Dr. Cynthia Kraman, English
What is your academic background?
I received my Ph.D. in Medieval English Literature from Queen Mary, University of London. My publications include two poetry collections, Taking on the Local Color and The Mexican Murals, and my work appears in many anthologies. I also have essays in Medieval Women in Their Communities and Time and Eternity: A Medieval Discourse. I regularly contribute poetry to The Paris Review and have published book reviews and essays in Poetry Flash for two decades. I've read at The San Francisco Poetry Festival, Seattle's Bumbershoot, and in venues in and around my native New York City, including Cooper Union, The Ear Inn, and St. Mark's Poetry Project. I regularly deliver papers on Medieval literature at the International Medieval Congress (Leeds) and the International Congress on Medieval Studies (Kalamazoo).
What are some of the courses you teach in Honors?
I've taught the freshman writing course, Honors Critical Research Essay, as well as an Honors seminar on Western Ideologies.
Why do you like teaching in Honors?
I love the level of intellectual engagement I have with Honors students. They are open to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and whatever their chosed discipline, they are interested in all areas of inquiry. This is what makes teaching a joy.
Dr. Lisa Paler, Psychology
What is your academic background?
I am an assistant professor of psychology. I have been at CNR since the Fall of 2001. My course load includes, but is not limited to, general psychology, abnormal psychology, introduction to counseling psychology, multicultural psychology, and dynamics of group process. Prior to joining the faculty at CNR, I was a staff psychologist at Seton Hall University and have worked in the provision of mental health services in a variety of other settings. I received my graduate training at the University of Maryland at College Park in counseling psychology (Ph.D. granted in December 1999). My research interests center around multicultural issues. Specifically I am interested in the relationship of racial identity to various psychological and cultural factors. I am also interested in developing some future research around psychological issues of skin color and examining the psychological impact of Christian belief systems. Professionally, I am a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Association of Christian Counselors. I am also an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Black Psychology. On a personal note, I have a beautiful son named Jordan who fills my days and most nights with joy. I love to read but rarely find the time. I am a Sopranos buff (guilty pleasure) and love to go dancing!
What are some of the courses you teach for Honors?
My first course for the Honors program is Ethics and Psychology.
Why do you like teaching in Honors?
I love teaching period....The Honors Program enables me to work with women who have been able to tap into their intellectual strengths and master and manipulate the material that is set before them. It is a terrific challenge and a great deal of fun working with this group of women....Mentoring is very important to me and it is one of the aspects of my job that I adore.
Dr. Elisabeth Brinkmann, Religious Studies
What is your academic background?
I am an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies. I received my degrees from Rice University in Houston, Texas, the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and, most recently, my Ph.D. from Boston College in 2001. My dissertation was entitled “Embracing the Deficient Body: Alternative Responses to Infertility.
What are some of the courses you teach for Honors?
My first course for the Honors Program was Feminist Perspectives on Medicine, a seminar in which we examined issues in medical ethics from a feminist perspective. Students read feminist critiques of traditional approaches to ethics and studied alternative ethical frameworks. We applied these to specific concerns within the medical field, such as how diseases particular to women (like breast and ovarian cancer) are perceived and treated, how sexism impacts on the organization of the health-care system, and how racism and economic inequality affect women’s access to health care. One thing that students particularly seemed to enjoy in the course was reading the Science Section of the New York Times every week in order to find and discuss articles with particular relevance to topics we were covering in class.
Why do you like teaching in Honors?
Because the students are excellent, of course! Seriously . . . because the students really want to be challenged and they are eager and open to being exposed to new ideas – even ideas about which they are initially skeptical. They are self-motivated because they are curious about the world around them, and they are not afraid to engage with each other in discussing topics, even ones that are controversial and even when they don’t agree with each other. Teaching in the Honors program, there are days when I end up hoping that the students are learning as much from me as I am learning from them.
Dr. Lynn Petrullo, Biology
What is your academic background?
I have a Ph.D. in Microbiology. My thesis and post-doctoral research were in molecular genetics.
What are some of the courses you teach for Honors?
I teach Genetics and Identity.
Why do you like teaching in Honors?
My current research is interdisciplinary. I enjoy teaching in the Honors Program because the curriculum allows me to present topics in molecular biology and genetics in a variety of contexts – historical, social, and political. It is more interesting to think in this way and students find the material to be more relevant. I also like to teach in situations that are reciprocally challenging. Honors students can be pushed to look at science more critically and they push me back, questioning and at times arguing a point. It's fun.