Christine Witkoski teaches Sociology and Geography in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Our conversation is intensely connected to the metaphor of ecology and interdependence. Her teaching is thoroughly integrated into her life and her values and her imagination. All of these pieces of her identity touch each other. She did me the honor, as others have, of considering my questions carefully and answering honestly and thoughtfully. We talk about how important it is to have the trust in each other to make this kind of exchange possible.

How liberating it is to have a trustworthy environment to think and speak and share. Christine thinks so much about creating classroom communities that open up space for discovery and learning. The care that professors put into creating their classroom community can provide liberation: liberation of mind, of speech, of curiosity, and possibility. Christine and I think together about the revolutionary act of care in education—for students AND for faculty.

Come spend some time with Sociology.