OXFORD, Miss. – Ryan Niemeyer has come a long way from his
days working on his family’s dairy farm near Lumberton.
Recently named director of the University of Mississippi’s
Grenada site, Niemeyer joked that, if nothing else, his
upbringing helped him realize the value of higher
education.
“It made me realize I wanted to get a terminal degree in
something, and that I probably didn’t want to milk cows for
a living,” said Niemeyer, who is on track to receive his
doctorate in educational leadership from UM in May.
Niemeyer heads the Holmes-Grenada Center, which began
offering classes this spring. The joint venture between UM
and Holmes Community College enables area residents to
enroll in graduate-level courses in education, and
eventually junior- and senior-level courses, which are to
be added. His duties as director include serving as liaison
between UM and HCC. His title also includes assistant
professor of educational leadership, and plans call for him
to begin teaching educational law in spring 2009.
Niemeyer’s experience includes 12 years in education,
including teaching and coaching. After graduating from the
University of Southern Mississippi in 1996, he taught
history and coached baseball and football at middle schools
in Columbia and Lucedale for four years. During this time,
he also served in the Mississippi Army National Guard,
rising to the rank of captain.
“We are excited about the leadership Ryan will bring to the
Grenada position,” said Tom Burnham, dean of the UM School
of Education. “His past experiences as both a principal and
military leader have prepared him well for this position.
The initial efforts will require a great deal of individual
initiative and vision, and Ryan is up for the task.”
Having majored in sports administration, Niemeyer admits
that he initially focused on coaching but soon became
captivated by the educational system and the issues
affecting schools and students.
“I realized I wanted to have an effect over issues in the
field, and that was the impetus for my moving into
educational leadership and eventually led me to moving into
the administrative role,” he said.
Niemeyer earned his master’s degree in educational
leadership from USM in 2001 and soon was named assistant
principal at Hancock High School in Kiln. He later assumed
a post at Oak Grove Middle School in Hattiesburg, where he
remained until 2005. After a year as headmaster at Oxford
University School, he enrolled in the doctoral program at
UM.
His experiences as a school administrator have shaped his
research interests, he said. His doctoral dissertation
focuses on U.S. laws surrounding bullying and whether they
are adequate to address cyberbullying: the act of
harassment through the use of digital technology.
“Being out there in a field doing the job as an
administrator made me realize that everything I do is
affected by some policy, state law or federal law,”
Niemeyer said. “So, that became my interest and I wanted to
be able to help others in that area.”
His work at UM has earned him the Department of Leadership
and Counselor Education’s annual Graduate Achievement
Award. He also is among this year’s inductees into Phi
Kappa Phi honor society.
“He is already getting to know the school districts and
their administrators in the area to help assess their needs
and how the university can help meet those needs,” said
Lynne Murchison, UM director of academic credit programs
for UM’s Division of Outreach, which coordinates the new
center. “He will help us to see where and how we need to
expand our offerings at Holmes-Grenada.”
Niemeyer emphasized that the new partnership offers a
convenient option to area residents who want to continue
their education.
“This partnership is going to bring higher education to a
lot of people who normally might not have that opportunity
because of work or family commitments,” he said. “I think
we’re going to meet the needs of a lot of people there.
They’re very excited about us being there. They see the
growth potential for their communities.”
To learn more about the Holmes-Grenada Center, go to
http://www.olemiss.edu/grenada.
For information about courses being offered, contact
Niemeyer at srniemey@olemiss.edu or 662-227-3384.