Alumni profile: Lt. Col. Naomi Mercer (’94)
Building empathy
May 15, 2019
- Deborah RootWhen Lt. Col. Naomi Mercer was a member of ROTC during her college days, she never envisioned a career that would lead her to teaching at West Point, educating women in Iraq and developing human resource strategy at the Pentagon. Mercer’s work has impacted individuals at home and abroad. She recently was awarded the Legion Merit Award after retiring from a 25-year career in the Army.
Mercer’s work in human resources has focused on gender integration and religious accommodation in the Army. From her days in ROTC, she recognized the issues surrounding women in the military, and through her years of service, became an advocate for the role and treatment of women.
“I enjoyed the work on a strategic level to educate people that one’s gender should not determine one’s destiny,” Mercer said.
From policy changes to cultural changes, Mercer continues to see how the military has responded to gender issues. When she first taught at West Point in 2003, 85% of the cadets were male, and there was a cap of 15% female. When she returned in 2013, the cap had been removed, and the classes grew to 25% female within a few years.
The Army provided Naomi the opportunity to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in English literature, and she found her greatest joy in teaching at West Point. Through the assigned readings, students recognized the importance of learning about issues that affect others, such as gender equality.
“Building empathy can change who people are fundamentally,” Mercer said.
And it was through her studies of feminist utopian and dystopian literature that she found her passion for gender integration and religious accommodation work in the military.
“I really am a product of a liberal arts education,” noted Mercer, a 1994 Ouachita graduate.
Throughout her military career, Mercer has proven her ability to listen and advocate for others. She served in many roles, and often fulfilling more than one job, because her commanding officers recognized her ability as a problem-solver.
In her work with people, she noted that “you never have all the right people, for the right job, at the right time.” She said working with the Army taught her that leading people in a common goal is not always like solving a puzzle, because with a puzzle, the pieces all have to fit together. Her analogy is that it’s a mosaic. You have to build the picture with what you have, and what you have is not always constant.
Mercer plans to continue her work in gender equality. She recently earned an Executive Certificate in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion and plans to be a director or consultant for a company or organization.
Whether writing policy to affect treatment of women in the military or helping Iraqi charities apply for funding to teach women life skills such as baking goods to sell at the market, Mercer’s career is a reflection of what she always emphasized to her students: empathy for others can change you – and change the world.
Dr. Deborah Root has served at Ouachita since 1991. She currently serves as chair
of the Rogers Department of Communications, professor of communications and director
of assessment and institutional research.
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