Faculty of the Year: Dr. George Potamianos

Published on Sep 28 2026

College of the Redwoods faculty member, Dr. George Potamianos, shies away from the spotlight.

 He doesn’t like to talk about himself.

In fact, he was somewhat reluctant to do the interview.

But after reminiscing about years past at College of the Redwoods, sharing plenty of laughs, memories, and settling into the ease of the conversation, any reluctance seemed to fade.

By the end, “comfortable" seemed like the best way to describe it, with perhaps a little enlightenment along the way.

He was simply sitting at Convocation when his name was announced as Faculty of the Year for the 2025-2026 academic year.

And George was in very good company with co-nominees Amber Buntin and Dr. Stacey Ann Salinas. “Amber and Stacey Ann were very worthy folks, too.”

“I was humbled, that’s for sure,” George said. “It’s nice to be recognized by your peers.”

George also won Faculty of the Year in 2015-2016.

But for the longtime history and film studies professor, who first joined the College in the fall of 2000, the recognition comes as he begins looking toward the final years of a career that has stretched far beyond the classroom.

His career at CR began 26 years ago, after his path took him from the greater Chicago area to the University of Illinois and then to the University of Southern California (USC) where he earned both his master’s degree and then his Ph.D in Film History. He arrived in Humboldt at the age of 33 and began teaching full-time.

Teaching, though, was not born from some grand childhood dream, it was more a practical decision, says George.  “Well, I mean, to be frank, I never wanted a nine to five job.”

And there were other reasons he chose teaching, too.

“I always liked reading and learning new things,” he said. “I wanted a career that would allow me to keep doing that.”

Over the years at CR, George’s role expanded well beyond teaching history. His work also included chairing the curriculum committee, accreditation work, and Dean of Humanities and Communication.

More recently though, in 2023 he started teaching at Pelican Bay State Prison on Saturdays, which meant a 12-hour day including the drive north to Crescent City and back.

Reflecting on his experience teaching at Pelican Bay, George said, “That’s been really profound. It really opened my eyes to the way we, as a society, just have so much wasted potential that we’re somehow okay with.”

At Pelican Bay, he said, teaching feels pretty old school, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence, which is rapidly changing higher education. What George values is being able to recognize students’ own writing.

“I can hear their authentic voices in the way that they write.”

For now, though, this year, he isn’t in the classroom, but spending his time working on CR’s Curriculum Handbook, and other pieces associated with the College’s transition to a new curriculum software before returning to the classroom.

It seems fitting for someone whose second Faculty of the Year award focuses not on celebrating a single class, project or moment, but a career defined by continuing to step into complicated work that needs to be done.

Asked what he hopes students and colleagues will remember when his career at CR comes to a close, he paused before answering, and then said, “I hope It’s that I was fair and ethical.”

The award may bear Dr. George Potamianos’ name this year, but his career at CR has never been much about recognition. It has been about the work, especially the work that happens when no one is watching.