Jenna Anderson-
This week’s Gustie of the Week is Dr. Jeff Owen, Ph.D, Associate Professor in Business Economics and Environmental Studies. In 1992, Owen graduated from Gustavus with a double major in economics and history. After a two-year break, “I guess you would call it a gap year now,” Owen said, he ended up at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with his doctorate in economics.
“My aspiration was to end up at a school like Gustavus,” Owen said. He began teaching at another school, but when the opportunity presented itself for Owen to come back to Gustavus, he took it. The 2024-25 school year will be Professor Owen’s 19th year here at Gustavus.
Dr. Owen is a first-generation college student, and he first came to Gustavus to play basketball. He was recruited by Mark Hanson, the assistant coach at the time. “I wasn’t a very good basketball player, but I had my own fan club,” Owen said. His fan club, “Owen’s Row,” started with his friends making T-shirts, and “as the crowds got bigger the whole thing just sort of took off,” Owen said. While the team was competing in the playoffs, he became a fan favorite of Gustavus Basketball.
You might see Owen at on-campus sporting events, especially basketball games. He is the faculty athletic representative, so he attends as many sporting events as he can. Owen still enjoys playing basketball in his free time, though he’s having trouble finding people to play with. “If you know any old people that wanna play basketball, spread the word,” he said.
When deciding which class is his favorite to teach, Owen listed nearly every single one. Dr. Vita Faychuk, his coworker in the economics department, noted that “he teaches one of the most popular classes in Sports Economics.” This class was one of many that Owen listed as a favorite. 5th-year Carson DeKam took this class, as well as Intro to Sports Management. Both classes, DeKam said, “were very interesting and challenged the way I thought about sport and sports business.” DeKam said of Owen’s Sports Economics class, “ I felt like a GM for an organization and it helped develop my critical and strategic thinking skills”.
DeKam mentioned Owen’s passion for both sports and economics and how it was “very easy to get excited about the class with his enthusiasm and passion for the topics.” DeKam also mentioned a book that Owen lent him over the summer that helped him solidify what he had learned and broaden his knowledge. Owen has proven to be a professor who cares for and connects with his students.
A memory that DeKam recollected took place on a morning before spring break, when only three to four students showed up for class. “He grabbed a chair next to us in the Beck atrium. We talked for almost the entire class period about sports, class topics, life, and about Gustavus. It was a great memory that we had as a group to get to know each other better,” DeKam said.
Clearly, Owen has a passion for teaching, but “his impact on students extends far beyond the classroom and Gustavus,” Faychuk said, “from massive summer events for new admits and cheering on Gusties at games to hosting international students and volunteering at local schools.”
By day, you’ll find Owen teaching. By night, he’s probably at a Gustavus sporting event. In the morning, you may find him birding. Owen enjoys bird watching in the arboretum and at Seven Mile Creek. Whenever traveling, Owen is, “always looking for an excuse to get up in the morning and go check out the birds in the area.” Additionally, Faychuk credits Owen as, “our department’s exclusive fresh raspberry supplier and an outstanding department party host!”
One piece of advice to the readers of The Gustavian Weekly from Professor Owen is to, “just take advantage of your time here.” Owen has been to more events now as a professor than as a student and feels that he was missing out on some of those things during his time as a Gustavus student. “Go to events, theater, sports, and speakers,” Owen said, “because it won’t come around again.”
Owen’s favorite part about Gustavus is not the sports or the classes he teaches, but deeper than that, it’s the community. While creating connections with students, fostering a passionate learning environment, and sharing his love for sports, Dr. Jeff Owen continues to be a vital part of building and maintaining the Gustavus community.