Inspired by her ancestors, Dr. Porschia Nkansa cites lessons from Theresa A. Hammond’s “A White-Collar Profession: African American Certified Public Accountants since 1921” as a major source of motivation in her professional journey. The book not only describes the barriers African-Americans faced while trying to obtain their CPA licenses but motivates Dr. Nkansa to keep striving to achieve her career goals no matter the obstacle.
Prior to joining the Accounting Department in Fall 2016, Dr. Nkansa worked as a supplemental instruction leader during her undergraduate studies. “I was a specialized tutor for the introductory financial accounting class who attended classes and scheduled tutoring sessions with students to help them with challenging material. I enjoyed this flexible teaching experience and felt like a ‘mini professor,’” she explains.
Dr. Nkansa was drawn to the CBE because “I felt a sense of true faculty camaraderie during my campus visit. I was also impressed by the bright and inquisitive students who asked tough questions during the research session of my campus visit.”
According to Dr. Nkansa, the most rewarding aspect of being a professor “is clarifying accounting concepts, demystifying accounting misconceptions and making the course material relatable to students.”
In fact, her students would be surprised to know that she is not only obsessed with watching crime drama/murder mystery shows, doing yoga, and listening to podcasts, but she is also a Ms. Pac-Man champ. She beat the high score, (by scoring 194,670 points) on a Ms. Pac-Man machine in a pizza restaurant during a trip to Lower Lake, California last August.
She leaves us with her favorite quote by Nikki Giovanni, “The only way you can grow is to let yourself make mistakes and create contradictions. As we learn new things, some of our old attitudes will change.”