Hugo Boschmann

How did you choose to study biology?
It was a good professor in college who literally "kept us at the edge of our seats" - and many of us in the class were disappointed when the hour was over. That is dedication to one's passion. Many of us who attended that professor's classes are now professionals in many settings around the country!

What are your favorite courses to teach? What do you like about them?
I enjoy teaching Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology and Cell Biology, and Introduction to Biochemistry because of the ways in which these courses show that all of life is interconnected - at every level, beginning with biochemistry to the functioning of the various organs. All aspects of our being are interconnected and vulnerable, from the molecular level to the various organ systems, to microbial infections. It is to see how students for the first time begin to see this interconnection that makes teaching these courses so exciting.

How does your background and educational experience shape your teaching at Hesston?
Because I attended a Mennonite college and had such a wonderful experience, I was determined to teach at a Mennonite college. After I taught at the college level for four years with a master's degree, I felt it important to get a doctoral degree before continuing teaching at the college level. It gave me a broader perspective on the material I was teaching. The research required for a doctoral degree helped me understand that the content in a textbook is the result of good research.
      And one more thing: it is the international experience that makes it clear to me that we are not an island of knowledge for the sake of knowledge. We must build bridges to the world community. The more we understand that we are all interconnected, the better we are able to use our gifts to create bridges to the wider world community.
      All of life is interconnected - at every level, beginning with biochemistry to the functioning of the various organs.

Who are your role models or mentors? How have they shaped your life?
Academically my role models were my college professors during my undergraduate years. It is at the college level where one's goals get direction and purpose. That I found in college. Graduate studies simply build on that.
      And it was at Bethel College where I found "faith at work and faith that was lived." It is there were I found that our faith, if only lived for ourselves, is not faith at all. True faith is expressed in how we help our neighbor - be that next door or around the world.

How will Hesston's Biology program challenge students academically?
We gauge our success actually on at least two fronts:

• There are a significant number of students who enter the RN nursing program on campus. We know that the success in our pre-nursing courses (Microbiology and Anatomy and Physiology) correlates at the 90 - 95 percent level in being successful in the nursing program.
• Then there are the students who transfer to four-year Biology programs. As one of the transfer college's Biology department colleague commented: "When the students are done in the Hesston College Biology program they are very well prepared to continue in our upper division program.

What advantages do Biology students find in coming to Hesston?
My assistants in the department are generally sophomores! Students do not have to wait to be a junior or senior to be considered to be an assistant in the department. That alone is well worth mentioning in the student's application as they transfer to four-year colleges. And it may well be that the student then is considered for an assistantship once they do become juniors at the transfer college.

What do you most want to know about prospective students?
One important piece of information a prospective student can give me is their academic preparation in the science and math area. The range of courses a student comes with to college is as important - or perhaps more important - than their ACT or SAT scores.
      Equally important is the student's dedication to their work. Success comes when a student is well prepared and has a drive, a dedication to work hard and be persistent throughout the academic career.

How do you connect with students in the program?
While the lectures may seem less of an interactive setting, it is the laboratory setting where a lot of interaction takes place. Interaction is between groups of students working on a project and with me as the instructor. The laboratory setting is very informal - but a lot of good work gets done during this time. My office door is always open for students to come in and ask questions.

What do prospective students need to know about Hesston's learning environment?
We are a two-year college. The faculty in the science department all have their doctorates. In our case that means that we spend our time teaching lower level courses. In most university settings professors with advanced degrees do research and have the teaching assistants teach the lower level courses. This is what we do at Hesston College: we teach the undergraduate level courses - and we have done so for many years.

Where do alumni go and what do they do after Hesston?
We estimate that almost one hundred percent of the graduates of our science department transfer to four-year colleges or universities. Invariably we are informed that the preparations students get here is at the level of any other private Mennonite college. At least in one case a student was told that unless the biology courses the student intended to transfer were from the biology department of Hesston College, they will not accept other junior college biology credits.

Is there anything else you would like to tell prospective students about the biology department at Hesston?
The mission of the science department of Hesston College is the mission of the college: to prepare students in a Christ-centered environment for the rigor of real life experiences outside the classroom.