Disaster Management - Faculty Profile - Russ Gaeddert

Russ Gaeddert
Director of Disaster Management
620-327-8294
russg@hesston.edu

B.A., elementary education, Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.), 1980
M.Ed., curriculum development, Wichita (Kan.) State University, 2000
 

What draws you to the field of Disaster Management?
This program is a way to help others who are in great need. What better way to show Christ's love than to be of service to others? We are affiliated with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), and I like what MDS stands for. They work at cleanup, repair, and reconstruction of homes, but also help disaster survivors regain faith and wholeness. They place special emphasis on helping those who need it most - low-income families, single-parent families, the elderly, and the disabled.

What about teaching energizes you?
I like the energy that the students bring to the classes. To see the students enjoy learning and put to use what they've learned - that's very rewarding.

What do high school students need to know about Hesston's learning environment?
The students, faculty, and staff all work together to make this an excellent learning environment. It has made me more aware of what else is going on around the campus - not just in Disaster Management. It is truly a caring community.

What classes will students take in the Disaster Management program?
Students in the Disaster Management program will get a well-rounded education. In addition to their core classes in science, Biblical literature, history, speech, math, and writing, students will take courses like Intro. to Disaster Response, MDS Culture, Leadership Development, Conflict Resolution, Intro. to Social Welfare, Social Diversity, Helping Relationships, and Group Communication. Many of the classes in the Disaster Management program of study are in the sociology field, because we want to help students learn how to interact with people. This program of study will prepare them for life beyond Hesston.

What are some of the things students and faculty in this program do together outside the classroom?
As part of the MDS Culture classes, the students work on service projects throughout the year. This year we shingled a roof and put up a fence at Camp Mennoscah, cleaned up after a tornado in Great Bend, cleaned up debris after last winter's ice storm in Wichita, and scraped and painted a house for a low-income person in Hutchinson, to name a few. This gives students and faculty a chance to help others, put their faith into action, and get to know each other better outside of the classroom.

What are the advantages Disaster Management students find coming to Hesston?
Often at a four-year college, freshmen and sophomores can feel neglected. Not so at Hesston! Students at Hesston get personal attention from faculty. This program is very flexible - students who go through this program may enter a wide variety of areas of study after Hesston, including social work, political science, public administration, psychology, international relations, business, and mass communications, depending upon what aspects of disaster management the students want to pursue.

What if students do not wish to pursue a career in disaster management, but would like to enter the program for the service aspect?
The opportunity to serve with MDS may be an option regardless of what professions the students choose. These students may become future MDS project directors, long-term volunteers, unit coordinators, or church contact people. Our hope is that students who enter the Disaster Management program will become long-term supporters of MDS or other service agencies.