ACC Distinguished Faculty 2018-2019 Profile: Chris McKellips
Department: English
Years teaching at ACC: 7...the first five I was an adjunct, and the last two as full-time faculty.
Total number of years teaching: 15 total, including part-time, full-time, high school and college.
Undergraduate degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Minnesota (but my first year of college was completed at Rainy River Community College). Then attended University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN) to complete secondary teacher prep program.
Graduate degree: M.Ed. in Adult Education from Colorado State University.
Honors & awards Well, I won a bubblegum blowing contest against the students when I taught high school English at the American School in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Also, I was awarded All-College Instructor of the Year in 2013-14 (Liberal Arts and Professional Programs).
Current committee work: Curriculum Committee (this is my 2nd year), Program Chair of CCR/AAA, State Discipline Co-Chair of AAA, Professional Development Advisory Board, Elevate Advisory Board, Campus Redesign, IEC, Pathways Academic Mapping Group.
Fun fact about me: From the roof of the house I grew up in, I could see Canada, and I would go back and forth across the border weekly. Also, I’m not sure how many banjos I have.
My most memorable moment at ACC: One of our class readings in CCR 092 is set in a coal mining town. Students in the class were voicing what they knew about coal, and their disgust with it being dirty energy, etc. I told them that all their electricity here in Denver comes from coal, train cars of it each day, and they were surprised. I went into detail: “You couldn’t charge your cell phones without coal, couldn’t blow-dry your hair or keep your soda cold; we wouldn’t have these lights on if it weren’t for coal.” And as if on cue, all the lights on the first floor went out and we were in a windowless room in pitch black darkness. After a second, everyone began laughing, assuming it was something I had engineered. In reality, it was our building’s safety system clicking into gear due to a fire scare on the third floor; in a few minutes, we all had to leave the building.
Perfectly timed! Congratulations, Chris McKellips, one of ACC's Distinguished Faculty for 2018-2019!