Ford pulls double duty with teaching, museum
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Northwest assistant professor of history Dr. Elyssa Ford (back right) poses with her local history practicum class at the grand opening of their military history exhibit Dec. 7, 2016, the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Ford, a native of Texas, received the Fulbright Award to teach in Romania in 2009 and joined the faculty at Northwest in 2011.
Dr. Elyssa Ford didn’t anticipate she’d be a teacher when she first went to college.
“I wanted to work in museums, really,” Ford said. “But my last semester of graduate school, I taught a class, and I really liked it.
“Then I taught in Romania while on my Fulbright Scholarship, and I liked it. I’m kind of an unusual case for people who go to graduate school for their doctorate in that I initially didn’t want to teach, but I found that I really enjoyed it.”
Ford received her bachelor’s degree from Colby College in Maine in 2003, moving from there to attend Arizona State University for her graduate work. She received her Master of Arts degree in 2006 and Ph.D. in 2009, both in history.
Ford received the Fulbright Award after completing her graduate work, teaching an American Studies class at a university in Romania for a year. She also worked and lived in Cambodia and New Jersey for a little time before she was named named an assistant professor of history at Northwest Missouri State University in 2011.
At Northwest, Ford teaches classes in history of the United States, women’s history, and public history. Ford stressed that there was no “average day” in the life of a professor.
“We don’t necessarily go to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and have a separate home and work life, there’s so much more to it than that,” Ford said. “There are meetings, committee work, events, and a whole lot of other things to fit into your day-to-day schedule.
“And on top of all that, your classes and times can change each semester, so there’s a lot of work to do to make sure your classes are ready and relevant for your students. Contrary to popular belief, being a professor isn’t a cushy job where you can just work 12 hours a week.”
Aside from teaching and the other duties of being a professor, Ford serves on the board at the Nodaway County Historical Society and is a member of the Nodaway County Democrats, a group which she helped to restart after the November elections. Ford is also the faculty advisor for the Society of President’s Scholars and SAGE, or Sex and Gender Equality.
With this much on her plate, it’s hard to imagine sometimes doing anything else. However, Ford does manage a bit of travel into her schedule – even if it does still feel like work.
“I try to go to a few conferences, and most of them I pay for myself,” Ford said. “I went to North Dakota in the fall, and in April I’ll be in Indianapolis.
“I will also be in New York City in June and in San Diego in October. These conferences are all the big national conferences for my areas of expertise.”
All of these little things are part of being a professor, which Ford said keeps the job interesting.
“We do so much as professors, that there’s not really a part of it that becomes commonplace,” Ford said. “We research, write, and teach, and if you’re good at it, you’re also doing all of that stuff outside of academia.
“There’s such a wide array of things that we do that it would really be hard to get bored.”
Through a bit of a twisting road, Ford found her passion and, now, lives it. She said that’s probably the most important advice she could give.
“Don’t be afraid to get active and fight for the things you’re passionate about,” Ford said. “Some people think they’re being active just by saying something, but if you don’t do something about the things you love, then who will?
“The other thing is, we need to start reading more. I’m including myself in this, because sometimes I get caught in the trap of watching too much TV, but it’s so important to read. Use your library (and save your library), take advantage of what you have at your disposal. Don’t take it for granted.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of a weekly series highlighting “Everyday Heroes.” In this weekly segment, the Daily Forum takes a look at people who work tirelessly to make Maryville a great place to live. If you have a suggestion for someone who you feel should be featured, please contact us via email at [email protected] or call the Forum at 660-562- 2424.