How long have you worked at Buffalo State College and, if applicable, what other areas have you worked/positions have you served?
I started my Bengal teaching life as an assistant professor in interior design in 2009. Since then, I have worked in many different roles on campus and was promoted to associate professor in 2015. I have served as chair of the erstwhile Interior Design Department from 2014 to 2017. Within interior design, I have served as the accreditation coordinator and internship coordinator. At the college level, I have served in the College Senate and currently chair the College Senate Curriculum Committee. I have served on the Buffalo State Foundation Board as a director since 2016 and as an Honors Curriculum Fellow and Advisory Board Member. Most recently, I was appointed by Mayor Brown to a Blue-Ribbon Commission to make recommendations to make our city more age-friendly.
What motivates you to provide excellent services for your colleagues, students, and supervisor?
I am blessed to have been born into a family of academics and I am a third-generation college educator. It is a way of life for me to learn, teach, and help others. My family has taught me from early childhood, "How can we help? How can we give back? How can we do our part to make a difference each day in society we live in?"
My motivation comes from seeing a problem and being able to come up with a solution, whether through the assistance from colleagues or other people I come in contact with in my life. I am also thankful for the mentors and strong influences in my life that help me in creating a positive outcome and being my better self every day.
What personal philosophy about working with others guides your day-to-day work?
Own responsibility, push myself to higher standards, kindness, and holding people accountable in life. If there is a need, fill it. If there is a problem, solve it. And if help is needed, offer to do so. Be a better version of yourself each day and while working with others, learn from them. Because going from 33,000-foot big picture planning to 5-foot ground-level detailing needs a lot of help and genius from everyone to avoid the plane from crashing.
What do you do when you are not working?
Read, write, cook, can, travel, drive, run, hike, barre, pilates, spin… and just be. I value my time each day to reflect and re-charge.
Everyone knows that there is a bit of a lull in each school semester. A point is reached where motivation dips down a bit and students begin to wish for a break. In the face of this lull, Bhakti would attack the problem head-on. After all, in her eyes, all we needed was a little boost of inspiration to get back to the high-functioning designers we always could be.
I specifically remember one day when Bhakti sat my entire class around our large group discussion table and simply asked us how we all were. She picked through some current events in our lives and got in touch with exactly the place each of us was in. After we all had a chance to talk about ourselves and our feelings, I remember the entire classroom having a sense of lightness and freshness. Being able to get some group discussion going helped to put us all on an even playing field, and truly brought with it positivity to revitalize our spirits and get us back on track for the rest of the semester.
Bhakti is very attentive to the feelings of others. She has often even described herself 'like a sponge' when it comes to sharing in the emotions of those around her. Professionals and students alike are no strangers to tragedy; whether we'd like to admit it or not.
Life always seems to be "happening" and often brings with it many emotional challenges. This being said, in my previous year here at Buffalo State, many of my classmates were forced to deal with life in some of the worst of ways. One student suffered a tragic car accident, they walked away physically uninjured but had to carry the emotional burden that the driver of the other car perished at the scene. While another student dealt with two deaths of loved ones both within a matter of two weeks. As it can be imagined, gloom is not a strong enough word, and empathy is something that was in desperate need. Thankfully, Bhakti was there to help.
Through these trying times, Bhakti was both understanding and determined. She was empathetic and motivational. When the students needed space from school, she gave them the space they required. When the students were present, she ignited a passion for their work and helped distract them from the chaos around them. Bhakti was able to turn school into an incredibly healthy outlet for these students and, as a result, united us all to be the best we truly could be.
Bhakti Sharma is a true Caring Bengal; she is kind and giving, engaged and positive, collaborative and flexible, and consistently student-centered. Bhakti is the colleague who always notices the good work and efforts of others and selflessly provides praise and encouragement. She frequently sends wonderful emails of gratitude and appreciation—I have tried hard to emulate this because it is such a wonderful thing to receive!
Bhakti is one of the most engaged members of the Buffalo State community. She serves in multiple ways; as a member of the College Senate, chair of the College Senate Curriculum Committee, and on the Honors Advisory Board, to name just a few of her significant contributions. In all these roles, Bhakti is a positive influence and an active participant. No matter what the issue, she believes in a successful outcome and strives to make it happen.
This year, Bhakti has been serving as a faculty fellow in the Honors Program and her role is chair of the Program / Curriculum Committee of the Honors Advisory Board. She has been integral in our discussions about the evolution of the Honors Program and has written seven curricular proposals to expand the honors course offerings. In this role, she is a wonderful collaborator, contributing thoughtful and creative ideas while also listening and evaluating the ideas and suggestions of others. The rapidly changing and expanding Honors Program provides great challenges and opportunities at Buffalo State. Bhakti has been at the lead in embracing the change and keeping student needs at the center of her focus.
I have truly enjoyed collaborating with Bhakti and have benefitted greatly from her consistently positive attitude and incredible work ethic. Buffalo State is truly fortunate to have her on the faculty and working every day with its students. Thank you Bhakti for caring as much as you do and working towards a better future every day!
