Fred Musser

I was raised on a farm in a Mennonite family where Christian service was strongly encouraged. From a young age I wanted to use my agricultural skills to help people. After getting my BS in agronomy, I went to Haiti with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to work in agriculture for 3 years. This experience shaped my life profoundly as I worked with local Christians and learned to read the Bible from a different perspective, namely as one who lacks material wealth and power. I also gained an appreciation for the strong link between Christian faith and community development. This became even more apparent to me when I spent 3 years in Bangladesh, struggling to work in community development in primarily Muslim communities. While economic development can occur anywhere, the development of a true community requires a faith that teaches love and honesty. As I now teach and mentor graduate and undergraduate students, it is my desire to not only train them to be good scientists, but to demonstrate through my life how to give respect and dignity to all, knowing that we are all creations of God, designed for a specific purpose.

My Life

My hobbies

Playing piano and trumpet; sports of all types

My undergrad alma mater

Penn State

My worst subject in school

Biology

In college I drove

Ford Pinto

If I weren't a professor, I would

be a crop consultant. I did this 4 years before going to graduate school. I loved the work, but not the wages.