Saturday Mornings In Ghana

People in AEC Profile: Selasie Buatsi

By Luke Carothers

Selasie Buatsi has been a Project Manager for BOND Civil & Utility Construction for the past four years, but she has been around the AEC industry for her entire life.  Growing up in Ghana on the West Coast of Africa, Buatsi describes herself as a curious kid and often tagged along with her father to work.  Her father owns several construction companies, and Buatsi’s curiosity was her introduction to the AEC industry.  Of course, she wasn’t content with just hanging around; she wanted to know how things work, and this led to several engineers taking interest in her fascination.  They showed her plans for buildings, and explained the process of turning plans into actual things like buildings and water systems.

Buatsi was determined to turn her childhood fascination into a lifelong career.  To make this a reality, she attended the University of Delaware–receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.  From there, Buatsi continued her studies at Purdue University where she earned a Master’s degree.  Throughout her education in the United States, Buatsi developed professional roots in Ghana, working at an internship in her home country during breaks until she completed graduate school.

After earning her Master’s degree in December 2012, Buatsi began her career in the AEC industry as an entry-level engineer for Granite Construction.  Throughout her early career in the industry, Buatsi says she “made sure to excel at every opportunity [given to her].”  She says this allows her to strive for excellence on a constant basis.  Buatsi began working for BOND in 2019, and her determination to excel at every opportunity given has come to fruition with her work on projects like the Con Edison Bronx Gas Pipeline.  

Through her determination and ability to capitalize on opportunities, Buatsi has become a successful Project Manager in a male-dominated field.  According to her, this success leads her to continue ways to “change the game from the inside-out.”