I am a current senior university administrator and political science professor with primary responsibility in diversity and inclusion, global engagement, and community partnership strategic planning on the college campus. My cabinet responsibilities revolve around the institutional pursuit of belonging and as an office, we conduct workshops, program, and train a host of university constituents on the merits of inclusive excellence and international education. In the classroom, I teach courses on domestic politics, globalization, and international relations. I was born in Ghana, raised in several West African countries and completed all post secondary education in the United States. My B.S. is in Economics and Finance from the University of Indianapolis (2005), and both my M.A. (2008) and PhD (2013) degrees are from Southern Illinois University- Carbondale, specializing in Political Science with concentrations in global politics, international relations, and research methodology.
My journey in higher academia has led me from a full-time member of the faculty to varying university leadership positions on the college campus. As an academic with a heart for community- I strive to use my own experiences to help bridge divides and create collaborative partnerships on college campuses and in surrounding communities.
In addition to these primarily roles I am a frequent speaker on inclusive administration, inclusive pedagogy and culturally responsive curriculum, at post-secondary institutions. I offer academic workshops and professional continuing education on topics such as implicit biases, non-violent communication, power and privilege, inclusive leadership, among others.
Most recently, I am a research consultant for Associated Equipment Distributors, a 2019 National Inclusive Excellence Leadership Academy Fellow, 2019 State of Indiana Achievement in Education Awardee, and serve as an advisory board member for Global Indiana at the Sagamore Institute, located in Indianapolis, IN.
I am married to Dr. Rachael Olufowote, and, together, we have two daughters.