Posted 07.06.06
Meet Dr. Bob Myers, VPAA by L. Cosner, OWU Student

Tell us about your family!
I’ve been married for about 18 years. I have 2 wonderful children; a boy who is 9 and a girl who is 4. We also have a dog named Annie. She is a stray and she showed up at our house before we even got our furniture from Florida!

What does the VPAA do?
The Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for all the academic programs within the institution, including the approval of course curriculum, hiring faculty, faculty development, accreditation, budgeting, and strategic planning. What this means to students is that ultimately I am responsible for making sure you have a quality, Christian education. But this doesn’t happen just through me. I have the pleasure of working with wonderful faculty and staff who make this happen in the classrooms and in offices all over the campus. We work together to make sure you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities you will need in the workforce.

You’re a D.B.A. What does that mean?
This means that I have a Doctor of Business Administration degree. I also have an M.B.A. and an undergraduate degree in Information Systems Management.

You’ve also been in law enforcement . . .
Yes, I was a police officer for twelve years. I had a variety of assignments including patrol officer, field training officer, hostage negotiator, SCUBA team diver, polygraph examiner, and violent crimes detective. Let’s just say that I had many assignments!

Are there any skills you learned there that apply to Academic Affairs?
I think that hostage negotiation taught me the most about the importance of effective communication. Everyone wants to be heard and it’s important to make time for people. People have a variety of opinions and I try to resolve situations so everyone walks away knowing they have been heard and what they had to say was carefully considered.

Why move from Florida to Bartlesville?
I didn’t think of this move as simply a location move. My family believed that God was calling us to OWU which just happens to be in Bartlesville. I really relate to the mission of the university and the four P’s are really attractive to me and are a fit with my personal beliefs.

What are some of your hobbies?
I have been involved in martial arts since high school and have the broken bones to prove it! I have studied Tae Kwon Do for many years and obtained my black belt. I am teaching TKD to my son who is working on his orange belt. I also enjoy shooting. That has always been a fun for me. I am also an avid runner and complete about 15 miles a week. I’ll need to get used to running in the cold again! Anything that I can do with my family I would consider a hobby. I love spending time with them. When I’m not working, you will usually find us together.

Do you have any interesting stories from when you were a student?
I was involved in music during much of my days as a student. At one point I was giving a piano recital to the student body as part of a course requirement. I had someone sitting on the piano bench next to me turning my music pages. She rested her elbow on the piano and accidentally slammed the lid on my hands. The students had a great laugh over that one.

Do you have any advice for students?
I think it’s important to remember that God has wired each of us differently. Each of us have strengths in certain areas. Focus on your strengths and the things you love and don’t ever be discouraged over life’s struggles. That’s just a part of being alive and God will see you through them. As Max Lucado says, if you don’t use the skills God has given to you, you are robbing the world of very special gifts that only you can give to the world.

Do you ever wear bowties?
No, but I could get you a good price for them on eBay.