A scholar of international affairs, Hody has mentored dozens of
political science students since she arrived at UMBC in 1984 and
consistently receives some of the highest scores on student evaluation
for her teaching.
Hody’s successful approach to teaching revolves around intelligent,
informed discussion and debate. While she is gifted in explaining
difficult material and making it comprehensible, Hody structures her
courses in such a way that students are required to read their course
material thoughtfully and be prepared to discuss the issues and
questions it evokes in the classroom.
“Cindy by her nature encourages an interactive classroom experience,”
says UMBC political science professor Devin Hagerty. “Simply put,
students feel welcome and safe. They know that they are there to
participate, not simply to absorb information and echo it later.”
Outside of the classroom, Hody advises UMBC’s Model United Nations team
–- a group she founded in 1994. In collaboration with UMBC Professor of
Political Science Louis Cantori, she created a minor program in
international affairs
She has also developed new courses in International Political Economy,
Comparative Political Economy, International Organization and
International Relations Theory. As department chair, she has put her
excellent teaching record to good use in overseeing the revision of the
department’s major requirements. Due in large measure to Hody's leadership, the political science department has seen its number
of majors nearly double since she became department chair in 1998.
A six-time recipient of the political
science department’s teaching award, Cynthia Hody is a study in
effective, compassionate and student-centered teaching. She has been
recognized as Honors College Teacher of the Year; and is the recipient
of the UMBC Alumni Association’s award for Student Teaching and Mentoring.