Dr. Sue Diel
Chair of Education Division and Professor of Education
Oklahoma State University, Doctor of Education, Educational Administration
Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Masters of Education, Guidance and Counseling and BA in Ed in English Education

Sue Diel has taught at Northwestern for 13 years and enjoys it immensely.

“When I left to teach in another state, I realized that I missed just about everything at Northwestern," she said. "There is a collegiality among the faculty, a respectful attitude from the students, and a desire for learning that is evident within the faculty and the students. I was so thankful that I could come back home to Northwestern to teach."

“Northwestern is a very supportive educational environment. Students, faculty, and staff work together, laugh together, and support one another in whatever we do.”

Sue’s hobbies include reading, watching all sports, but especially football, wrestling, baseball and basketball. She enjoys spending time with her family and going to New York City with her girls. She has two daughters and two sons-in-law. All of them have graduated or attended Northwestern.

“I am very proud of their accomplishments,” Sue said, “and I firmly believe they are successful because of their education here at NWOSU! I also have a grandson, Dallas, who will be a Ranger in 18 years… I hope!”

FAVORITES
Color: red
Music: rock-n-roll
Music artist: Harry Nielson
Book: Savage Inequalities
Food: cholocate
Movie: Christmas Vacation
TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Actor/Actress: George Clooney

Q: What does being a Ranger mean to you?
A: I have attended and taught in several different universities, and I have never experienced anything like the “Ranger Pride” that is demonstrated here at NWOSU by faculty, staff and students! Others have commented on that unique characteristic, but no one can fully understand it until you have experienced it! You can see this pride in the academic arena, the drama and musical productions, as well as the athletic events. NWOSU is the PRIDE of Northwest Oklahoma!

Q: If you had a chance to tell a prospective student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short speech?
A: You will find at Northwestern a caring attitude from faculty, staff and from other students. You can be a part of a quality education and have fun while reaching the goal of being a college graduate.

Q: What is your favorite thing about Northwestern?
A: I know this sounds corny, but I can’t think of just one favorite thing, I like it all!

Q: If you needed to describe Northwestern through the use of adjectives or phrases, what would you say?
A: NWOSU is a place “where everyone knows your name.”… A caring atmosphere… challenging.

Jesse Schroeder
Instructor of Mass Communications
Adviser for NWTV 7
Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications, 2003, from Northwestern
Master of Arts Education in Curriculum and Instruction, 2007, University of Phoenix
Additional doctoral work at Northcentral University

Jesse began working at Northwestern in August 2006. Prior to returning to his alma mater, he worked in radio and television. He has served as news director and anchor for the Wright Wradio Network in Weatherford. His television experience comes from being an associate producer at KWTV News 9 in Oklahoma City and a producer/reporter at KSWO in Lawton.

Schroeder also is a member of the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association.

In addition to teaching mass communications courses and advising the campus television station, Schroeder also is very involved in a number of committees around campus and the community, including being a co-director with Tammy Brown for the Miss Cinderella Pageant during the annual Northwestern Homecoming celebration.

He said he has been happily married to his wife Amanda for six years. The couple has three children: Brayden, who is 5, Parker, 3, and Mia, who was born just prior to the start of the fall semester.

Schroeder enjoys spending time with family and friends. As for hobbies, he said he currently is pursuing his Ph.D., so that has become his hobby, one that keeps him very busy.

FAVORITES:
Color: Red
Music: Country/Top 40
Music Artist: Rascal Flatts
Book: Anything by John Maxwell
Food: Mexican
Movie: American Beauty
TV Show: Reality TV and all news programs
Actor/Actress: Jack Nicholson and Meg Ryan

Q. What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to teach the students here?

A. The main area that makes Northwestern different is the one-on-one attention that we are able to give our students. We are able to build relationships with our students and help them achieve their personal and professional goals.

Q. What makes Northwestern unique from any other university you may have taught at or attended?

A. I attended UCO for a semester while working on my undergraduate degree. I felt like a small fish in a huge ocean. I was lost, disconnected from my professors and fellow students. Also, there were few areas for me to get involved within my discipline due to the number of upperclassmen who were already involved. At Northwestern, you can get involved on day one and not stop until you walk across the stage at your commencement ceremony.

Q. What would you tell a future student on why they should choose Northwestern?

A. At Northwestern, you are more than a number. At Northwestern, you get to be involved in everything you want to be involved in while earning a degree. At Northwestern, professors are able to focus on each student and help each person achieve their goals instead of getting lost in the crowd. If you want to be successful and are willing to work toward achieving your goals, the professors will do everything they can to assist you in that endeavor.

Q. Other comments for future students or employees?

A. As a graduate of Northwestern, I knew what the institution was all about prior to returning to teach. I can honestly say that it is just as great a place to work as it is to go to school. I feel the overall focus at Northwestern is helping each individual succeed and become their best, whether that be as a student or employee.

Ryan Hintergardt
Sports Information Director
Graduated from Northwestern in 1999 with a degree in health and physical education, December 2000 with a business administration degree and 2002 with a degree in E-commerce.

Ryan played third base and was a pitcher for the Ranger baseball team from 1996 to 1999 before joining the staff at Northwestern in January 2003. In his job as Sports Information Director, he has fun watching the teams succeed, especially for an athletic program he personally took part in. In fact, his favorite thing about Northwestern today is being involved in athletics because he was a former player.

In his job as SID, Ryan produces a number of publications for each athletic program the university offers, and he maintains the university’s athletics web site (www.nwosu.edu/athletic). In fact, since Ryan has been SID, he has had 13 Top 10 finishes in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics – Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SIDA) Publications Contests. One of the most recent awards recognized the Sports Information Office with a "Best Cover" award for the 2009 Baseball cover designed by Kris Johnson.

Ryan also started the Ranger Dugout Club, the Ranger Dugout Club Golf Touranment and the Ranger Dugout Club Scholarship Endowment.

Ryan said the reason he likes working at Northwestern is being involved with great people – his co-workers and the students.

He said Northwestern is a great place to get an education and meet many new friends.

“The education you will receive is personal and will get you ready for the real world.”

What does ‘Being a Ranger’ mean to you?

“Being a Ranger means taking pride in your work, university and many other things associated with the school. Since I am in athletics, sports play a huge role in being a Ranger. It means supporting the teams in any way possible.”

Ryan said his world revolves around sports when he is at home, too. He plays a lot of golf, he works out, runs and likes to go the lake. When he is not outside, he likes to watch sports on TV and listen to music.

Some of his other favorites include:
Color: Green
Music: Hard Rock
Food: Mexican
Movie: Caddyshack II
TV Show: Sportscenter

Irala Magee
Director of Financial Aid/Scholarships
1986 Bachelor of Science fron Northwestern
1991 Master of Education from Northwestern

Irala Magee grew up in Carmen, Okla., and lived there until 1996. She is a Christian and has been the wife of Steve for 32 years, the mother of two and the grandmother of two (so far). She runs about 20 miles a week and relaxes with Sudoku.

She enjoys being a part of a collective effort to improve the futures of the people who look to them for advice, guidance and education.

Q: What does being a Ranger mean to you?
A: I am proud of Northwestern: proud to be a graduate, proud to be an employee, proud of the work we do and what we accomplish here at Northwestern.

FAVORITES
Color: Teal
Music: Classic Rock
Food: Coconut pie
Movie: Die Hard (all of them)
TV Show: Big Bang Theory
Actor/Actress: Dennis Quaid

Q: If you had a chance to tell a prospective student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short speech?
A: “Northwestern is a great value. You get a quality education at a reasonable cost with lots of opportunities to further reduce that cost with scholarships.”

Q: If you needed to describe Northwestern through the use of adjectives or phrases, what would you say?
A: Northwestern is a caring place with a dedicated faculty and staff who work hard to provide an excellent, well-rounded education to its students.

Irala says that her favorite thing about Northwestern is the feeling of contributing to the future of Northwest Oklahoma.

“I have happily made my professional career here at Northwestern. I have had opportunities to try different aspects of higher education employment here at Northwestern and have found that this school has excellent personal growth potential for staff as well as students.”

Larry Justice
Adjunct instructor of Philosophy, Ethics and Communication
1969 – Bachelor of Arts from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas
1972 – MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
1983 – Master’s of Art in Communication from Southwestern Seminary

“The invitation is simple: Become a Ranger and have a major impact upon the world.”

“My favorite things about Northwestern are two-fold. First, after 30 years at Northwestern, the physical changes being made to our campus facilities and landscape already are impacting the rest of the state,” Justice said.

Second, my life is much, much richer because of the friends I have at Northwestern. Northwestern is a special place. Northwestern is a significant place. We are not perfect – but we certainly have a lot going for us.

About Larry: My wife Debby and I have been married for 35 years. Debby is a first grade teacher in the Alva school system. We are active members of First Baptist Church. We have two sons. Our oldest son Christopher and his wife Liz are the parents of our three granddaughters. Our youngest son Shane and his wife Tabitha are new parents to twins.

My hobbies include golf and studying Oklahoma history. I am a member of the Oklahoma and Kansas Historical Societies and the Santa Fe Trail Association. I thoroughly enjoy baseball and OU football and watching the Rangers in any sport.

Share something about yourself that not many people know about you. Something that shows another side to your “professor” personality.
A: One principle success story involves the “Oklahoma Flag Project” I helped develop as a part of the Oklahoma Centennial celebration and the noting of Northwestern’s 110th anniversary. At first, our goal was to “sell” 20 sponsorships. We ended up with 53 sponsorships. That meant that 53 people made a $50 investment in celebrating our centennial and anniversary. But, more significantly, it meant that many students and members of the Northwestern family participated in displaying the flags across our campus. Likewise, in 2008, we had 19 from our campus who represented the BSU working in a “summer missions” project in places like Mississippi, southeast Asia, China, Canada and in locales in Oklahoma.

FAVORITES

Color: Red (specifically crimson and cream)
Type of music: Jazz, big band era, contemporary Christian, classic 60s and 70s
Music artist: Michael Buble, Chicago, The Eagles, Gershwin
Food: Steak, Tex-Mex, Cajun (red beans and rice, shrimp)
Book: Until We Meet Again by Korenblit
Movies: Sgt. York; The Natural; The Rookie; 61; She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford movies with/without John Wayne)
TV Shows: Andy Griffith, CSI, M*A*S*H*

What does it mean “To Be a Ranger?”

A: The task for a ranger in the 1800s was to develop the land and the people who had a desire to live in this part of the world. There had to be a sense of enforcement while allowing the citizenry to develop their holdings based upon their talents and gifts. “Being a Ranger” at Northwestern carries similar responsibilities. As Rangers we are responsible to help students develop their talents and gifts in an orderly fashion to better affect people today and in the future. A Ranger is a leader. The world is a better place because of Rangers around the world.

Q: If you had a chance to tell a prospective student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short speech?
A: My earned degrees are not from Northwestern. But, Northwestern is home. I have former students who live and work throughout the world. I continually talk with former students who are proud of their university and proud of the education they received. It is my privilege to be a Ranger and to maintain consistent contact with the Ranger family.

Q: What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to teach the students here?
A: 1. Student-Faculty interaction is more than surface and classroom situations. Students can get to know faculty and administration and staff personally
2. The list is very long of successful alumni who have and continue to make a substantial difference in the lives of people all over the world. Northwestern’s impact is far more than regional.
3. Northwestern is more than academia – once a Ranger, always a Ranger. It is a sense of pride to wear red and black and sport the Ranger logo. Rangers take a backseat to no one.

Q: What makes Northwestern unique from any other university you may have taught at or even attended?
A: It seems that for most of the faculty and administration and staff, it is a given that students come first. We are here because of the students. Our task and goal is to educate those who desire to be educated and want to make a difference in the world – and definitely a difference is needed.

Sandra Petree
Associate Professor of English
Bachelor of General Studies, Fort Hays (Kan.) State University 1990
Master’s degree in English, Fort Hays, 1992
Ph.D. in Literature, University of Arkansas, 1999

Dr. Sandra Petree is in her ninth year at Northwestern where she teaches all the American and World Literature classes, including American Literature survey classes, American Novels (19^th Century and recent), Introduction to Literature (humanities class), as well as Comp 1 and Comp II.

Dr. Petree said she is “100 percent family oriented” and explained that her family extends beyond blood lines to friends and students.

She said she has lots of children – four of whom she’s given birth to, two she inherited when she married, two inherited when her children married, and several of whom she has emotionally adopted just because she loves them. She has 11 grandchildren with more on the way (as of July).

Before teaching English, she taught religion for 12 years and ran a genealogical research library, and said she loves all things relating to family history and history in general.

Dr. Petree mentioned a few things that not many people know about her including the fact she had polio when she was 2 years old. This was before the vaccine came out. She has a slight deformity of the spine that hardly anyone can detect.

She also can play the bagpipes without bagpipes but said she will NOT perform this feat in front of anyone whose respect she ever wants to maintain.

She also said she talks to plants and trees (they don’t talk back, but she knows they hear her). She believes in fairies, or at least she wants to, and she encourages all people to believe in the unbelievable as often as possible.

Dr. Petree has published a book, “Recollections of Past Days: The Autobiography of Patience Loader Rozsa Archer,” and said she received “some pretty satisfying recognition for it, both from the university and other parties.”

She said that her greatest rewards through the years have come from her former students.

“The thing I feel most rewarded by is a little folder I have in one of my file cabinets in the office,” she said. It contains notes, e-mail prints, newspaper quotes, letters, gift cards and flower cards, etc., from former students who say nice things about how something I’ve done or said as a teacher made a difference in their lives. As far as I’m concerned, there aren’t any greater awards than that.”

Q. What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to teach the students here?
A. Love the combination of small-town America and academia

Q. Why should future students choose Northwestern?
A. Northwestern offers personal education. That is, student/faculty ratio is among the best in the country, offering students the opportunity to know their mentors and to interact closely with them on a more personal basis. Additionally, it’s a student-friendly campus; faculty, staff and administrators are willing to accommodate real student needs and interests wherever possible. People are people, not numbers, on this campus.

Q. What is your favorite thing about Northwestern?
A. The people, “The Ranger,” and rodeo!

Q. What makes Northwestern unique from any other university you may have taught at or attended?
A. Northwestern's uniqueness springs from its location and its mission.  Our location, in rural Oklahoma, can be a challenge but also an important asset, reflected in NWOSU's positive impact on its students, its faculty, and its contributions to the region of northwestern Oklahoma.  The location, in some ways, protects Northwestern's ability to maintain integrity as an institution and as a launchpad for its students. 

Our mission is unique because it is to some degree fluid in that we can (and do) rethink our direction, emphasis, and focus as often as necessary to meet current student needs.   This is a living institution, evolving out of an important and well-respected past into an exciting and unknown future.  You can feel the force of that fluidity as part of the Northwestern community, perhaps because all constituents--students, staff, faculty, administration, community--are intricately involved in decision-making and goal implementation.  Each person is part of the evolution.  It's exciting, and ultimately always hopeful.

What does ‘Being a Ranger’ mean to you?

“I guess I can sum it up by saying that on the day the Ranger statue was dedicated, when the band played ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky,’ I had this overwhelming sense of being a link in  a chain of dedicated people, many of whom have gone on, and many more of whom will follow. I felt blessed to be a part of it. ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’ is kind of corny and more than a little sentimental, but it’s also symbolic, to me, of a consciousness we have here at Northwestern of our past, our predecessors, our ancestors. I like that. In that sense, I feel strongly that being a Ranger is a pretty big deal.”

Favorites:
Color: Yellow

Music: Classical and Country

Music Artist: Dierks Bentley, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson and Vivaldi. Or maybe Chopin. Or maybe…

Book: Moby Dick. She also is a huge admirer of Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Willa Cather, Toni Morrison, John Steinbeck, Edith Wharton, the comparable William Faulkner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Tony Hillerman, William Vollmann, and about 200 more.

Food: Peach Pie or Baskin Robbins’ “Love Potion 31” ice cream

Movie: Loves chick flicks. Buffalo Jump, Under the Tuscan Sun, watches Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility at least twice a year – all eight hours of them, Lonesome Dove, and loves Harry Potter. She thinks J.K. Rowling is among the greatest creative geniuses of all time.

TV Show: The Closer

Actor: Will Smith or Kevin Costner or Steve Carell

Actress: Julia Roberts

Other: I like elephants, wild horses, oak trees, winter, Pero, Paris, the Tower of London, Pacific Beach (in San Diego) and Keystone Lake. She said there’s nothing she likes more than research for and writing of a new book. Well, except maybe for lying on the beach in San Diego reading, or traveling anywhere at any time.

Dr. Carole A. McKenzie
Chair of Nursing Division
Bachelor of Science – Texas Woman’s University
MSN – Yale University
PhD – Texas A&M University

Dr. Carole A. McKenzie decided to become a nurse in the fourth grade because, as she told her mother, “I want to help people.”

In the seventh grade, McKenzie said she told her she wanted to care for mothers and babies.

“I never wavered in my desire both to be a nurse, and I became a nurse midwife and always worked clinically to care for mothers and babies,” McKenzie said. “After I got my master’s degree, I decided to also teach and have always loved it.

“I believe it is my way of passing the torch, and I am energized every year with each new group of students. Nursing is a profession that is ever-changing and always stimulating. I have done many different things in my career and nursing provides that. If you want to try something new, nursing has an option for you. You can also always find a job – or two or three if you need them – so the security of the profession is wonderful. However, you do have to have a passion for it and retain it or you will be ineffective. You can never view it as “just a job.”

As for working at Northwestern, McKenzie said, “I love the area, the administrative support and the excellent students at Northwestern. Among my favorite things at Northwestern are the people I work with.”

McKenzie believes that a student can receive the best quality education at Northwestern with excellent faculty, in a supportive student environment, at a reasonable cost. She describes Northwestern with such words as “excellent quality, supportive, cost effective and great people.”

“I’ve been so lucky to have support to make the changes I have made (within the nursing program). The biggest high was going before the Board of Nursing and having them ask very few questions and getting total approval and being in the room for less than five minutes! The best part was sharing that with my boss and my assistant chair.”

When Dr. McKenzie is not busy in the classroom, she enjoys cross stitching, reading and watching movies. She also enjoys singing and judging at speech and debate tournaments and currently is working with her church to establish a parish nurse program.

McKenzie and her husband Roger have three children and one granddaughter who all live far away.

“They are the light of my life,” McKenzie said. I also have a supportive, terrific husband who is always there for me and our family.”

Q: What makes Northwestern unique from any other university you may have taught at or even attended?
A: “The small classes and supportive administration. Alva, Enid and Woodward are safe communities, the cost of living is low and cultural activities offered are excellent.”

Q: What does “Being a Ranger” mean to you?
A: “‘Being a Ranger’ means supporting all that the university does in the community and being committed to students and quality as well as always striving to make things better.”

FAVORITES
Color: Lavender
Book: Gone with the Wind
Type of music: Oldies
Music artist: Linda Ronstadt
Food: Steak
Movie: An Affair to Remember
TV Show: Grey’s Anatomy
Actor/Actress: Brad Pitt and Helen Mirren

Dr. Stephen Kingsbury
Chair, Dept. of Fine Arts
Director of Choral and Vocal Studies
Associate Professor of Music

Dr. Stephen Kingsbury graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts: Music Pre-teaching degree in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Teaching: Secondary Education degree in 1997. Then, in 1999, he received a Master of Music: Conducting Performance, from Boston University. Finally, in 2003, Kingsbury received a Doctor of Musical Arts: Choral Conducting and Literature from the University of Illinois.

Kingsbury knows that Northwestern has a great sense of community and that aspect is one of his favorite things about the university.

“Northwestern is a much smaller university than any that I attended as a student, or any that I worked at prior to joining the NWOSU faculty,” he said. “On the surface, that may appear to be a disadvantage, but I believe it is one of our greatest strengths. Our intimate atmosphere allows each student an extremely high degree of personalized instruction that is simply not available at a larger institution.”

FAVORITES
Movie: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, When Harry Met Sally, The Matrix trilogy, The Princess Bride and any of the Star Trek or Star Wars movies

TV Show: Battlestar Galactica, The Simpsons, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Mythbusters, Futurama, Good Eats, Jimmy Neutron

Color: Blue

Book: Lord of the Rings, the Dune series, the Foundation series, Harry Potter

Type of music: Just about anything, from Pink Floyd to Sarah McLachlan. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. On the classical side, I love Brahms, Mahler, Ives, Purcell, Josquin, Bach, Beethoven, Vaughan, Williams, Holst, MacMillan, etc. (There are too many to list them all!)

Food: Sushi, Indian, Pizza

Hobbies: Beyond music (which I think of as both a hobby and a profession, and which takes up most of my time) I like to play golf, although I’m pretty bad. I like to go hiking and camping and I like simply puttering around the house fixing things and working in the garden.

Q: What Does Being a Ranger Mean to You?
A: “To me, being a ranger means having the determination and strength of character to persevere under difficult circumstances.”

Q: What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to teach the students here?
A: Our students are talented, smart and hard-working. They understand the value of a college education in today’s society, and they work hard in pursuit of that goal. It is an absolute pleasure to work with students like that.

Q: If you had a chance to tell a future student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short story?
A: Students who choose to study music at Northwestern have all the opportunities that can be found at a major university combined with the friendliness and warmth of a small college. Students who are interested in studying music can major in one of several academically and artistically rigorous programs. Those students who are interested in pursuing a major other than music can still participate in high-level ensembles that are both enjoyable and artistically satisfying. Students who become involved with the music program at Northwestern have the opportunity to learn from faculty who are highly-qualified musicians and gifted teachers who are committed to the success of their students. Because of the intimate scale of the university and the Department of Fine Arts, we are able to offer students a high-degree of personalized instruction.

Q: Other comments about Northwestern, being able to teach here, etc., that might be good for a future student, and even a future employee, to see about you or this university?
A: This is a wonderful institution at which to work. We have talented and motivated students, a caring, committed faculty and an administration that works tirelessly in improving the university and the opportunities to which our students have access.

Q: While here at Northwestern, share some of the rewards you’ve received through teaching, anywhere from teaching awards to making a difference in the life of a student.
A: For me, the rewards of teaching at Northwestern have been in being able to see the faces of my students as they are challenged to view things from a different perspective, or as they learn to do something they didn’t think they would be able to do.

Dr. Mark Denton
Associate Professor of Psychology
1988 Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northwestern
1990 MS Applied Psychology – Southwestern Oklahoma State 
2004 PhD – Sport Psychology Capella University

Mark enjoys working for Northwestern and he especially takes pleasure in the camaraderie among faculty and staff. One of his favorite aspects of Northwestern is that it offers personal service to students and has a close-knit community of students, faculty and staff.

“At Northwestern, students generally make a strong connection to at least one of their professors. That connection can really make a difference in both the professor’s as well as the student’s life that will have a life-long impact,” he said.

Northwestern is unique, in Mark’s opinion. He believes the size and friendliness of the faculty and staff sets Northwestern apart from other universities.

About Mark: I enjoy outdoor activities such as swimming, skiing, riding horses and just being outside in general. In addition to teaching at Northwestern, I also farm and ranch in the Dacoma area. I also enjoy team roping.

Dr. Mike Knedler
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Bachelor of Music in Education, Phillips University, 1978
Master of Music, Baylor University, 1980
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 1994

Mike came to Northwestern as an assistant band director in 1983 and now serves the university as its dean for the School of Arts and Sciences. During these 25 years, he believes his bond with Northwestern is pretty strong.

“It’s a great place to work, and Alva is a great place to raise a family,” he said.

He went from assistant to being the sole director of the Ranger band in 1989 and stayed until 2005. From 1996 to 2002, he was the chairman of the music department; from 1999 to 2002, he was dean of humanities and social sciences; and he has been the dean of arts and sciences since 2002.

“For awhile I had a full teaching load, chaired a department and was a dean,” he said.

Knedler has been out of the classroom for long enough now to be able to see similarities and differences between his teaching and administrative duties.

As a faculty member, Knedler said he really enjoyed working with students.

“As band director, I was in a unique position to work with students throughout their time at Northwestern, since they tended to stay in band from the time they were freshmen until they graduated,” he said. “That’s an experience that not every instructor has, since they may have students for only a semester or two. That’s the thing I miss the most about teaching – not being in contact with students.”

He explained that the most rewarding thing about being a dean is when he feels like he has made a difference, whether it’s helping a faculty member with something, or work on a major project.

As he began reflecting upon his years as the Ranger band director, a few moments stuck out in his memory.

He remembers fondly the year the Rangers made the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference playoffs in football and played Southwestern.

“Dr. (Steve) Lohmann was the coach then,” Knedler said. “I remember a pep rally downtown one evening and a night game at Southwestern. That was when excitement about Northwestern football really began to take off.”

He also said he’ll never forget winning the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championship in football in 1999.

“We were behind at halftime with no hope in sight, and came out to win in the second half,” he said. “Amazing! It was fun to go to all the championship games, but that was the best.”

He also remembers the band making two trips to Washington, D.C.

“The first was in 1998 to celebrate Northwestern’s Centennial,” he explained. “I arranged through Rep. (Frank) Lucas’ office for a proclamation to be read on the floor of the House commemorating the centennial. We also had a group photo with Sen. Don Nickles. The second trip was in 2004 when we marched down Constitution Avenue in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”

As a dean, Knedler said that one of the things he cherishes most about his job is the opportunity to continue to grow professionally.

“Northwestern has given me great opportunities for professional development,” he said. “I am a member of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and attend their annual meetings. That association has provided me with the opportunity to network with other deans from all across the country.

“Probably the highlight of my professional development was getting to attend the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University in 2005,” he said. “I met education professionals from all across the world there, including Shawn Chen, founder of Sias University in Zhengzhou, China. It was that meeting that generated his visit to our campus in the fall of 2005, and our visit to China in Spring 2008. We have now signed a partnership agreement with Sias that will open doors to international collaboration with an emerging world power.”

If that’s not enough on his plate, Knedler has been Northwestern’s General Homecoming Chair for nine years, since 2000.

“What I like about Homecoming is getting to work with people all across the university and from the community to organize a celebration of Ranger spirit,” he said. “The committee is an all-volunteer organization that basically runs itself. Everyone has their own area of responsibility, and they handle it well. Plus, it’s always fun on Homecoming Day seeing all the alumni and friends of the university.”

When Knedler isn’t at work, he enjoys traveling, boating and reading. He is married to Ragina, and they have one son Blake.

Q. What does Being a Ranger mean to you?

A. Being a Ranger is all about spirit – not just spirit at athletic events, but a spirit that involves dedication, devotion, persistence, pride and sacrifice.

Q. What is it about Northwestern that makes you want to be here?

A. I have always enjoyed being able to witness the transforming effect that Northwestern has on students’ lives, from the time they enter as freshmen, to the time they enter their chosen professions and beyond.

Q. What would you tell a prospective student on why they should choose Northwestern?

A. Over the past few years I’ve had opportunities to meet many outstanding alumni who have established extraordinary careers – careers than have taken them to places like NASA, the U.S. government, the publishing industry, and the top of the medical field. They are living proof that you can go anywhere from Northwestern.

Q. While here at Northwestern, what are some of the rewards you’ve received through teaching?

A. My biggest rewards have come from seeing my students graduate and become successful professionals. For example, Sheri Lohmann, one of my former students, has become an outstanding teacher and president of the Red Carpet Band Directors Association. I think that somehow I had a hand in the success that her students enjoy.

I’ve also found it rewarding to work on projects that impact lives in broader ways – projects that run the gamut from revising general education to bringing performing arts events to northwest Oklahoma.