User:Edit373-01/sandbox

= Christopher Kukk =

Christopher Kukk, Ph.D., is a professor of Political Science at Western Connecticut State University, director of Western’s Kathwari Honors Program, founding director of the Center for Compassion, Creativity, and Innovation, and founder of Western’s Debate Team. Kukk’s research and publications combine the social sciences with neuroscience and focus on education issues, the political economy of natural resources and the formation and sustainability of civil society.

Education

Christopher Kukk graduated from the U.S. Army Military Intelligence School’s Counterintelligence Agent program in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Kukk earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Boston University, graduating as a member of Phi Betta Kappa, one of the oldest honor societies in the United States. Kukk went on to earn a Master’s of Arts degree in American and International Politics and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Political Science from Boston College.

Career

Kukk worked as a Counterintelligence Agent for the United States Army. Following his departure from the military, Kukk worked as a research assistant for Cambridge Energy Research Associates. Kukk is also a 2007-2008 Fulbright Scholar at the University of Tartu in Estonia. Kukk has taught at Harvard College and Boston College, and currently teaches at Western Connecticut State University as a professor of Political Science. Western Connecticut State University presented Kukk with the Teaching Excellence Award on December 8, 2009.

Kukk believes in a holistic approach to education-bringing in multiple disciplines and studies to make learning accessible to different people and enhance the experience. For instance, he may blend history, economics, and culture to make a lesson stronger. Kukk’s devotion to education stems from a passion of learning and experiencing the world through the lenses of his students. Kukk said,“The greatest thing about teaching is the chance to read, analyze and discuss the issues of today with bright, young minds. It promotes critical thinking of those issues. And my ideal class is when someone asks me a question I don’t know the answer to — someone thought outside the box. Those are the days I’m walking on Cloud Nine.”

Kukk’s current research focuses on the Connected Five Cs of education, which consists of Concept, Creativity, Compassion, Courage, and Constraint. The purpose of the Connected Five Cs is to produce an integrated system of education that develops students’ abilities to know, imagine, understand, do, and question. Kukk is working on curriculum that weaves compassion and the Connected Five Cs into common core standards in the United States. Kukk’s first book featuring the Connected Five Cs, Connecting Space, will be finished soon.

Kukk’s upcoming editions of children and trade books are based on the idea of weaving values such as compassion into our work, community, and everyday lives.

Personal Life

Kukk is married to his high school sweetheart, Elly, and they have three sons.

References