Binda Godlove Aka | Faculty Profiles

Diplomas/Degrees

Ph.D. in Political Science, University of South Dakota (2020)

Post-Secondary Teaching Certificate, University of South Dakota (2018)

MPA, Savannah State University (2017)

M.Sc. in Political Science, University of Buea (2014)

B.Sc. in Political Science, University of Buea (2010)

Professional Experience

09/2022 – Present Assistant Professor, Adelphi University

09/2021 – 05/2022 Visiting Assistant Professor, Siena College.

1/2021 – 06/2021 Adjunct Professor, University of South Dakota.

06/2021 – 08/2021 Research Associate, Government Research Bureau, University of South Dakota.

2017-2020 Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, University of South Dakota.

2019-2020 Economic Development Assistant, Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company (VCDC), South Dakota.

2015-2017 Graduate Research Assistant, Savannah State University.

2005-2006 Electrical Engineering Teacher, Modern College of Technology (STARMOTEC) Tiko, Cameroon.

Personal Statement

I am a political scientist whose commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is very strong. I implement the active learning exercise in the classroom by engaging students in what I teach. My students and I actively engage in Socratic dialogue where we address a vast array of issues. As a political scientist, my research focuses on public health with an emphasis on policies and institutions, and the politics that shape these. I have three overlapping research areas, all of which include an examination of political institutions:

First, I focus on health policies that affect low-income individuals, such as Medicaid and period poverty.

Second, I examine policies related to Covid-19, including theoretical work on policymakers’ policy learning and the response to Covid-19 in Cameroon.

Finally, I investigate how the dynamics of U.S. politics, including political parties, shape institutions, such as Congress, and, in turn, influence policy.

All of these inform my teaching as well as I seek to help students understand the interplay between policy, political institutions, and politics.

Recent Courses

Introduction To The American Political System

Public Policy: Theory And Issues

S/T: Global Health Policy

Specialization/Interests

Dr. Binda is a political scientist and an interdisciplinary researcher. His research examines how government institutions and other policy stakeholders participate in the policy process, as well as the impact of public policy on the society. The multifaceted and dynamic nature of the field of public policy has enabled his scholarship to address issues such as: public policy analysis and evaluation, the United States health policy, global health issues, sustainable health policy, politics of healthcare reform in the United States, social welfare policy in the United States, redistributive policy, access to healthcare, comparative perspective of states’ policy implementation, public health policy response to COVID-19, African politics, politics-administration dichotomy, public administration, interest groups and public policy, American political institutions, the American Presidency, Congress, constitutionality and the rule of law, individual rights in the Constitution, policy perspectives of international organizations and emerging diseases.

Teaching Philosophy

I implement the active learning exercise in the classroom by engaging students in what I teach. My students and I actively engage in Socratic dialogue where we address a vast array of issues. Diversity, equity, and inclusion play a dominant role in my teaching philosophy where I collaborate with people from all backgrounds despite their status in the society. As a teacher who had his first teaching experience in 2005, I believe that most students have some extracurricular problems they face, I keenly observe my students to provide them with support on how to address such problems with the aim of ensuring that they have the right frame of mind to study effectively. On this note, my teaching philosophy clings on transfer and transmission of knowledge through a mechanism of motivation where students are always inspired to excel in all facets of the academic sphere by engaging them in what is taught in class. I also try to transfer this inclusive approach to my students by engaging them to work with each other in the form of group presentation where they collaborate in various groups and present research findings in class. This is done in an effort to promote inclusion and diversity in the classroom.

In the process of attaining my teaching objectives, I make every effort to teach with love and to ensure that my students can freely express their concerns to me without any fear. On a daily basis, I ensure that the classroom is conducive for learning and learning objectives are met. I maximize the use of theoretical examples for illustration so that I can easily connect my student audience to understand what is being taught. A good teacher conducts appropriate research during lesson preparation to effectively cover the scope of the course and ensures the transfer of knowledge to the students; this is my goal as a teacher. Research is an important element in the academic world because it refreshes the intellect of teachers, the students, and the public. The advancement of research is a key element as a teacher considering that it leads to new discoveries where knowledge is easily transferred from one person to the other. As a teacher, I instill research skills in the minds of my students by ensuring that I guide them through the necessary process that will help them excel in the field. While carrying out research, I collaborate with both faculty colleagues and students. As I encourage my students to engage in research, I as well ask them to have contact with books, other ideas, people, cultures, and the world outside the educational arena and be prepared to go through the process of judging for themselves the best cause of action regarding any discourse. This diversified perspective enables the students to have better sense of judgement when analyzing issues.

My office hours are made in such a way that I provide enough time to attend to students. Office hours meeting is a time of reflection between the student and the teacher to enable the student gets a better understanding of what he or she was unable to understand in class or related concerns. This is a moment where the teacher must motivate the student and let the student know that he or she can succeed in those areas that seem impossible to excel in. The work of a teacher in this scenario is seen as a motivational tool that helps the student to recollect his or herself and push towards success. I take this meeting profoundly serious because it has been proven to be immensely helpful towards the academic performance of students.

Teaching also has an extra-curricular phase where the teacher socializes with the student through social events and organizations in the department/university. As a veteran student leader, I clearly understand the benefits of extracurricular activities and strongly encourage my students to participate in such activities. I hold the view that extra-curricular activities provide opportunities for students to acquire learning skills out of the classroom, the reason why I encourage my students to engage in extracurricular activities.

I see teaching as a vocation I am called to serve because when I got into teaching in 2005, I developed love and passion to train future leaders and since then, this desire keeps growing in me. I have this deep passion and hunger to transfer/transmit knowledge to students by helping them to understand what they need to know through the application of theoretical approaches and contemporary examples. The teaching vocation gladdens my heart because it makes me serve as a development agent for a sustainable future! Frederick Buechner summarized this thought more precisely when he said, “Vocation is the place where your deep gladness and the world deep hunger meets.” Teaching is a calling I have been assigned to fulfill and I am optimistic that I am excelling in it considering that my desire to transfer knowledge is unceasing.

My objective as a teacher is to transfer knowledge effectively by acting as a support system that motivates the students to excel in all facets of the academic sphere.

Articles

Book Review, Likert, Rensis (1967), The Human Organization: Its Management and Value. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research (ISSN2229-5518). (Nov. 2021). Vol. 12, Issue 11, pp.722-724. The Human Organization Its Management and Value - IJSER Journal Publication

“The Emergence of Modern Presidency in the United States of America: Presidential Power and Constitutional Shift”. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research (ISSN 2229-5518). (2020). Vol. 11, Issue 9, pp. 259 – 278. The Emergence of Modern Presidency in the United States of America: Presidential Power and Constitutional Shift (ijser.org)

Fairholm, Matthew, Dzordzormenyoh, Michael K., and Godlove Aka, Binda, (2018). “Trust-Culture Leadership in Local Public Administrators' Work.” International Journal of Public Leadership. Vol. 14 Issue: 4, pp. 260-273. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-06-2018-0031).

Conference Presentations

Understanding US Health Policy - The Big Picture. Adelphi University (2022), October 11, 2022. Understanding US Health Policy - The BIG Picture - October 11 @ 12:15pm - 1:30pm | Adelphi University

Unmasking Administrative Evil in Cameroon: A Case Study of the Anglophone Crisis (The Ambazonia War). Annual Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference at Palmer House Hilton Chicago, IL (USA), 7^th – 10^th of April 2022.

An Overview of African Politics. Department of political science, Siena College. October 29, 2021

Human Relations Approach of Management: An Assessment of Organizational Leadership in Dealing with Informal Work Groups.” Annual Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference at Palmer House Hilton Chicago, IL (USA), 4^th -7^th of April 2019.

Interest Groups and Governmental Agencies in the Policy process: An Analysis of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). University of South Dakota, December 2018.

Challenges to Effective Presidential Elections Management in Africa: A Case Study of Cameroon Since Multipartism.” Iowa Association of Political Science (IAPS) Conference on 3^rd of March 2018.

Obstacles to Effective Presidential Elections Management in Africa: A Case Study of Cameroon since Multipartism.” Savannah State University’s International Education Center Conference on “Presidential Elections in Africa: Change or Status Quo in Political Governance?” 18^th of November 2016.

An Update of Commonwealth Students' Association (CSA) Africa Region.” 1st Africa Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (1st ARCYMM) in Yaounde, 8^th -10^th of February 2015 on the theme "Young People Building a Stable and Sustainable Future".

Don’t Burn My Plate of Rice.” Fourth annual Commonwealth Summer School at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, 17^th -24^th of August 2014.

Invited Presentations

Africa in the International System: The World View of Africa and What Africa Truly is.” African Student Association (ASA) Week at The University of South Dakota 23^rd of October 2018.

Projects Mentored

Facilitator; Talking Change, Making Change Critical Dialogue, Office of Diversity, University of South Dakota (2018)

Honors and Accomplishments

2022 Travel Grant to MPSA, Siena College, $1,060.20

2019 Travel Grant. Department of Political Science, University of South Dakota, $1000.

2016 Phi Alpha Alpha award induction at Savannah State University in honor of my excellence academic performance in the MPA program.

2015 Model African Union Awards (2) winner, Macon, Georgia.

2014 Travel Grant to Commonwealth Summer School in Malaysia, Cameroon Ministry of Youth Affairs, 200,000 FCFA.

2014 Travel Grant to Commonwealth Summer School in Malaysia, The Commonwealth, round trip flights and lodging.

2014 Award of best student in leadership at the University of Buea.

2014 Award of the most discipline postgraduate student at the University of Buea.

2010-14 Cameroon Presidential academic excellence awards.

2010 Travel Grant (150,000 CFA) by the University of Buea to attend the 3^rd United Action Against Corruption and Injustice International Bilingual Conference on Research and Development at Taraba House, Abuja international Conference Centre and Eagle Square, Abuja, Nigeria.

2010 Best Graduating Students, Oshie Students’ and Teachers’ Union (OSTU) Buea.