Bemidji State University’s American Marketing Association club hosted an administration panel on Sept. 25 with three university vice presidents who shared their personal college experiences and offered guidance to attendees.
The panel featured Dr. Jesse Grant, associate vice president for student life and success; Dr. George Anthony “Tony” Peffer, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs; and Dr. Randall “Randy” Westhoff, interim associate vice president for academic affairs.
The panel was set up as a series of questions from the moderator, Jacob Harper, a senior in business administration from Backus, Minn., and questions from students in the audience.
Before coming to Bemidji State, Grant gained extensive experience in higher education administration in a variety of settings across the country. His most recent position prior to joining the BSU administration was as an academic advisor and enrollment specialist at Eastern Gateway Community College in Youngstown, Ohio. Grant has wanted to be in administration since he was seven years old while observing his mother when she worked at Kent (Ohio) State University.
“I asked a lot of questions,” said Grant. “ If I were to do it differently, I would have asked more questions.”
Peffer came to BSU in 2017, after serving as special assistant to the president at Castleton (Vt.) University. He has a bachelor of arts in history from Morehead (Ky.) State University; a master of divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif.; a master of arts in history from San Francisco State University and a doctor of arts in history from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa. Bemidji State is exactly where he wants to be.
“I have fallen in love with Bemidji State University ― with its strong sense of family; with the welcoming warmth of its faculty, staff and students; with its commitment to making a positive difference in the community and the wider world,” Peffer said.
Westhoff has been a member of the BSU community for 21 years and has served as interim associate vice president for academic affairs since 2015. He has a bachelor of arts and master of science in mathematics from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. and a doctor of philosophy in mathematics from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. Passionate about teaching Westhoff plans to return to teaching after his interim appointment has finished.
About BAMA
Bemidji State American Marketing Association is the collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association. AMA is one of the world’s largest professional organizations and currently has more than 20,000 professional members and more than 11,000 student members.
Contact
- Dr. Angie Kovarik, assistant professor of business administration; (218) 755-4225, angie.kovarik@bemidjistate.edu
Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.
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Carissa Menefee
Associate Director of Communications & Marketing (interim)
Bemidji State University
carissa.menefee@bemidjistate.edu // (218) 755-3344
facebook.com/BemidjiState // @BemidjiState // bemidjistate.edu
2019-B-000