As 20th Northwestern leader,
Hannaford sets sights on
academics, campus updates
By Jordan Green, Editor-in-Chief
Rather than giving Northwestern students, staff and faculty a penny for their thoughts, Northwestern’s new leader would rather give them a challenge coin for their dedication. • When Dr. Bo Hannaford became the university’s 20th president on July 1, he wanted to find a way to reward Rangers who uphold the university’s mission statement – which is now blazoned on the backs of shiny, silver and red coins featuring the Ranger logo.
“It’s not a prop,” Hannaford said. “It’s something I mean. I think we have outstanding people that really care about our students and how we do things.”
Commitment and compassion are two characteristics the veteran educator says he wants to foster as the university’s president – and recognize with the coins. Hannaford took the university’s top job following the June retirement of longtime President Dr. Janet Cunningham, and he’s set his goals on improving facilities, investing in academic programs for in-demand career fields and increasing enrollment.
“I’ve had great role models that have instilled in me that you just don’t quit at anything,” Hannaford said. “And hopefully, that’s what I try to really talk to students about, and even my own children, and try to instill that value of, you can do anything you want. It’s not always easy. Things in life are not always easy or quick.”
FAMILY TIES
As he sat in his Herod Hall office Aug. 18, Hannaford pointed to a black-and-white photo on the wall. In the photo, a young Hannaford sits on the lap of his grandfather, the late Dr. John C. Sheffield, who was a social sciences department chair at Northwestern. The two were watching a basketball game.
Hannaford’s grandfathers on both sides of his family worked at Northwestern when Hannaford was a boy, creating some of his first fond memories of the university he’d call his alma mater – and, later, his home. He and his family live on campus in the president’s house.
Hannaford learned in college that he wanted to be an educator. An Alva native, he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern before leaving to work in the Ponca City Public Schools district as a coach and principal. He worked in Ponca City for roughly 18 years and obtained his doctoral degree online from Walden University.
Obtaining his doctorate while working full-time wasn’t easy, he said, but his mentors at Northwestern encouraged him to persevere. Among them were Dr. Steve Lohmann, the university’s former executive vice president, and Dr. Yvonne Carmichael, a physical educator.
“At times, like anybody else, it was very frustrating,” Hannaford said. “I had encouragement from people like Dr. Lohmann and others that said, ‘You need to do this, and it’ll pay off.’ And he told me it’ll open more doors for you.”
Obtaining his doctorate allowed Hannaford to return to Northwestern and work in administration. Now in his 12th year at the university, he said those same role models have supported him in his promotion.
So has his family. His wife, Tara, is the university’s financial aid director, and his daughter is a Northwestern graduate. He anticipates his son will be as well.
“I think for my family … that was a pretty emotional and neat thing to think about, me being a Northwestern graduate, both my grandfathers working here, and now becoming president,” Hannaford said. “It was pretty special for them.”
MAKING PLANS
Without giving specific details, Hannaford said Northwestern officials will research degree programs that could help fill critical occupations across the state. In Oklahoma, job opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math are some of the state’s most in-demand and ones that state education officials are prioritizing in curriculum.
“Are there some programs that will help northwest Oklahoma and the state that we need to be researching and taking a look at?” Hannaford said. “That’s a process, and it’s something that’s not going to ever happen real fast in bringing programs through.”
More specifically, however, Hannaford said the university is working to revitalize its visual arts program.
Among Hannaford’s goals for campus infrastructure are the completion of an outdoor classroom and improving handicap accessibility to buildings.
The university demolished its abandoned power plant in December, making room between the science building and Student Center for an outdoor learning area. The classroom is slated for completion sometime this semester, Hannaford said.
The university continues to rebuild sidewalks to better accommodate wheelchairs and plans to install automatic door openers in some buildings, Hannaford said. Updates to sidewalks follow an extensive sidewalk reconstruction project in the university’s mall area between the library and the Student Center.
“I want the very best that we can do for our students in terms of facilities, as well as our faculty,” Hannaford said. “Again, that’s a process, and you’ve got to work with the budget that you have.”
LEADERSHIP
SIMILARITIES
While he hopes to make improvements around campus, Hannaford’s leadership style will closely mirror Cunningham’s, he said. After all, Hannaford said, he considers her a mentor.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me, ‘Why would you want to follow such a great president?’” Hannaford said. “I said, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ You learn from one of the best, and that’s the great thing. There’s not a lot of things we have to do differently at Northwestern than what we’ve been doing. Our personalities might be a little bit different, how we react to certain things might be different. She was all in for Northwestern, and I am, too.”
Hannaford said he’ll maintain an open-door policy and wants to engage with Rangers.
“I told some people before that this presidency is about our people here,” Hannaford said. “It’s about our culture. I think it’s one that helps one another.”
Hannaford has worked extensively with the university’s administrators and praised their dedication and professionalism. Because of that, administrators and some faculty have already gotten challenge coins, Hannaford said. In time, so will others.
“I could give everybody right now one, because they deserve it,” Hannaford said. “But that would kind of take the fun out of each year trying to hand-pick some people that have really stood out.”