Leading by Example

"Leading by Example" originally appeared in the 2016 edition of Arising, the Research Journal of Savannah State University.
Story by Amy Pine. Photography by Hon Low.

When Pascal Binda, Ph.D., tells students that they can succeed despite the obstacles that may be in their way, he speaks from the heart — and from experience.

“I was inspired to be a professor when I was 10 years old,” says Binda, an assistant professor of chemistry at Savannah State University.

Born and raised in Cameroon in West Africa, Binda shared his dream with his father, who told him that he would need to obtain a Ph.D. if he wanted to land a position in higher education.

Binda was on his way to achieving his goal as a freshman at the University of Buea in Cameroon. But during his first semester, his mother fell ill and was told by doctors that she wouldn’t survive. Binda’s father knew that his son was in the middle of final exams and chose to wait until they were completed to break the news that she was going to pass away. 

“My father knew that if I wanted to be a professor, I needed a good GPA. His goal was not to destroy my college experience. He wanted me to do well on my final exams before informing me,” Binda says. “It was inspirational that my dad really believed in me like that. … My dad told me that I should never abandon my education no matter what happens.”

Two months later during his second semester, Binda’s father had a debilitating stroke. Binda went back home to visit his father, who was unable to speak. In Cameroonian culture, doctors don’t typically level with family members when situations are grave. But Binda’s father was being treated by a Swiss doctor, who told the college freshman that his father was going to die.

“She did the best thing she could’ve done for me. She said, ‘You need to go back to school. There’s no point of staying here.’”

Binda thought about the wise words his father imparted to him just a few months before: “You cannot abandon your education because your future depends on it.”

He heeded his father’s advice and returned to school, obtaining a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Buea in 2001 and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Dakota in 2008.

Binda came to Savannah State in 2013, passing up a tenured associate professorship at another university so that he could have more opportunities to engage in research and work one-on-one with students. 

“Our students are very smart. All they need is motivation,” says Binda, who keeps six chairs in his office to accommodate students who want to drop in and pick his brain. “You have to work in groups. You have to work in teams. You can’t survive alone in college.”

Binda is currently writing a book about his experiences.