Biology
- Faculty Profile - Hugo Boschmann
 Hugo Boschmann
Chair, Biology Department
620-327-8132
hugob@hesston.edu
B.A., Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.), 1969
M.A.T., University of Chicago, 1972
D.Ed., Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.), 1984
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.
What do you most want to know about prospective students?
The most important 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. How hard is a prospective student willing to work?
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 myself 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.
 |
