Academy educator becomes permanent professor Published Aug. 13, 2015 By Ray Bowden U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A faculty member at the Air Force Academy received Congressional approval to serve as permanent professor and head of the Academy's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering August 5. Col. John Christ graduated from the Academy in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in engineering and environmental management from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a doctorate in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. "Being selected as a permanent professor is an amazing honor," Christ said. "I look forward to serving my department and our fantastic faculty. I have the utmost respect for the permanent professors and the wealth of experience they bring to the Academy. I look forward to joining their ranks and helping the Academy graduate the agile and inclusive leaders our Air Force needs." Christ, having served in a variety of base and staff assignments as a civil engineering officer, will teach water treatment principles and design in his first semester as a permanent professor. "Given the importance of providing clean water around the world and the likelihood that conflict may be influenced by water shortages in the future, I look forward to helping the cadets make the connection between the challenging engineering problems we solve and the needs of the people we solve them for." Christ said his desire to improve conditions in the Air Force and around the world is his main source of inspiration in teaching cadets and leading the department. "We work daily to graduate Air Force officers prepared to lead in challenging environments," he said. "We design their experiences so they can practice not just engineering, but leadership, moral courage, teamwork and a variety of other skills and responsibilities. It is always fulfilling when cadets, or especially their supervisors, call to thank us for the investment in their future and the future of the Air Force." Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, the Academy's dean, said Christ's academic experience as leadership abilities will benefit the Academy. "Colonel Christ's strong qualifications and talents as an educator and a leader make him a welcome addition to the body of permanent professors; his service will continue to inspire our future leaders to accomplish great things," Armacost said. Christ was promoted to colonel August 5.