Faculty Friday: Dr. Christine Atkins

Dr. Christine Atkins is an English professor at SUNY Corning Community College and she is the star of this week's Faculty Friday feature. In 2013, she helped make history by helping to open CCC's first Diversity Center, serving as a significant milestone for the college and its students, as it provided a safe space for students of all backgrounds to come together and learn from one another.

Dr. Atkins' work focuses on creating more equitable opportunities for students from all backgrounds so they can reach their full potential. She exemplifies how one person can make a lasting impact on their community through dedication and hard work. Through her research, she hopes to create a better understanding of how diversity can be achieved in educational institutions and beyond. 

Dr. Atkins has been on sabbatical this year, using her time to write, research, and reset her goals for the future. Her work has been praised by many in the community, and she is featured in Faculty Friday for her incredible contributions to CCC. As we look to the future of education, Dr. Atkins' story inspires us all that we can make positive changes in our lives and those around us with just a little effort.

Q: When did you begin working at SUNY CCC, and why/how did you end up here?
A: I started work at SUNY CCC in 2006. I landed here by way of Brooklyn, where I was finishing my Ph.D. I had a tenure-track job at Queensborough Community College (CUNY) and was very happy there, but I fell in love with a woman who lived in Elmira and who was a professor at Mansfield University! So actually, love is what landed me here! When I first arrived, I was a part-time instructor at Mansfield and CCC, but it quickly became apparent that SUNY CCC was a better fit for me! I just connected better with the students at Corning out of the gate.

Q: What classes do you teach at SUNY CCC?
A: So many! The main courses I teach now are English 1010, English 1020, World Literature II, and sometimes FYEX, Communications, and I am currently developing some upper-level courses such as Holocaust Literature. During my last sabbatical, I created a new course in Gender and Women's Studies which my wonderful colleague Hannah Jones is teaching. I'm very proud to have brought this class to campus!

Q: What's your favorite part about being a faculty member at SUNY CCC?
A: First and foremost, the students! Oh, how I have loved spending my academic career working with the students at SUNY CCC. They are so open and positive and keep me on my toes. The best thing about teaching is that every day and every second is unpredictable. Some days I think I'm the best professor on the planet, and then a day later, I'm scratching my head, wondering how to improve.

I started my teaching career in August of 2001 in New York City. It was painful and challenging to teach in the aftermath of 9/11 while living in Brooklyn since the attack on the Twin Towers directly impacted my students. I now use that painful experience in my English 1020 courses, where we read and write about literature in response to this traumatic historical event. I'm grateful that I can help illuminate the texts we read based on my experience as a "survivor" of 9/11.

Q: What's been the best part of your professional career?
A: The feather in my cap was when I was tapped to open the College's first Diversity Center in 2013. We started with a tiny room in the Commons and I created programming while still teaching four classes. The Center was so popular that we grew it to its current institutional presence, which now consists of a full-time coordinator in my incredible colleague, Babatunde Ayanfodun. Tunde has gone above and beyond in creating first-rate programming for the College and has worked tirelessly to develop partnerships in the community that benefit all of our students!

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?
A: Everyone knows I love to dance! So that's no secret. I'm an open book for the most part, so let me think… Oh! I don't think anyone knows that I love snail mail! One of my greatest joys is my ongoing correspondence with my nieces, nephew, friends, and family via old-school letters. I never write a letter without personalizing it with drawings or graffiti-inspired bubble letters. I went to High School in the 1980s. I learned to breakdance then and can still do some break dancing given the right conditions. 

Q: What do you like to do during your free time/time outside of the classroom?
A: I start every day with a cup of tea and meditation. I try to set a daily intention that focuses on goals and positive affirmation. I need to move my body to do intellectual work, so I usually do a 3-4 mile walk or hike in nature. I'm on sabbatical at the moment, so next, I will work on my writing goals for the day. I usually cook something simple and vegetarian for dinner. Then I continue to work and respond to emails while watching a travel documentary. I have a weekly meditation group I meet with. I also enjoy doing Trivia for many weeks with my colleagues Lee Gernert-Larrea and Jennie Sellers, and whoever else shows up! We are terrible at final bets, but we are smart as heck!