By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

 Meet Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola – Interim Dean of STEM

Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

What drives you professionally and personally?

“For me, they are intertwined. I am driven by the desire to improve the communities within which I engage. My desire is always to see growth in a positive manner within the community that I am in and with the people that I interact with. Professionally, I’ve found that working in collaboration with people enables us to achieve broader goals.

Personally, I would say that I am a collectivist. Being a collectivist often means that I am driven by working together to achieve our goals. For me it is a continuous thread to leave a place, a person, or a space in a better manner than I found it. I often think of the African proverb, “if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”

What can we do to encourage and support fellow women as they pursue their education and careers? “I have found that in order to attain my goals and achieve success in whichever construct,  I have benefitted from phenomenal mentors, advisors, and probably most important, champions. I would encourage every woman to identify allies, advisors, mentors, and champions and to work hard to nurture those relationships. Often, there has been a narrative that a woman must reach out to another woman to grow professionally and personally, but I have found that I have had a mix of people who have fallen into these categories of roles.

So, for women who are aspiring to attain more, I encourage them to be open-minded to the diversity of people around them who are seeking to see them succeed. Sometimes, if we tunnel our vision to “I have to have a woman as a mentor” or “I must have a man as my champion,” we are likely to miss the very people who want to see us succeed. I live by the tenet that if anybody reaches out to me for support, and if I have the knowledge base, network, or relationship, my goal is to share it. It doesn’t do me any good to retain it. I’ve been blessed to have people who have poured into me, and it’s important that I do the same.”

Who is a public figure (either historical or present day) that has inspired you? What were/are her contributions and achievements? “Someone I have been following lately who I find to be extremely impactful is Caroline Wanga, the CEO of ESSENCE. Before ESSENCE, she was Target’s Chief Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer. I would encourage everyone to seek her out online and see how she approaches problem-solving, failure, and success.

Something that really caught my attention the other day was her piece on her relationship with failure. She shared that she has learned to embrace at least five failures a day. When I think about learning and higher education and that quest for growth, I know how the fear of failure can inhibit our ability to reach our maximum potential. I appreciate Caroline Wanga’s approach to lifelong learning, and it’s something that I hope that I, too, will continue to do.”

What does it mean to you to be celebrated as a remarkable woman? “I am humbled to be included on this list, and thankful that my work and my presence has been noted. I am challenged because it means that I have to behave myself now, haha! Most importantly, I am encouraged and inspired to be part of a group of women who are making an impact at the College. I have only been here for a short period of time, but have the desire to engage positively, so remain thankful that, in some shape or form, it has been noted.”

Name another remarkable woman of SUNY Broome who inspires you. “The other day, I was having a conversation with Danielle Britton (Director of Training, Education, and Workforce Development), and I told her that she literally boggles my mind. She is amazing! I feel like we are aligned in our mindset to improve communities. I find her to be a brilliant person who really has had a significant impact on the College and the greater Binghamton community. Every time I go somewhere with Danielle, there has never been a time when she doesn’t know someone. Inevitably, the person that she knows, wherever we are, never fails to say, “This is what Danielle positively did for me.” I really do find her to be quite remarkable!”

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