had no experience with the large equipment and technology his instructors were teaching. More than a few times he doubted he could be successful in the ag industry. “I’m from a 200-acre tobacco farm, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this is a lot diff erent,’ because most farms are 1,000 acres-plus with larger, more complex equipment,” he remembers. “I learned a lot pretty fast from a lot of my friends and fellow students in class.” During his second year at Northwest, Staff ordJones became an agriculture ambassador with the School of Agricultural Sciences, which helped him grow out of his soft-spoken and reserved personality to advocate for Northwest and the agriculture industry. But Stafford-Jones says no experience changed the trajectory of his career more than when he joined a faculty-led trip to Alaska. With his growing interest in agronomy, he was fascinated by the untapped potential in another area of the world and suddenly realized he could take his budding knowledge far beyond the Midwest. By Mark Hornickel Design by Kim Surprise Photography by Todd Weddle

“Every story I tell of why and how I ended up out here, I go back to the ag travel trip to Alaska,” he says. “Th at’s the main motivation of why I wanted to leave the Midwest.”

SOWING THE SEEDS OF HIS CAREER

Stafford-Jones continued honing his skills during the fi rst two years of his professional career. He worked a stint as a precision ag specialist in Mt. Ayr, Iowa, and then moved to seed sales outside of Lincoln, Nebraska, where he ran a warehouse and was responsible for the shipment and handling of about 60,000 bags of corn and 30,000 units of soybeans during the course of the year. “I kind of added everything in,” he said. “I came from the tobacco farm and I learned about big ag at Northwest – agronomy, the science of everything. Th en, I learned some technical skills in Iowa with scouting, mapping and running equipment. And then in Nebraska, I learned a lot about the logistics and warehousing and inventory management.” In early 2015, StaffordJones, who never stopped itching to move away from the Midwest, spotted an opening for a weed control specialist at a sugarcane plantation, Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. (HC&S), on Maui. Th e company was attracted to Staff ord-Jones’ diversifi ed experience in the agriculture industry and hired him.

A TEST RUN ON MAUI

Stafford-Jones arrived on Maui in the spring of 2015 when the aroma of burned sugar still enveloped the island and HC&S’s massive mill complex - with its 36,000-acre plantation - was a town of its own. Th e sugarcane industry had thrived on Maui since 1848, and HC&S was the kind of employer found in so many industrial communities where generations of family members had worked and everyone on the island seemed to know someone there. Since the 1970s, though, agriculture in Hawaii has taken a backseat to tourism as the state’s economic driver, and Staff ord-Jones quickly realized HC&S hadn’t hired him just to handle weed control. Th e company put him in charge of starting corn and sorghum crops it hoped to use in the production of bioenergy while it transitioned out of the sugarcane business. Stafford-Jones had enormous success and was pushing up to 40 tons an acre of sorghum, up to 30 tons an acre of corn silage and 200 bushels of grain per acre at the peak of the project. On Maui, where the summertime daylight lasts just 13 hours, the silage and grain proved valuable to ranchers as feed for livestock, and Staff ordJones estimates the project likely saved a few operations that couldn’t aff ord to purchase feed. But in 2016, HC&S announced the inevitable – that it was ceasing sugarcane production and the mill would close by the end of that year.

(Left on opposite page) Shyloh Stafford-Jones evaluates tillage radish he planted to break up the soil compaction on a former pineapple farm, which the property owner was converting to pasture. Hawaii’s naturally acidic soil is even less habitable in areas once covered by pineapple, but Stafford-Jones’ methods had the ground almost completely covered with new grass in November. (Above) Stafford-Jones converses with a Maui farmer who had just fi nished loading his truck to fi ll an order for cabbage. (Below) Stafford-Jones had spent the morning scouting crops at the large farm, which also grows sweet onions and peppers. “There’s a lot of opportunity out here for improvement on operations and production. Everything’s old and outdated, which is something that I’m trying to change.” Shyloh Stafford-Jones

Staff ord-Jones stayed with the new company for a couple more years as it turned over the plantation for test crops and other uses. By 2019, after years of observing gaps in the ways farmers managed their crops and believing his skills could aid in more effi cient production, Staff ord-Jones went into business on his own and launched SJ Ag Operations.

ASSISTING MAUI FARMERS

At a time when farmers in the Midwest are traditionally harvesting their crops, Staff ord-Jones was in the thick of another Maui growing season in early October – a continuous cycle where a year’s worth of Midwestern farming happens in weeks. Yet, Maui also presents a harsh environment for farming that includes abundant sun accompanying dry, windy conditions with only spurts of signifi cant rainfall. Th e varied microclimates mean growing conditions on one side of the island are far diff erent on another. “It’s not like the mainland where in fall we’re going to harvest and soil sample everything,” Staff ord-Jones said. “You’ve got to soil sample a little here on this farm and a little there on that farm. It’s jumping around because everything’s growing year-round all the time. Th ere’s no winter, so insects are always an issue and a battle year-round.” Stafford-Jones founded SJ Ag Operations on his desire to educate farmers while off ering soil sampling and custom application to clients ranging from large farming operations to small orchard owners and backyard gardeners. He also earned status as a certifi ed crop advisor, making him the only agronomist on the island with that credential. As he drives his pickup across Maui, Staff ord-Jones sees an agriculture industry that stopped innovating while tourism brushed it aside. “Th ere’s a lot of opportunity out here for improvement on operations and production,” he says. “Everything’s old and outdated, which is something that I’m trying to change.” Where the antiquated and rundown farming equipment is common on Maui, Staff ordJones uses his precision ag expertise to recommend exact amounts of fertilizer, helping farmers grow their crops in a way that is safer for the environment, more effi cient and, thus, more profi table. “The main goal obviously is to keep the farmers in business, which is lowering

A view of the ocean is never far when Shyloh Stafford-Jones needs a break from visiting with his customers throughout Maui. (Below left) Stafford-Jones and Dr. Kyle Caires, a University of Hawaii faculty member, assess a pasture at the Haleakala Research Station, where Maui’s red volcanic dirt offers another challenge in soil sampling for Stafford-Jones. (Below right) Stafford-Jones converses with a worker washing vegetables at the Kula Agriculture Park, where Maui farmers lease lots and grow a variety of vegetables and ornamentals, including zucchini, onions, eggplant, cilantro, broccoli, bananas and papayas.

their (fertilizer, chemical, water and labor) inputs, but a secondary goal is it’s more environmentally friendly,” Staff ord-Jones said. “Where we’re soil sampling, we’re applying only what the crop’s going to use. None of the excess fertilizer is running off . It’s getting used up.”

OVERCOMING THE PANDEMIC

While the COVID-19 pandemic put a dent in Hawaii’s tourism industry, it has benefi ted SJ Ag Operations. Staff ordJones was living in a small apartment near a beach, running his business out of a driveway and a tote in his pickup truck. Th en tourism stalled, restaurants closed, grocers were running short on food, and farmers began tapping Staff ord-Jones for consultation. Last January, to help him expand his business, he moved further inland to an abandoned three-acre farm that he leases with the hope of turning its grounds into a lab for demonstration crops. Stafford-Jones’ also began partnering with the University of Hawaii, where he’s working on a series of test plots, as well as with Maui County and its farm bureau to conduct soil sampling. “Hawaii was involved in big ag, but it was mainly sugar and pineapple, and the level of agronomy required for those crops – not taking away from those people – is kind of akin to what you need to operate a D8 dozer – not a whole lot precision,” said Dr. Kyle Caires, a University of Hawaii faculty member and extension agent who works closely with Staff ord-Jones. “Agronomy is a very weak area within the state of Hawaii and, between the gaps of the land grant institution and industry, Shyloh’s really the only one providing agronomic support.” At the Haleakala Research Station, which once was a home to prolifi c alfalfa production and macadamia nut trees, Caires and Staff ord-Jones have eliminated invasive plant species in favor of converting a fi eld to productive pasture. “He’s the precision-ag guy that’s also the tractor-mechanic guy that’s also the farmequipment-operator guy, the implementfi xer guy, the soil-sampling guy, the soilsampling-interpretation-of-results guy,” Caires said. “Google still knows a little bit more than Shyloh, but the gap is closing.” As the world tries to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind it, Maui farmers are attempting to grow quality crops that are in demand among high-end restaurants as tourism returns. Staff ord-Jones is helping farmers design plans for nutrient management, crop rotation and other practices that are fundamental to crop management in the Midwest. “Being able to adapt and willing to learn has helped me a lot,” he said. “A lot of people that come out here from the mainland, it’s either their way or no way, and they all end up failing and moving back. So having an open mind helps a lot. It takes a little longer, but it’s more eff ective.”

DRIVING AGRICULTURE

Thornburg is advocating for growing the industry in Alaska

Monica Thornburg ’20, a native of Wellington, Missouri, about 35 minutes east of Kansas City, grew up baling hay and driving cattle on her grandfather’s century farm. A year and a half after completing her bachelor’s degree in agricultural science at Northwest, she is using those skills as a ranch hand on an Alaskan cattle ranch while promoting the state’s agriculture. “I just saw my grandpa’s passion for agriculture and it just fueled me,” she said. “I love being outside. I love living off the land, and I chose it as a career because I love it. I may not be fi t for production agriculture, but I have a voice and I love being able to advocate for it and just tell people the ins and outs of agriculture.” When she arrived in Delta Junction, Alaska, in August 2020, Thornburg eagerly learned what it takes to operate Mugrage Hay and Cattle. She happily assists with morning chores and other projects on the ranch. She has experienced camping under starry Alaskan night skies and bitter cold days when temperatures dropped to -35 degrees Fahrenheit – causing a bout of frostbite on her feet and equipment breakdowns. Her work also includes developing the ranch’s marketing strategy and social media presence in conjunction with planning and promoting The Great Alaskan Cattle Drive, an agritourism event designed to advocate for sustainable agriculture in Alaska. Thornburg, working as its chief operations offi cer along with the Mugrage team, spent the last year planning the inaugural event, which invites adventurous souls to join them next summer as they drive cattle through the Alaskan wilderness. Participants will be actively involved in tending a cattle herd and everything between – from saddling horses to collecting fi rewood for campfi res. “A lot of people don’t realize there’s more to Alaska than polar bears and ice,” Thornburg said. “We have a large cattle operation, and we have proven time and time again that you can produce animals here. It’s a little bit harder, but there’s a lot of farmers willing to teach you how to make things work in Alaska.” And Thornburg isn’t stopping at Alaska’s border. In November, she participated in the Women’s Communications Boot Camp, sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation, in Washington, D.C. She also has begun a dialogue about agriculture needs with Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy. As she drives cattle across Alaska, she can’t help but notice the viable, affordable farmland that is going untouched and the potential to expand agriculture in Alaska. “We have the ability to adapt to new technologies that maybe the lower 48 farmers wouldn’t necessarily be willing to adapt,” Thornburg said. “I really like how much agriculture potential is up here, and they’re making it work. It’s not perfect, but it’s very cool to see.”

To read more of this story, visit www. nwmissouri.edu/alumni/magazine/.

Photos by Emmie Sperandeo/ Steady Rein Productions