Jordan Rustemeyer ’09 is no stranger to the Smiley Memorial Library or Central Methodist University. From the age of four, when his mother began working for Central, through his undergraduate studies, the Fayette campus has been a familiar place. And now that he’s come back to serve as the new director of information services for the library, he feels like he’s right where he belongs.
“I was happy to come home,” he said of accepting his new role. “I’ve been running around this place for a long time, and I was excited to put my mark on it.”
Many CMU students will recognize Rustemeyer’s name, as his mother Maryann has served as the director of the Center for Learning and Teaching and professor of English and mathematics for many years. He says he’s looking forward to the two of them working in the same building and he hopes to make as much of an impact on students as she has.
“There are very few people that are as excited about a student’s learning experience as Mom is, and I want to bring that to students as well,” Rustemeyer said.
For his part, impacting the student learning experience will center around providing information resources and information literacy. Rustemeyer worked in Smiley Library as a fellow during his undergraduate career before going on to grad school and “fell in love” with the work. He says that after graduation he originally planned to earn a PhD in English and go on to teach, but another CMU experience put him on a different path. When returning to campus to visit a former professor, he was reminded of his skills and passion for library work, and since then he has earned a master’s degree in library science and worked in both higher education and the public library realm.
Having been heavily involved in the campus community while a CMU student, including as the president of Phi Delta Theta in his senior year, Rustemeyer says he is glad to be back in Fayette and looking forward to helping students find the tools they need to be successful.
“I’m really excited about being involved with the campus community again,” he said. “I love higher education, having worked in it for 10 years now.”
When he’s not on campus or working, Rustemeyer says he enjoys playing pool, cycling, and reading. He currently resides in Columbia.