This week’s “Professor Chat” is with Suzanne Rudnick, professor of biochemistry. Rudnick can be found teaching Biochemistry I, Topics in Science II and Fundamentals of Science I this semester. Read on to find out a little more about your professor.

Q: Why are you a professor in the subject you are?

A: I’ve always enjoyed science from the time I was a child. The natural world has always fascinated me and this is just an extension of that.

Q: What is your favorite part about MC?

A: Probably the sense of community here. The classes are small enough and interaction with students is often enough that you really do feel that you are a part of their development as students and ultimately as professionals. You’ll only get that at a small college, which is not going to happen in a major university. If you put 300 people in a classroom there’s no interaction with the professors. I can look back now at students who I’ve had in the past who have been very successful in biochemistry and feel happy for them that they’ve been successful and proud that we, Manhattan College, have been able to make a difference in their lives.

Q: What is your biggest student pet peeve (if you have one)?

A: Cellphones in class. It’s very straightforward; I have one, you have one, we wouldn’t want to be without them but when they’re in class and they’re on and you see students who are paying more attention to their phones than they are to you, it is distracting.

Q: Where can you be found on the weekends?

A: Going to library book sales, biking on the various rail trails around the area or hiking in the many state parks.

Q: What is your favorite thing to read (book, newspaper, magazine, etc.)?

A: Probably books. I tend toward non-fiction books, particularly history books and books about American social history intrigue me. Of course there’s professional reading but that’s different than leisure reading. I wish I had more time for leisure reading because I find the most intriguing books at library book sales.