By Anna Catherman '24
“Coming to Houghton wasn’t really much of a shock to me,” Professor Babafemi Sorinolu, born and raised in Nigeria, said when asked if it was a challenge coming to rural western New York. Sorinolu, who has spent most of his life in cities, likes the close community that Houghton has to offer.
“As long as there’s people where I am at, I’m good,” he added.
This is Sorinolu’s second semester at Houghton. He graduated with his Master’s in Computer Science from the Stevens Institute of Technology in May 2023. When job hunting, he searched for a position that would allow him to use his Christian faith in the classroom. Finding Houghton was “like a divine connection.”
According to Provost Dr. David Davies, Sorinolu was initially brought on as a visiting professor for the year but recently accepted an offer to stay on in a tenure-track position.
Sorinolu is currently the only faculty member dedicated to Computer Science. He has been embracing the challenge of teaching in a small department. He said Dr. Katrina Koehler, Dr. Brandon Bate, and Dr. Jill Jordan have been especially influential in his transition. Koehler teaches Programming and Data Science, required courses for the Computer Science major.
Koehler expressed gratitude for Sorinolu’s enthusiasm and for his help in developing courses. “We share syllabi and assignments and double check expectations, which I find incredibly valuable, since teaching is such a solo activity,” Koehler said.
Outside the classroom, Sorinolu said he has made many new friends. Several
faculty members have invited him over for dinner. Houghton Wesleyan Church and campus chapel services have also provided opportunities to meet people. Besides spending time with friends, he enjoys listening to music, especially Gospel songs.
Sorinolu’s favorite part of his new job is being in the classroom, interacting with students, sharing knowledge, and answering questions.
On Tuesday afternoon, January 30, when some labs are filled with chemicals, Paine 212 is full of clacking keyboards. Students type out lines of Java code as Professor Sorinolu walks around the classroom. He stops and offers help to those struggling to get the desired outcome. Once they’re all on the same page, he flips his PowerPoint slide, revealing more lines of codes.
“It’s confusing,” he admits with a laugh when one student questions his rationale for the coding situation. Then he explains it again, in more detail.
Sorinolu has big dreams for the Computer Science department in the future. “My hope is to collaborate with students in such a way that we can do some research,” he said. Right now, though, he sits and plans lessons in a little yellow office and prepares to train the next generation of programmers. ★
