Chris is a professor in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department and the Environmental Studies program. He is currently the Associate Dean of the Faculty for Diversity, Recruitment and Retention. When he’s not at work, he enjoys being at home with his kids and husband working out at the gym, watching movies, going to the beach/pool and reading. He is also an avid baseball fan.

What are you reading these days? I have been struggling to find a genre that brings me joy right now, since my go-to books tend to lean toward heavy. Over the summer I decided to start reading some biographies/autobiographies. This is a newer genre for me and one I have so far quite enjoyed. I recently finished Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli, which was a great read about an iconic American performer. The part about her formative years living with her mother (Judy Garland) was very heartbreaking and her honesty about her substance abuse was powerful. I also read The Woman in Me by Britney Spears. What a book! Anyone who was a young adult in the early 2000s should read this book and get Britney's account of what really happened to her. If you don't know what misogyny looks like, let her show you. It made me respect her more as an artist and person, allow yourself to be surprised by the quality of this read. I just started RuPaul's autobiography The House of Hidden Meanings on a recommendation from a friend I met at the beach last week, so we'll see how that goes. RuPaul is one of my heroes and role models, so I am excited to see things through her eyes.

Describe your favorite place to read on campus: Definitely my office. Every room in my house is filled with my children and their stuff and I have almost no tranquility. My office, both the one I used to occupy in the Sci Center and the one I currently occupy in Parrish, are set up how I like and only filled with my things. It is my most peaceful place in my life. Alas, I don't read for pleasure there, although I do do some of my most impactful work in that space. And I do get to read some pretty amazing things as part of my work both as Associate Dean and as an educator.

Is there a book you've read multiple times? To quote one of my favorite authors (Stephen King) "quot libros, quam breve tempus—so many books, so little time." I typically do not re-read books since there is always a new adventure to be had. That said, I make an exception for George Orwell's 1984 which I've read multiple times in multiple formats across 30+ years. I think it is a near perfect book and I treasure reading it every time I do. I mean, I cry each time I do as well. and I've thrown the book across the room at least twice in rage. But it is worth the tears.

Who is your favorite author? I actually have so many favorites. I'll limit myself to four, each of whom I think has written at least one masterpiece (which I've included after their names). In no particular order: Colson Whitehead (The Nickel Boys), Anthony Doerr (Cloud Cuckoo Land), Stephen King (The Shining), and Jesmyn Ward (Salvage the Bones).

Do you have a literary nemesis? Absolutely Fyodor Dostoevsky. I tried reading The Idiot. I tried reading The Brothers Karamazov. I made myself finish Crime and Punishment. It was all a punishment with zero joy. I could probably just say "Russian literature" in general here because I'm not friends with Tolstoy or Nabokov either. I threw Anna Karenina away after suffering through it for 6 months. [Editor’s note: we do not condone or endorse this view.]

What is your favorite reading genre? My go-to genre is definitely coming-of-age contemporary American literature and I am typically a sucker for novels that have won the Pulitzer Prize. I almost always, with some notable exceptions, enjoy them and I have an entire two shelves on my bookcase reserved for these books. That said, I've found the emotional lift of reading this genre too much lately and I am trying to find more joy in reading different types of books (see my response to "What are you reading these days").

What book do you recommend most often? The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey. You don't need to be a lamb to love this book. When a queen blesses you with her take on her story, you should take the opportunity. I would recommend listening to the audio version of the book since Mariah reads (and sings!) it herself. This is an A+, 5/5 read.

What's the best movie adaptation of a book you've read? The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. The book was very good, but the movie is a masterpiece. In my opinion, the best movie ever and better than the source material.

What book made an early impact on you and why? Animal Farm by George Orwell. I read this in 10th grade at a time when I was transitioning out of my obsession with V.C. Andrews and Christopher Pike and into deeper literature. It is impossible to not be petrified by the message in Animal Farm and it changed my mind on what a book could and should be.