New Purdue University Northwest Provost Marie T. Mora Is Ready to Rise to the Challenge
Marie Mora, Purdue University Northwest's Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Marie T. Mora has had several new experiences over the past year. One of those has been trying artistic painting.
“I found it to be very relaxing!” she said. “But I can only do it on the weekends when I can sleep in because I will focus on a project and stay up late.”
Whether it was an old do-it-yourself paint kit Mora uncovered among her possessions or the reminder of the late Bob Ross’ “The Joy of Painting” that motivated her, she started the hobby as a personal stress reliever from her professional life as a higher education administrator.
Another milestone was her transition to become Purdue University Northwest’s new Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Mora reflected on her journey as a scholar, professor and administrator as she began the first few weeks of her role this summer.
Mora says some steps in her own college education journey were an “accident.” From switching her undergraduate major to overcoming her shyness to speak in front of a lecture hall, different choices she made changed her life’s trajectory. Perhaps, as Bob Ross might say, these were “happy accidents.”
“I know there are some people who plan their whole careers, but that was not my case,” Mora said. “I have had such fantastic opportunities and gone to many places, and I credit higher education for that. I think some people are not always aware of how many doors it can open.”
Mora, as PNW’s chief academic officer, is overseeing the university’s six programmatic colleges and their academic programs, as well as international engagement opportunities, retention efforts, institutional effectiveness and sponsored research. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mora earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Texas A&M University and is a labor economist. She has shared her research expertise on entrepreneurship, small business economic impacts, Latino socioeconomic outcomes within higher education and much more.
Read on to learn more about Provost Mora!
I think students need to know that the key for so many things is education, and that they belong and there is a space for them. This is especially the case with institutions like PNW, where students are at the center of everything we do.
What does it mean when you say you are a labor economist?
Labor economists look at aspects that affect individual well-being, including trends in employment, unemployment, career trajectory, entrepreneurship, retirement, etc. When we make choices, do we have good outcomes? It involves understanding opportunity cost and how we best use our time and scarce personal resources.
Being a labor economist fits well with higher education because we understand the human capital or human resources side of education. A college education is an investment people make in themselves, and educational attainment affects your labor market outcomes, which then also spills into other socioeconomic outcomes. When we provide students with opportunities, we help them attain education for what they can bring to a workplace and other parts of their lives. This increases one’s option value, because entering a job that requires a college degree opens opportunities for different sets of future jobs.
Many students go to college because they seek better opportunities. So, it is important that we provide students with a high-quality education and address barriers that may be in their way. It is also important, as industries change over time, that we proactively work with employers and offer curricula that is relevant and up-to-date to meet the supply and demand of labor.
How has your economics research impacted how you approach shaping student outcomes?
This has been very important regarding what I take into the classroom. Part of it is understanding the students we serve and thinking about how we can meet students where they are. Part of my research involves understanding demographic changes and understanding how the ways things have been done in the past are not necessarily the way forward because our populations are changing.
PNW has a student demographic with many first-generation students and Pell Grant recipients, as well as being a newly designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). What I can help bring is support in meeting students where they are, understanding the obligation we have in serving all our students and helping them reach their potential.
A lot of my work has focused on Hispanic and Latino socioeconomic outcomes and translating that to HSIs. Growing up in Albuquerque, I observed the wide qualities of education students received in the public school district and how the neighborhoods from where students came could affect their outcomes in school. I have had the opportunity to discuss with the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors on Hispanic women entrepreneurs and the role of small businesses in stimulating the economy. I have also had the opportunity to be in a policy briefing meeting at the White House and discuss similar themes of economic opportunities with a focus on minority communities and the policies that would stimulate their growth.
PNW is a compelling institution because it is a game-changer. We provide an educational opportunity that many may not have if our institution was not here.
What inspired you to come to Purdue University Northwest? What are you looking forward to?
I am joining the institution at a very exciting time!
Working with a new chancellor is exciting because he has new ideas to take the institution forward. It was very evident that many around the university were excited with Chancellor Holford stepping into the role. It was an opportunity to step in as a ‘thought partner’ and work closely together on achieving great outcomes.
The demographic changes for this region are also intriguing. There has been progressive population growth for the first time in decades, and a lot of that has been driven by the Hispanic and Latino population. The fact that the institution is a new HSI is exciting because I can help bring my experiences at previous institutions that were designated HSIs.
But moreover, it is something special for the institution to reflect the communities surrounded by it. PNW is a compelling institution because it is a game-changer. We provide an educational opportunity that many may not have if our institution was not here. I find it exciting that PNW is at the table for many community conversations, and I believe we have an opportunity in those spaces to make an even greater impact on our communities. The institution certainly has a mission to transform the lives of students and their families, but then the larger scope of the institution is transformational in that we leverage our academic and human resources to help grow the region together.
What do you feel are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your past professional experiences?
I love bringing people together for discussion and collaboration because there is something powerful when you bring people into the same space.
However, listening is so critical. Part of bringing people together is to help them make connections and allow others to share ideas with the larger group. But I am very cognizant with my role in helping people understand that I am listening, collecting their input and keeping the momentum going. It is important to close the loop by reporting back and explaining the ‘why’ in the decision-making process.
At one of my former institutions, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, I also experienced a university merger. I served on the inaugural strategic planning steering committee for the university, and I learned a lot through that process and how trying to engage people is not a one-size-fits-all model.
At some of my former institutions I started a women’s faculty network where we were able to really tap into people’s experiences and see how much power was there to make positive change.
An issue that came up at Metropolitan State University of Denver was faculty workload. I used a lot of my past lessons through our task force to address this issue by forming working groups, organizing open forums with opportunities for questions and presenting at the faculty senate. I am excited that PNW is going through a new strategic planning process because that will also bring up the importance of following through as we embark on ways to take the institution to the next level.
What I can help bring is support in meeting students where they are, understanding the obligation we have in serving all our students and helping them reach their potential.
What is important, in your view, to best serve college students?
I like to make sure that high expectations are set for students. Students rise to the challenge. I remember at a former institution that a faculty member said they felt sorry for their students. They would give some of them passes by lowering their standards. I thought that was one of the worst things you could do, and it does not set our students up for success. We need to have faith in our students. We have to understand that they have lived experiences that we can learn from, and they need to be treated with respect and dignity.
It is also important to let students know what opportunities are available for them. Shyness and imposter syndrome are real. Students might think they do not qualify for certain opportunities. I think students need to know that the key for so many things is education, and that they belong and there is a space for them. This is especially the case with institutions like PNW, where students are at the center of everything we do.
What is a little-known fact about you?
My first publication was not a journal article — it was some recipes in “Bon Appétit” when I was earning my master’s degree. Cooking is something that I have always enjoyed doing.