PVCC Welcomes New Dean
Jessica Adkins, online editor
In the midst of the hustle and bustle in the math wing of PVCC’s Main Building lies the office of PVCC’s new dean. Olugbemiga, pronounced “Beng-gah,” Adekunle is PVCC’s new dean of business, mathematics, and technologies. While Adekunle enjoys being the dean, it was not something he had always wanted to do.
Adekunle grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where he attended local middle and high schools. After high school, he attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on the Myer-Hall Scholarship which was a science program that offered support for minority students to obtain their PhD in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics topics. While at UMBC, he studied computer engineering.
He had originally wanted to double major but changed to getting a minor in mathematics.
After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from UMBC, Adekunle received his master’s degree from the University of Illinois in computer engineering. After doing so, he decided that he wanted to teach and got his first part-time teaching job.
He taught at Parkland College in Illinois for a while, but later applied for a full-time position at Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC) and became a computer science instructor. After working at BRCC, Adekunle and his family moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he was the Dean of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics until he took his current position at PVCC.
His position at PVCC covers many different class types from culinary arts to computer science.
Part of his job entails communicating and working closely with faculty and staff in his division as well as helping make the class curriculum.
“I see the position as really helping the students,” Adekunle said.
While he may be busy at PVCC, he enjoys many activities in his free time.
When he lived in Harrisonburg, he was part of an improvised comedy club. He plays basketball for fun.
He enjoys playing video games and watching T.V. at home. Science fiction, fantasy, and comic books are his favorite books to read.
He likes to listen to rap and hip-hop music and has even written a few Christian rap and hip-hop songs.
At the end of the interview, Adekunle said, “I hope at this institution that students are shown different opportunities that they could do regardless of background.”
If any students or staff ever have any questions, they can stop by his office in room M268 or send him an email at OAdekunle@pvcc.edu.
