Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Anthony Owusu-Ansah

Dr. Anthony Owusu-Ansah is a professor of education in the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies (COBEPS) at Albany State University (ASU). He has served as a faculty member at the University for 11 years.

His most recent research, “Internationalization of the Curriculum” was published in the International Research and Review, Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars. He has also published research in the World Journal of Education.

He is a 2020-2024 Fulbright Specialist, a program of the U.S. Department of State where academics engage in two-to-six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah received a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Ohio University.

What do you do at Albany State University and what motivated you to learn more about that field?
I have spent my adult life teaching and preparing quality teachers to go out and engage to teach our children and grandchildren to sustain our collective future.

Why did you choose to work at ASU?
I saw ASU as home, and I blended in easily when I came in August of 2011. I knew this was where I truly belonged, at an HBCU after working in institutions across the country. That is why I have spent eleven years here.

What are your responsibilities as a faculty member, and are there any special programs or initiatives you are a part of?
My doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction and my wide experiences as an educator put me in many areas of the teacher education program. I have taught middle grades education courses as well as elementary education courses. I continually serve as clinical supervisor for our student teachers, and I have also been involved on International Education and study abroad opportunities for our students.

Nationally, I serve as a lead site visitor for CAEP Accreditation process. I was selected for a Fulbright award to Colombia where I worked with the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali. I have also worked for the Cadet Command of the United States Army ROTC in Togo and Ukraine preparing future army leaders on cultural understanding. I will be taking more of our students to Ghana next summer for their practicum experiences, and I invite as many students and faculty who want to join us to start planning for it.

What do you love most about being a professor at ASU?
The Collegiality and family-feeling.

Who made the biggest impact on you and who is someone you consider to be a role model?
Dr. Fields, Dr. Wiley, and Dr. Dashonera Crawley. These ladies took me as theirs and gave me all the support I needed.

What are obstacles you’ve had to overcome to progress as a professor and scholar? 
I would not characterize what I have seen, heard, involved in emotionally as obstacles. I see all of them as opportunities for growth. As humans, we do not always have to see or claim perfection. We make mistakes and we should expect criticisms to learn and grow into responsible leaders from them. As an adult and a leader, you should see yourself as a mountain overcoming drenching rain, fires, bitter cold seasons. None of these uproot you. They make you stronger instead.

What advice would you give to students with an interest in your job?
Humility, respect for others, responsibility for your actions, having the right dispositions for the profession, understanding cultural differences, and learning to use the right words at the right time.