Alumni Spotlight: Jamie Hooyman
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Hometown:
Trenton, Missouri
OSU Degree:
Ph.D. Education, Applied Educational Studies, focus in Exercise Science (2003)
What is your current job?
I am the provost at Northwest Missouri State University.
You have been named as the first female provost at Northwest. What does that recognition mean to you?
I am honored. When an outstanding academic university such as Northwest chooses you to be their academic leader you are faced with the realization that it is now your responsibility to carry on a proud history while laying the groundwork for the future. Being the first woman to hold this position is gratifying, but I am confident my past history has prepared me to do justice to this honor. So I can tell you, I don’t feel so much like a trailblazer because I have been influenced and mentored by some of the smartest and strongest women I have known. However, as a mother of three daughters, leading by example and showing them you can be a good mother and leader – well, that’s really a great thing.
What does a provost do?
A provost serves as the institution’s chief academic officer and focuses on learning, academic quality and student success. I work with various groups on and off campus to develop and evaluate academics at the university and ensure that what we do is aligned with the university’s strategic plan, accreditation standards and compliance with laws and federal/state requirements.
How did your experiences at OSU prepare you for your future?
The OSU doctoral degree, proudly displayed on my office wall, stands for excellence and perseverance. I had to juggle driving to campus for classes at night while carrying a full-time teaching load at UCO during the daytime. My husband was an officer in the Navy and was gone a good portion of the time serving our country, so I had to find the balance between being a student and teacher with being the mother to my three very young girls. But at OSU, I found supportive and understanding faculty and advisers who were wonderfully dedicated people and really connected with me and all of their doctoral students. They helped move the obstacles that they could and challenged me to think deeply when I needed the extra push. My passion for teaching and helping students achieve their lifelong goals began at OSU.
At the end of the day, what are you most passionate about?
Easy, my family. I have been married to my husband for 25 years and we have three wonderful daughters. As they endeavor through college and enter the work force, we are very proud of the strong young women they have become. Love and attention are investments that, when made without reservation, always produce an amazing outcome.