Associate Professor of Agriculture Dr. Andrea Watson feels “at home” teaching at Concordia Nebraska

Associate Professor of Agriculture Dr. Andrea Watson joined Concordia Nebraska’s faculty only a year and a half ago but said that she’s felt “at home” from the very beginning.  

“I was amazed at how peaceful it felt on campus when I came for my interview,” she said. “I felt at home right from the beginning.”  

Watson completed her doctoral degree in nutrition and enjoys teaching courses like AGRI 305, “Plant and Animal Nutrition Applications.” She’s also taught introductory agriculture, animal production, animal behavior and plant and animal physiology during her time at Concordia so far.   

Here at Concordia, I actually get to know [my students] and see them in multiple classes and watch them grow and mature through their time here.

Agriculture runs deep for Watson – she grew up on a family farm near Archer, Nebraska, and still farms today, now with her husband of 17 years and their eight-year-old daughter. The family owns cows and raises crops.  

“It seems like most of our hobbies revolve around the outdoors,” Watson said. “A garden in the summer, taking care of our cows year-round and long walks with our dog.” She added that her hobbies also include a lot of reading – both for fun and for individual learning.  

Working at Concordia Nebraska, for Watson, means not only that she can share her love of agriculture with others, but that she can do so in an environment full of the Gospel. Thus, attending daily chapel is one of Watson’s favorite parts of being a faculty member at Concordia.  

“I so appreciate working at a place that pauses every day to worship God together,” she said. “This has become incredibly important to me, and I can’t imagine working somewhere else because of it.”  

Chapel is only one of Watson’s two favorite aspects of her job at Concordia; the other, she says, is the students – and specifically, being able to teach the same students in multiple classes throughout their time at the university.  

“Here at Concordia, I actually get to know [my students] and see them in multiple classes and watch them grow and mature throughout their time here,” she said. “This has been incredibly rewarding. We have amazing students!”  

Watson said that it is “very easy” to incorporate the Gospel into agricultural science, which is why she loves working at a university like Concordia, which allows her to share God’s Word with her students. Overall, she believes that Concordia is a special place for both students and faculty members.  

“After only one and a half years, I know that Concordia is special because of the people that work here and the students that choose to come here,” she said.  

The agricultural science program at Concordia University, Nebraska prepares students to promote the well-being of God’s creation through a Christ-centered agricultural education. Whether students wish to pursue a career in agricultural production or study at the graduate level, Concordia’s program will instill them with the skills they’ll need to be successful in future endeavors. Learn more about the agricultural science program here.