Talks with My Teacher: Josiah Akinsanmi

By Nicholas Rose

The Colleges are blessed to have faculty who champion learning and teaching excellence. In this interview series, students take the lead to sit down with their teachers for a one-on-one talks to explore life inside and outside the classroom. Beyond the robust CVs, extensive conference experience and research publications, these exciting faculty members also dabble in music, travel the world, advocate for social justice causes and much more. 

Josiah Akinsanmi Courses 
BUSN 204 Operations Management and Logistics
BUSN 290 Intro to Quantitative Decision Analysis
BUSN 291 Applications of Statistics in Business
ECON 101 MicroEconomics
ECON 102 Macroeconomics

Can you tell me a bit about your university experience?

I first attended Oregon State University. I moved from Nigeria because I won a scholarship and the school was recommended to me by the principal of the formal school in Nigeria 
I went in for Agricultural Engineering for my undergraduate. From there I proceeded to the graduate program (Masters) where I did agricultural economics. Later on I continued my education for my Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics and after that I decided to broaden my area of specialization and decided to do an MBA in finance. The undergraduate degree, Ph.D. and MBA I did at Oregon State University and I did my master’s at the University of Arkansas, USA.

 

How was the transition moving from Nigeria to America?

It was a big culture shock and it took me a while to get a hold of a lot of things. There are a lot of differences between Nigerian culture and American - people move so fast, the individualism. 
The individualism in the US was the biggest shock. Unless you are close friends, nobody asks you how you are doing. In my culture, even if I don't know you, I stop and greet you and ask how are you doing. I still have family in Nigeria and I go back every other year.
 

What advice do you have any advice for incoming and current post-secondary students?

Be prepared for class. 
Also, many students come with their differing cultural background and when they get here, they need to adjust to the situation quickly. Be aware there are things here that are a “no no”. For example, when we talk about plagiarism, it is a “no no” but in some cultures copying someone’s work can be complementary.

What is your favourite subject to teach?

I have so many subjects I like to teach. Economics (Macro and Micro), Business Math, Business Stats, Management Science and Operations Management.
 

What do you do in your free time?

With my free time I spend a lot of time doing community work, events and activities. I coordinate information sessions and come up with topics that are beneficial to the public such as cancer fundraising, Sickle cell anemia and diabetes fundraising.
 

Is there an area of your life where you are especially proud of your work?

My dedication and having the passion to help others. The fundraising I do for my community helps raise money for children’s hospitals, Sickle cell anemia and cancer research, and raising public awareness for diseases such as diabetes. I have won several awards for my community work.

Do you follow any sports?

Yes, I watch sports and I watch basketball. The Portland Trailblazers are my favourite team because I lived in Oregon for a long time. 
I also keep up with football and hockey. I did not like hockey until I moved to Canada. I like to watch hockey now but, unfortunately, my team the Canucks are not doing too well.

Do you have someone who you really look up to?

I have plenty of people I look up to. I have a spiritual outlook, let people help you and you help people. That is my philosophy.

About Nicholas Rose, Student interviewer
Nicholas Rose is a second year student at Corpus Christi College. He is studying business and hopes to transfer into business school. In his free time, Nicholas enjoys fishing in PEI, water sports at the beach and spending time with his dog, Meika.