Getting to Know Your Neighbor: Samuel “Sam” Dosumu, Ph.D., relishes his role in education; enjoys cooking & horror flicks

Samuel “Sam” Dosumu, is the chancellor at the University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus. He lives in Los Lunas, and his family includes his wife, Charlotte Dosumu; and children, Alandon, Alyssa, Bo, Christyna, Hyrum, Josh and Summer.

Q What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

A “First and foremost, getting home safely. Too many distractions on the roadways today. Second, how did I do today at work? What will be waiting for me the next day? I try to focus on what’s next or what’s in front of me.

Q What’s a myth about your profession you’d like to bust?

A “College educators work as hard as people who work in other professions, and it isn’t about 40 hours a week. Lots of work take place outside of the classroom, such as grading, researching, responding to students’ questions, and preparing for the next class. With colleges offering more online courses, faculty who teach online courses work probably twice as much.”

Q What were you like in high school?

A “Quiet, reserved, introverted, color within the lines. I went to a Catholic high school and lived in the dormitory my entire stay in high school. Getting in trouble was definitely not an option, at least for me. I was also career focused, and I read a lot.”

Q What is the best advice you’ve ever received and from whom?

A “A long time ago, a friend’s dad asked me about my plans for the future, while at a family gathering. I told him I planned to go for my doctorate degree. Then he asked what I was waiting for! I pondered that question for a long time. Shortly after that, I began the process of going on for my doctoral degree. The takeaway from that interaction is, ‘If it is something you want bad enough, just do it.’”

Q What did you want to be when you grew up?

A “A medical doctor. My father worked in the medical field, and I always wanted to follow that path. In addition, I enjoyed my anatomy and physiology (aka biology) classes.”

Q Who inspires you?

A “Successful people. I enjoy reading autobiographies of successful people. I get inspired by what others do and that affirms that nothing is impossible. I like to learn their success pathway, what sacrifices they made, what obstacles they overcame and why they chose the path they ended on.”

Q Ifyou could work any other job for one day, what would it be and why?

A “A medical doctor. No particular reason. Just that treating people and solving medical issues intrigue me.”

Q What do you do in your free time?

A “I read a lot. I catch up on unread books and articles. I like art, and one day hope to be good at figure drawing. I also like to cook. I find it therapeutic. I have to accept that the outcome will not always come out the way the pictures depict them. I get frustrated when my cooking does not come out as the photo says it should. I still enjoy the time spent in the process.”

Q What’s something about you most people don’t know?

A “I was born in Nigeria; lived in London, England, for seven-plus years. My dad’s family is from a royal family. My fourth-generation grandfather was the King of Lagos, in Nigeria, in the mid-1800s. Lagos was the capital city of Nigeria for many years.”

Q What three books would you to take to a deserted island?

A “‘The Score Takes Care of Itself’ by Bill Walsh (San Francisco 49ers legendary coach); ‘Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and Birth of the FBI’ by David Grann. ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins.”

Q You find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?

A “First, catch my breath and calm down. Next, hire an attorney; then make plans to travel to every continent on the globe. We love to travel and visit different places. You learn a lot and you stretch your mind when you travel.”

Q Who is your best friend and why?

A “I’ve had a few very close friends both back in Nigeria and here in the states. I have a good number of close friends. Since I move around a lot, I tend to make friends as I move around.”

Q What’s your favorite song to sing when you’re alone?

A “Lots and lots of reggae tunes. I love reggae and smooth jazz. If I picked one, I’ll be doing others injustice.”

Q Where is your happy place, and why?

A “At home. It is quiet, comfortable, and where I can reflect. I enjoy camping sometimes, after you get through the work it takes to set up tent, prepare meals, and feel safe from vicious animals (aka bears). I like to take time to get away from the hustle and bustle of work.”

Q Have you had a life-changing experience that led you to where you are today?

A “I consider myself the ‘accidental educator.’ Never thought I’d end up in education. My first career was as a computer programmer. I’ve always enjoyed helping others learn and explaining how things work, but never in my wildest dreams did I think of working in education. Since being in it, I love it.”

Q What teacher had the greatest impact on you?

A “My mathematics teacher in high school. In my second year in high school, we had a math teacher who had studied in France. We all enjoyed how he taught us how to work math problems, and how to break problems into small pieces, solve each small piece and you’ve got it. That’s when I knew I had a love for math.”

Q What is your favorite movie scene and why?

A “How about a few? Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’ and ‘Airplane I and II.’ I love horror movies. At the same time, I enjoy (truly) funny movies. These are movies I can watch over and over and never get bored.”

Q If you could have dinner with one famous person — dead or alive — who would it be and why?

A “No one in particular. I’ll eat dinner with anyone famous that I feel I can learn from. I’d like to learn how they got to where they are and what challenges they faced along the way.”

Q What are you most proud of?

A “Coming to America. Not quite like the movie but coming to a new country to build a future for myself. I came to the states to attend college. Along the way, I learned about myself, and who I wanted to be when I ‘grow up.’ I am also proud of people I met along the way, who have influenced my life in one way or another.”

Q How would you like to be remembered?

A “A kind person, who loves life and loves to laugh. Sometimes I find myself too excited about a lot of things, but why spend your time being sad? As the saying goes, ‘Life is too short to be sad (or something like that).’ I enjoy meeting and learning about people.”