Professor, School of Education
Director of Secondary Social Studies Education

I have been married to my wife, Heather, since 1995 and we have two children, both named after historical figures. I graduated from PBU in 1994 and then served as a high school history teacher in Central Virginia for twelve years.  In 2005 I was awarded the Lynchburg City “Teacher of the Year.” I am thankful for the impact my students have had on my career and on my family. While living in VA I became an avid mountain trail runner, enjoying over 20 extreme ultra-running races (distances of 30+ miles on trails and mountains). The experience of being alone on trails with breath-taking panoramas makes it a very spiritual endeavor! Recently, I ran my annual birthday run (38 miles) on the trails at Bald-Pate Mountain Nature Preserve and the Delaware-Ruritan Canal Path in New Jersey.

« July 2009 | Main | September 2009 »

August 24, 2009

Growing Into My Taste for Music and Food While Learning About God’s Recipe for My Life

This past Friday I had the opportunity to speak before a Jazz concert at a local church in Newtown, PA. The artist, and PBU adjunct professor in the school of music, was Ruth Naomi Floyd. She is an amazing talent who combines a depth of historical relevance to her celebration of the hope of Christ. Here are the opening paragraphs to my address:

It is an honor to be asked to speak with you this evening on this topic of jazz, food, and redemption. Furthermore, it is an honor that has come with trepidation … especially having to be a prelude to Ruth Naomi Floyd. Wow! She is a blessing and after seeing her in concert in 2007, my wife and I have been bragging on her behalf ever since.

But what really made me anxious for this evening is ... I am not a musician. I can’t read music or play an instrument, and trust me you don’t want to hear me sing. I did not grow up in a family that exposed me to musical styles such as classical, baroque, blues, or jazz. And if you would have told me 20 years ago that someday I would be speaking on this topic I would I have said that you have obviously confused me with someone else. I’m sorry to say that when I was a student at PBU, if Ruth Floyd had been giving a concert in our chapel, I would have not have been remotely interested in attending.

You can read more about Ruth and listen to some samples of her music on her website at: http://www.ruthnaomifloyd.com/. You will not be disappointed.

Posted by Chris Palladino at 6:59 AM | | Comments (0)

August 11, 2009

The Dinner Table

I have been quoted as saying, “Food around the table loosens lips for dialogue.” Growing up in an Italian family, the preeminence of the dinner table was obvious. Last week we hosted a number of former social studies majors and some of their friends that my wife and I have become acquainted with from the university. As they began arriving to send off our friend to Austria, it dawned on me how awesome our conversation that evening was going to be. I excitedly waited for everyone to come to the table. Before we asked for the Lord’s blessing, I stood silently for a moment and then exclaimed how fortunate my wife and I are that we can engage with men and women with such character, depth, kindness, and intellectual curiosity. They each thanked us as they left many hours later. However, we emphatically thanked them for their blessing upon our house.

Posted by Chris Palladino at 12:09 PM | | Comments (0)