Economist / Professor
Born in central Africa, his worldview was expanded early by his teachers. Inspired by his grandfather to never give up despite no clear path to successful adulthood, he decided to become an educator after falling in love with the profession when asked for coursework help by his friends.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Linus Mabughi Nyiwul (LMN) was born in Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, a country in Central Africa which shares boundaries with Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. Its nearly 27 million people speak 250 native languages plus English or French or both. The dominant religions of Cameroon are Christianity (60%) and Islam (20%).
Per Wikipedia, Cameroon government appears to be representative through its Senate and National Assembly but in 2023 reality, the country is run as a dictatorship.
Neither of LMN’s parents attended college.
CHILDHOOD
Growing up, LMN’s grandfather was his biggest inspiration, especially when it came to persevering through challenges. “He taught me to never give up or say no to something just because I thought I didn’t have the means,” LMN has said. “His wisdom just came naturally.”
EDUCATION
Love for teaching started for LMN with his teachers in Cameroon, who inspired in him the drive to teach the next generation of thinkers.
“In my first-ever economics class in high school, our teacher explained the international commodity market crisis of the 1970s as a demand and supply issue. I began to understand how events thousands of miles from home could have deep impacts on our lives. My interest in economics was born- and I never looked back,” said LMN.
Following high school graduation, LMN enrolled in the University of Buea in Cameroon, where he served as a peer tutor while earning his Bachelor of Science degree. “In my second year at Buea, I had to take a class in probability and statistics that I watched my friends fail over and over,” explained LMN. “So, the summer leading up to the class, I collected notes, bought a textbook, and studied, I found it much easier to understand the material having already studied it. Immediately, my friends wanted me to teach them – it basically became my part-time job! It just came naturally to me, and it has stuck with me forever.”
LMN’s undergraduate thesis focused on the economic impact of a forest conservation project, which was consistent with his long-standing interest in environmental and resource economics and developmental economics. He received his Master’s degree in economics from The American University in Cairo and later a Ph.D. in resource economics from the University of Massachusetts. At each of these institutions, LMN was also a teaching assistant, which led to his Teaching Assistant of Distinction Award from UMass.
PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS
After finishing graduate school during the Great Economic Recession of the early 2000s, LMN debated consulting while teaching part-time. However, while perusing the American Economic Association website, he saw an opening for teaching at Gettysburg College. After being hired, he quickly discovered Gettysburg’s tight-knit community of educators, students and townspeople and fell in love with both the campus and his new home area.
Looking back at his career in economic issues – which is far from over – LMN notes that “I have worked hard researching these topics because I really just enjoy it. I have published at least one paper annually for the past six years. Now, I am trying to engage as many students as possible to do this research with me.”
Outside the classroom, LMN is the faculty advisor for the Gettysburg African Student Association and for the local chapter of a national fraternity.
CAREER SATISFACTION
Having now taught at Gettysburg College for 14 years, LMN appreciates the opportunity to mentor students every day, especially when they gain new perspectives on the world. His favorite classes are related to statistics for the growth opportunity it presents for both his students and him. But most especially, he has found guiding students in the economics senior honors thesis course fulfilling.
“The senior honors thesis course is a class where you go through a lot of struggles, but in those struggles, you realize you are never alone” said LMN, who proudly hangs photos of each class in his office. “I see my students build themselves up by leaning on each other. By the end of the semester, I truly have a small community of researchers bonded in comradery.”
LMN spends most of his waking hours in Gettysburg’s Economics Department building on the college campus but he and his family – wife Tania and daughters Muso and Njang, still find time to engage with the community. Every month, they meet with a small group of Cameroonians to cook food, eat, drink, and hang out. LMN enjoys gardening and growing vegetables, which he often shares with his college colleagues and friends in town.
With every passing year, LMN continues to reflect on his love for teaching and Gettysburg College. “I often go back to what motivates my teaching,” said LMN, who won the college’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017. “I don’t ever want my students to find themselves struggling like my friends did. Rather, my top goal is to give them the best experience in my classes. I know some of these experiences can last a lifetime.”
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This career story is based on several sources, including an article written by Cameron Jury, Gettysburg College Class of ’23, published within the Gettysburg College Magazine, Summer 2023 issue plus internet research.
