Meet the newest Honors Faculty Member, Chris Rudeen, Ph.D.
This fall semester the Honors College is excited to welcome a new faculty member to our ranks, Chris Rudeen, Ph.D. Learn more about Chris's academic background, what made him want to come to the Honors College, where he was before coming to Richmond and more below!
Colleges you graduated from: I am a graduate of Yale College and Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Degrees: Ph.D. in History of Science, with a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality; B.S. in Chemistry and the History of Science, Medicine and Public Health
What attracted you to Honors and VCU?
I love teaching, so the small classes and engaged students were what initially got my attention. As I have learned more about the Honors College, I was also struck by its focus on students’ lives outside of the classroom. The fantastic work at VCU more broadly in both medicine and art also gets me excited about the possibilities to think expansively and collaboratively about some of today’s most pressing problems.
What is your academic background?
I started college as a chemistry major—I loved learning about science, but doing scientific research was not for me. I discovered the history of science by chance and I was hooked, especially after taking a class called “Minds and Brains in Modern America.” My research focuses on how mind scientists seek to make objective claims about something that is inherently subjective. My work also centers questions about what kinds of knowledge are elevated as “scientific” and how different aspects of identity impact knowledge claims.
What will you be doing in Honors?
I will primarily be teaching sections of Honors 200 Research Writing, covering the fundamentals of research writing and helping students see themselves as having something important to share. I also hope to offer Honors courses in the history of science and the medical humanities (on subjects like mental health in fiction and fashion psychology, for example).
What are you most looking forward to in Honors/at VCU?
I cannot wait to get into the classroom and to learn from the many members of the Honors community! Teaching writing is never dull, especially when you get to learn about other people’s passions. I have also heard great things about the library, so I am excited to dive into all of the resources VCU has to offer.
What are some ways you like to spend your down time?
I love to read literary fiction, watch reality competition shows (Top Chef, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Glow Up, to name a few), and visit antique shops (if it is related to phrenology, chances are I am buying it). I am also moving to Richmond with my husband and our cat—who are both Tauruses and Massachusetts natives—so we plan to get out and explore Richmond as much as possible (while the cat holds down the fort).
Top three books: "Edinburgh," by Alexander Chee; "The Nickel Boys," by Colson Whitehead and "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," by Joanne Greenberg
Favorite TV shows: 30 Rock, Fleabag and Insecure
Favorite foods: Chipotle burritos, ice cream from local shops and pepperoni pizzas
Pets: A small black cat named Luke