Professor Spotlight: Dr. Bukky Akinsanmi (MAN 374H)

A new professor at the Univerity of Texas at Austin, Dr. Bukky Akinsanmi has had a constant stream of new experiences thrown at her since stepping foot on the Forty Acres. Dr. Akinsanmi, who asks that her students call her Bukky, began her time in July of last year and now teaches the Canfield BHP capstone course, MAN 374H. 

Self-proclaimed architect-turned-scholar, Bukky has earned a Ph.D in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship, a Master of Architecture, a Master of Environmental Design since 2002. With all this experience under her belt, Bukky is an incredible asset to the Canfield BHP faculty. 

“Prior to coming to (UT) I got my Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin Madison and before that, I had substantial experience in the architecture and construction industry,” Bukky said. “Texas has a very special place in my heart because when I finished my graduate degree in architecture, I worked in Dallas first and had a younger sister who worked with Dell in Austin. I used to come to Austin for the weekend and go dancing and it was always really fun– I’m really glad to be back in Texas and I hope it becomes my hometown in the U.S.”

For Bukky, she’s spent the year adapting to Austin both inside and outside the (virtual) classroom. She said she’s had a wonderful time getting to know the city, but of course had some bumps on the road, like the winter storm that hit this semester. All considered, Bukky said she appreciates that McCombs and Canfield BHP have welcomed her with open arms.

“Austin has been wonderful in the sense that even with COVID there are still tons of activities that my family can do safely. We’ve been going to trails, parks, and just spending a lot of time outdoors. One thing we weren’t expecting though when we left the East Coast, was the snowstorm– we had sold all our snow-related items before moving down (to Texas) so that was interesting” Bukky said. “In terms of becoming a part of McCombs so far, it has been wonderful. I have really kind colleagues and faculty here– the various faculty within my department and even the few that I’ve gotten to meet outside of my department, including the Dean, have been so gracious, so friendly and so helpful.”

Further, Bukky said she loves working with Canfield BHP students. From actively participating in class to asking important, thought-provoking questions outside of class, she has been thoroughly impressed with the caliber of Canfield BHPers. 

“Working with the (Canfield) Business Honors Program students has been just a huge delight. They are very hardworking. They prepare for class and have really thoughtful questions,” Bukky said. “For me, that’s an amazing experience because I’m getting the opportunity to teach students who really do want to learn and who want to be able to apply what they’re learning in real-life scenarios.”

When it comes to Canfield BHP students looking forward to taking MAN 374H with Bukky, she encourages them to come prepared for not only rigor but fun. 

“It’s not a class that you’re going to float through– it will be rigorous, but reasonable because the focus is on learning. We’ll bring in current events going on and real-life activities and students should come prepared for both work and silliness, because learning new things is not mutually exclusive to having fun,” Bukky said. “I’m excited, because Canfield BHP students are smart, dedicated, interested students. I feel lucky to teach those sorts of students, honestly.”