Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Amaechi Nwaokoro

Dr. Amaechi Nwaokoro is a professor of economics in the College of Business, Education, and Professional Studies (CBEPS) at Albany State University (ASU). During his 16 years of dedicated service, he has mentored many students and volunteered with the Albany Civil Rights Institute and the Albany Rescue Mission.

Dr.  Nwaokoro’s research on “Another “Marshall Plan” Needed to Emancipate African Americans from the Vicious Cycle of Poverty,” was selected for revision for publication in the International Journal of Public Policy and Administration Research. He has also published research in the International Journal of Accounting and Finance Studies, International Journal of Economics and Finance, and International Journal of Financial Research.

He is currently researching “African American Routes for Economic Development.”

In 2016, Dr. Nwaokoro was awarded the Excellence in Research Award from the Clute Institute. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Oklahoma.

What is your role at Albany State University and what motivated you to learn more about that field? 
I instruct economics, and economics and business statistics courses at Albany State University.  I have the desire and interest to understand the functionality of the American free market economy in which price mechanisms allocate the scarce resources.

Why did you choose to work at ASU?
I chose to work at ASU to advance the market interests of the economically challenged and market disenfranchised.  Our students need to learn that they can maximize earnings from several economic markets, not just from the labor market.  Our students need to understand that incomes can also be earned from the bonds market and from stock holdings.

What do you love most about being a professor at ASU?
What I love the most being a professor is being among the students and assisting them to understand human discipline, monetary economy, small business ownership, and to map out rewarding contemporary career paths. I believe that all students can learn, and none should be left behind. 

Who made the biggest impact on you and who is someone you consider to be a role model?
My elementary and secondary school teachers impacted me the most. They taught me self-discipline and the patience required to withstand the hurdles in life while pursuing a goal.  One of my role models at the college level is my dissertational committee chair. He taught me the progressive approach to handling a task. Particularly, he taught me self-discipline, and the guiding principle of marginal analysis that requires a task to be accomplished phase by phase.

What are obstacles you’ve had to overcome to progress as a professor and scholar? 
You must be the best instructor possible regardless of the circumstances that may surround you. My primary objective is to assist students in achieving meaningful college experiences, I focus on achieving the best productivity irrespective of the situation and I look forward to seeing the product of my contribution.

What advice would you give to students with an interest in your job?
I advise students that they can accomplish tasks that they focus on. There are a lot of challenges in life, but there are proven ways of responding to challenges.