Pursuing a career in academia

Dr. Dan Farrell teaches human resource management as well as compensation and benefits at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business. He has served on several university committees including the Intellectual Property and Commercialization Committee and the executive committee for the American Association of University Professors. We asked him about his career and how he sees the Haworth College of Business helping students to achieve their goals.

On what brings him joy in his career

I enjoy discussing employee retirement plans. This is an area with many recent changes, and today’s generation is required to have more personal direction in building their plans. It is hard to interest students in something that will be very important to them when they retire before they begin their careers, but I try to use examples that students find relevant. I enjoy hearing from returning students who are pleased to tell me how they are progressing with their retirement plans. 

what inspired him to teach

I grew up living next door to a library and was always a good student, but I did not really start thinking about pursuing a career in academia until I was a sophomore in college. One day, a professor came into an auditorium-based class to return papers and started talking about how occasionally a professor finds exactly the type of response they were seeking. As he continued a bit about the term paper, I realized he was talking about mine. That’s when I knew academia was the right fit for me.

Although I had not always planned to teach, those who knew me in my school years were not surprised that I did end up with a career in academia. Today, as a professor, I continue to be a good student. I’ve been around for a while, and I remain studious, so while my teaching style is not unique, my strength is that I am usually considered well-informed.

What sets Western Michigan University apart

In the Haworth College of Business, we recognize that work is a collaborative effort. We make a point of teaching students how to work well in groups. The ability to work cohesively with teammates is essential in the business world.

Words of wisdom

I have some simple advice for students who wish to succeed in college—try to attend every single class. Missing a class is like tearing a chapter out of a book, maybe worse. Attending classes is the easiest way to be successful in college.