by Taylor Bryant
During the month of March, UWG Perspective highlighted the diversely amazing events and people at the University of West Georgia. From Ghana to Algeria or China to Ireland, UWG professors represent more than 20 countries. In today’s story, we continue to celebrate and recognize a few UWG professors from various countries, getting to know their proudest moments and greatest hopes as educators, leaders and mentors of students at UWG.
Name: Dr. Li Yang
Title: Associate Professor of Computer Science
Years at UWG: 11 years
Birthplace: Gansu, China
Why you decided to come West. I liked the Computer Science Department being a small and student-centric department that is committed to teaching. You really get to know the students in such an environment. Furthermore, I liked the change of seasons and landscape in Georgia.
Life before UWG: I was a Ph.D. student at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, before I joined the UWG faculty in 2003. Prior to that, I was finishing up my master's degree in computer science in Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Proudest accomplishment: I am the first and only (up to now) person in my family who obtained a Ph.D. degree.
What you most want to contribute to the students. I want to motivate students and help them develop the skills to become life-long learners. I want them to see their potentials if they try hard enough and not be discouraged by circumstances.
Name: Dr. Nadya Popov
Title: Assistant Professor of History, Director of Graduate Studies in History, Director of the Classical Studies Minor
Years at UWG: almost 4 years
Birthplace: Leningrad, Russia (which has more recently reverted back to its pre-revolutionary name of St. Petersburg).
Why you decided to come West. The opportunity and the freedom to build from scratch a curriculum in Ancient History and in the Classics was an incredible attraction!
Life before UWG: My family left Russia for Israel in 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union. We stayed in Israel for almost six years before moving to the United States. I received my B.A. in Classics and French from the University of Virginia, and my Ph.D. in Classics from Princeton University. Before coming to UWG, I taught for one year at the University of Texas at Austin, and another year at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Proudest accomplishment: Finishing my Ph.D. dissertation while taking care of my then newborn son. This certainly helps me now to sympathize with students who are parents, and are juggling work and school and family!
What you most want to contribute to the students. I want my students to fall in love with the ancient world, and to recognize its relevance to their lives today, even if much of what I teach is 2,000 plus years removed.
Name: Joe Abrokwa
Title: Lecturer of Accounting
Years at UWG: 5 Years
Birthplace: Ghana
Why you decided to come West. Because of the collegial environment I
encountered during my interview visit.
Life before UWG: I spent over 20 years in management positions working
for banks in California and Ghana.
Proudest accomplishment: The successful transition from the private
sector to the academic field.
What you most want to contribute to the students. Expose my students
to the practical knowledge gained during my over 20 years experience
in the business world.
Name: Dr. Yan Yang
Title: Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology
Years at UWG: 3 years
Birthplace: Sichuan, China
Why you decided to come West. Want to be one of the powerful wolves!
Life before UWG: Lonely scorpion
Proudest accomplishment: Untrained, but finished an 18-mile hike with over 6000 feet elevations in total, with casual tennis shoes and a food bag on the shoulder, but no telling of what happened afterwards!
What you most want to contribute to the students. Teach them to self-motivate, self-regulate in learning, and expose them to different ways of teaching through international exchange programs.
