Upcoming promotion and tenure

It’s summer break, so I’m not online a lot. But briefly breaking my silence to report that yesterday I got officially notified of my upcoming promotion and tenure (permanent appointment) at Sam Houston State University starting in the fall semester of 2026.

As every US-based academic knows, this is a big deal and rarely a one man/woman show, if at all. Moreover, tenure-track being a multi-year journey, there’s a host of people who have supported me a long the way and to whom I’m genuinely indebted. However, due to space limitations, I will only mention a few. I hope to someday mention the rest in my autobiography when I get to write it, God willing.

First and foremost, I’m grateful to my Dean – Philip Lyons – for taking a chance on me back in 2019 (yes, this has been a long time coming), and for his continued and  unwavering support over the years. I couldn’t have asked for a better Dean. I wish to also thank Associate Dean Danielle Boisvert and Dean Philip’s Assistant Debra McCall among others in the Dean’s office for their unrelenting support over the years. I promise to do my best to keep paying forward.

Second, I’m grateful to my colleagues Magdalena, Nadav, Nate, Russell, and Vivian for welcoming me on board and encouraging and supporting me in various ways over the years. This promotion and permanent appointment is a testament to your kindness and generosity. A special thanks to my two colleague-coauthors Magdalena and Nate. If interested, check out our co-authored pieces on DHS and climate change (with Magdalena) and climate change and water theft (with Nate) when you have a chance. Both articles are peer-reviewed and open access.

On a related note, at some point in this journey, my colleagues and I were joined by excellent neighbors, including Michael Aspland and Reyna Loosmore, among others at the Institute for Homeland Security. I am grateful to you all for the various ways you have been supportive since we started coexisting together. I look forward to exploring opportunities for collaboration starting in the fall.

Third, thanks to my students – both current and former – for enrolling in my classes,  spreading the word around, and providing feedback that has helped improve my teaching and classes over the years. A special thank you to my past and present graduate assistants (teaching and/or research assistants), including Ms. Sage Heil, Mr. Jonathan Lawrence, Ms. Jessica Zahnley and Ms. Kelsey Presley for the much needed support over the years. This journey would have been a lot harder without your support. Forever indebted. Please do feel appreciated and stay in touch.

Fourth, I am grateful to Erin Owens for organizing faculty writing circles (FWCs) at Sam Houston State University. I am also grateful to all my FWC colleagues with whom we wrote and encouraged each other over the years, including, post humously, Joshua Haynes. The hard labor has bore fruit. Long live FWCs at Sam!

Fifth, a special thank you to my tenure and promotion committee led by Mitch Roth for their vote of confidence. Mitch is one of the most prolific scholars I know and a hardcover/paperback books enthusiast I have ever met. His office should be on every bibliophile’s list of places to visit. He reminds me of Ted Bernard – another scholar-bibliophile whom I once visited his hill-top book-clad home as a graduate student at Ohio University. I digress.

Sixth, a particularly special thank you to my letter writers, including Joshua Busby, Chad Briggs, Terrence O’Sullivan, and James Ramsay. Thank you for taking time off your busy schedules to support my case for why I deserve both promotion and a permanent seat at the professorial table. I know I have thanked each of you personally in the past via email, but I can never thank you enough. So, thank you once more.

Seventh, I’m incredibly grateful to Stacy VanDeveer for never getting tired of mentoring me. He has consistently offered guidance and support as necessary a long the way, and continues to do so. Such invaluable support can’t be paid back. It can only be paid forward. I promise to keep doing just that till the moment I take my last breath. I wish you a long and healthy life, buddy.

On a related note, I am grateful to folks at my PhD. alma matar for their continued support over the years. I am eternally grateful to my dissertation committee members (some of whom have since moved on from UMASS Boston) for preparing me for this academic life journey. They include Tim Shaw, Jane Parpart, and Heidi Gengenbach. Alice Oluoko-Odingo of the University of Nairobi served as my external, and I’m forever grateful to her as well. Alice and I are co-editors of Human Security and Sustainable Development in East Africa, which I recommend you take a look at when you get a chance. It is available in three formats, including hardcover, paperback, and ebook (available as open access).

Eighth, it is not possible to tell the complete story of my academic journey in the United States without mentioning Ohio University (OU). In this regard, I have a long list of OU folks who made getting here possible. However, due to space limitations, I will only mention members of my thesis committee, including Edna Wangui, Geoff Dabelko, and Tom Smucker. These three set me up for success at the PhD. level, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. As a matter of fact, my first peer-reviewed piece was about my thesis work at OU’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, and I co-authored it with Tom , my thesis committee chair. It is to date one of my most cited scholarly work. I encourage you to take a look at it when you have a chance to get a better appreciation of the evolution (if I can call it that) of my academic life journey. I can share a copy of the article with you if you need it. Just let me know.

Ninth, family has been at the very heart of this journey from the get-go. A special thank you to my wife Jenny (and her side of the family) for being there for me and the kids through it all. Also, a special thank you to my educator parents – mum (a teacher) and dad, now late, (a professor) –  for their love, guidance, financial support, encouragements, inspiration, and prayers over the years. I am also especially grateful to my two surviving siblings – Dan and Phosa – for the various ways they have supported and encouraged me over the years. Last but not least, I’m particularly grateful to my two children Akua Akinyi Ogonda and Abena Achieng’ Ogonda and their two cousins Nelson Mandela Onino and Esther Achieng’ Onino (the latter two are my late brother Sam Asaka’s biological children who I have been responsible for since his demise in May 2016) for giving me purpose for today and hope for tomorrow. Always a joy engaging with these four children and watching them grow into responsible individuals and global citizens. I am very proud of these four children and could not ask for better ones.

Finally, I wish to sincerely thank the Board of Regents of Texas State University System, Dr. Alisa White (President of Sam Houston State University), and Dr. Sumanth Yenduri (Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sam Houston State University) for their vote of confidence.

Forever indebted, and I look forward to the upcoming new chapter of my academic life at Sam Houston State University.

Eat Em’ Up Kats!