Whasc Profile: James Funk
Continuing with the trend of interviews, this week we have an interview with James Funk, the department’s graduate advisor and program coordinator.
Whasc: so unlike our past two interviewees, the move to Santa Cruz has been more of an expedition for you than a return. Could you tell us a bit more about the path that has brought you here?
James: I was just starting as a visiting assistant professor of English at UC Riverside when my partner got a job in Santa Cruz. My plan was to join her here at the end of the 2019-20 academic year, but my actual relocation date turned out to be March 13, 2020: I thought I was just driving up for an extended spring break, but the only time I returned to Riverside was to clear out our apartment a couple months later. I spent the 2020-21 academic year lecturing (remotely) at UC Irvine, but by then I was ready to experience the university from a slightly different perspective. I’m glad to get the opportunity to do so at UCSC.
Whasc? After the past year, how do you find Santa Cruz, compared to Irvine and Riverside? And how has it been to adjust to things here in this time?
James: On the one hand, Santa Cruz is radically different from the places I lived in Southern California (Irvine for grad school, then Riverside). One example: I replaced my running route in Riverside, which took me through a subdivision and a business park, with West Cliff Drive. But there’s a way in which I still haven’t experienced Santa Cruz. Not only did the pandemic limit my ability to explore the town, but it allowed me to continue my professional life in Southern California even though I physically resided here. I feel like I’ve only recently made the full transition, and I really need to start making up for lost time.
Whasc: the pandemic has provided us with plenty of time to sit and think. Could you tell us a bit about how you’ve filled this time, and what you’re planning to do once it’s slightly less bad?
James: I spent part of the pandemic getting married. Maybe one day I’ll get to go on a honeymoon?