Taryn Bayles
Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
B.S., New Mexico State University, 1979;
M.S., University of Pittsburgh, 1984; Ph.D., 1986

I’m best known for:
Answering emails at 1 AM, stickers,
high heels

Taryn Bayles

Hometown: Alamogordo, New Mexico
Department: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
I’m best known for: Answering emails at 1 AM, stickers, high heels

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 12 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? The students!
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Challenge and enjoy yourself – both academically and personally
4. What was your favorite class in college? Chemical Engineering Analysis
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Dedicated, caring, Engineering Educator
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: want to learn.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: The Space between Us by Building 429
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My father – he passed away when I was very young
9. Who would you consider your biggest heroes? My children – Alexandra and Nathan
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring (Both equally)
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers (Neither: Design / Outreach Projects)
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Shawn Bediako
Psychology
B.S., University of Central Arkansas, 1994;
M.S., Florida A&M University, 1996;
Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook, 2002

I’m best known for:
Studying psychosocial aspects of sickle cell
disease

Shawn Bediako

Hometown: Camden, Arkansas
Department: Psychology
I’m best known for: Studying psychosocial aspects of sickle cell disease

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? Six years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? I like being on a relatively small campus that’s brimming with big, cosmopolitan ideas. The student diversity makes teaching simultaneously fun and challenging, and I thoroughly enjoy being a professor here.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? There really is something for everybody here; make connections and get involved.
4. What was your favorite class in college? It’s a tie between African American Literature and Experimental Psychology
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Witty dude who inspires others.
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: genuinely love learning.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: ”Roots and Herbs” by me.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Donny Hathaway
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Anna Julia Cooper & Paulo Freire
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Lynnda Dahlquist
Psychology
B.A., St. Olaf College, 1975;
M.S., Purdue University, 1978; Ph.D., 1981

I’m best known for:
My research on pain management
interventions for children with health
conditions

Lynnda Dahlquist

Hometown: Bloomington, Minnesota
Department: Psychology
I’m best known for: : My research on pain management interventions for children with health conditions

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 15 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Because I love the field of psychology—especially clinical psychology—and I enjoy mentoring undergraduate and graduate students
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Get to know your professors. Look for opportunities to work with professors outside of class.
4. What was your favorite class in college? Developmental psychology—The professor was so funny and engaging, it made every class enjoyable.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Organized, informal, friendly, curious, skeptical
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: do well at UMBC while fully supporting themselves financially.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Lady Antebellum: “Need You Now” CD
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? I would love to have dinner many different writers of fiction; It’s tough to choose. If I could have a translator present (since my German is pretty rusty), I would love to have dinner with Gunter Grass or Thomas Mann. Or, I would be thrilled to spend an evening talking with Barbara Kingsolver, Marilyn Robinson or Geraldine Brooks—authors whose contemporary fiction I especially enjoy.
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? My maternal grandmother. She left Germany with an 8th grade education and came by herself to the US as a teenager to work as a maid. Despite little formal education (her only US education consisted of citizenship classes), she was truly a life-long learner. She was remarkably inquisitive about the world around her, read the paper every day, and worked a crossword puzzle every morning well into her 80s in order to improve her vocabulary. She was a strong, independent woman and had a great sense of humor.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Marie desJardins
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Ph.D, University of California, Berkeley, 1992

I’m best known for:
Being tough but fair, and caring about the
students

Marie desJardins

Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Department: Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
I’m best known for: : Being tough but fair, and caring about the students

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? I’ve taught at UMBC since 2001 – almost ten years!
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? I came to UMBC after spending 10 years in a research lab (SRI, a nonprofit scientific research institute in California) because I missed teaching and mentoring students. I have a very active research program, but the best part of my job is working with students – both in the classroom and in the lab.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Be proactive! Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you – go out and find them. Get to know your professors. Think about what you want to accomplish at UMBC, and in your life, and take steps to make it happen. Don’t just pass your classes – approach them as an opportunity to learn something new and to challenge yourself. When you’re my age, you will look back on college as one of the best times in your life – make the most of it!
4. What was your favorite class in college? Wow, that is a really tough question. I always knew I wanted to be a computer scientist, so I really liked many of my CS classes. But of my non-CS classes, three of my favorites were a Women’s Studies course I took senior year that gave me a completely new perspective on myself and the people around me; a Criminal Justice course that gave me a new perspective on the country I live in; and a course on Genocide that made me see the world, and our species, in a new way. Really, the best courses were the ones I didn’t think I would take when I first went to college.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Organized, focused, caring, mother, dilettante
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: take the initiative to push themselves outside of their comfort zone, and who finish what they start.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Schubert’s Impromptu Op. 90 No. 3, which I’m learning to play on the piano.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Barack Obama
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Rosalind Franklin
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers (for me, but I think my students prefer papers!)
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Linda Dusman
Music
B.M., American University, 1978; M.A., 1981;
D.M.A., University of Maryland, College Park, 1988

I’m best known for:
Setting high standards for my students

Linda Dusman

Hometown: Hanover, PA
Department: Music
I’m best known for: Setting high standards for my students

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? Since fall of 2000
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? I love working with smart and motivated students
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Talk to your professors—we expect this, and enjoy it!
4. What was your favorite class in college? Tonal Counterpoint
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Energetic, curious about the world
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: work hard, show up, and use their imaginations.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Ralph Shapey String Quartet #6
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Ruth Crawford Seeger
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Hildegard of Bingen
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Thomas Field
Modern Languages, Linguistics, and
Intercultural Communication
B.A., Wheaton College, 1971;
M.A., Cornell University, 1975; Ph.D., 1978

I’m best known for:
trying to get students to love linguistics

Thomas Field

Hometown: Rutland, Vermont
Department: Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
I’m best known for: trying to get students to love linguistics

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 31 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? If you mean, why I came to UMBC, I chose this position over one at a larger university because of the department’s commitment to creative teaching.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Don’t squander your college years. Too many people tell me that they wish they had taken advantage of all the opportunities they had.
4. What was your favorite class in college? Introductory linguistics, of course.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Curious, optimistic, cynical, family-oriented, loner
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: love to learn new things in all fields.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Verdi’s Don Carlo
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? French cartoonist Sempe. I connect with his outlook on society and would love to know what kind of person he really is.
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? I’ve never had a hero in my life.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Carolyn Forestiere
Political Science
B.A., College of William & Mary, 1993;
M.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1997;
Ph.D., Emory University, 2004

I’m best known for:
being an enthusiastic teacher

Carolyn Forestiere

Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Department: Political Science
I’m best known for: being an enthusiastic teacher

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? Seven years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? For several reasons: 1) access to awesome students who teach me as much as I teach them; 2) belonging to a dynamic department with wonderful colleagues; and 3) because UMBC offered the perfect professional mix of teaching and research obligations.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Take courses outside of your ‘comfort zone’ so that you can grow in ways you never anticipated and see what the world has to offer. You never know what you are going to love. And don’t worry about making the highest grades all the time – no one is good at everything, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try new things. To the contrary, the more you try, the more you will most likely appreciate the diversity in the disciplines. Once you graduate, it becomes increasingly difficult to learn completely new things. Start (or continue) a lifelong passion for learning now. Once you see how deep that rabbit hole goes, you’ll be hooked.
4. What was your favorite class in college? American foreign policy. I felt like I was learning about the world the way it really was for the first time. I remember hanging on the professor’s every word in every lecture.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Happy, Honest, Grateful, Adventurous, Hard-working
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: work hard without worrying about their grade.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: A tango for my roller skating dance
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Just the two of us? That’s easy. My husband. We have little kids!
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? My best friend and mentor, Christopher Allen, who died this year from cancer. I consider him a hero because he strongly believed that everyone has an inherent capacity for good. The key to making the world a better place is to help people discover the good in themselves. I learned so much from his example.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction (Non-fiction by day, fiction by night)
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring (In the spring, definitely!)
    3. Macs or PCs (I really can’t use either as my students know, but PCs)
    4. Tests or Papers Depends on the class! (Sorry)
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Dr. Tyson King-Meadows
Political Science
B.A., North Carolina Central University, 1992;
M.A., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1996; Ph.D., 2001

I’m best known for:
Challenging students to think and reach
beyond conventional wisdom

Dr. Tyson King-Meadows

Hometown: New York City
Department: Political Science
I’m best known for: Challenging students to think and reach beyond conventional wisdom

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? Since August 2003
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Because I love the vision of the University and of the Political Science Department.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Read the current scholarly literature in your area of study as well as read outside your area of study. Try to understand what your professors do as scholars – research, teaching, service – and how that connects to what is happening in the classroom.
4. What was your favorite class in college? I had two favorite classes: Introduction to American Political Theory and the American Congress.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Educator, Consistent, Kind, Intense, Friendly
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: want to learn how to interrogate the scholarly material and who want to how the material really applies to the world. The intellectual journey is important.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: “So What” by Miles Davis from the album Kind of Blue”
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? W. E. B. Du Bois
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? W. E. B. Du Bois
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Jason W. Loviglio
Media and Communication Studies
B.A., Wesleyan University, 1987;
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1999

I’m best known for:
Students sometimes call me
“Professor J. Lo”

Jason W. Loviglio

Hometown: Newton, Mass.
Department: Media and Communication Studies
I’m best known for: Students sometimes call me “Professor J. Lo”

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 12 years!
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Mostly because of the students and the energy and honesty they bring to class discussions. And my wonderful colleagues in Media and Communication Studies.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Find a major that you love and throw yourself into it. Don’t worry about a major that you think is “practical.”
4. What was your favorite class in college? ? “Speculative Philosophy of History.” Each week, we’d read each other’s short papers and then spend 2 hours arguing about them.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Very bad at following directions. Really.
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: are already discussing the day’s reading among themselves when I walk into the room at the start of class.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: my kids humming the Darth Vader theme.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? I think it would be Michele de Montaigne, the 16th century philosopher and essayist. First of all, he was French, so the cheese and wine would be great. Second of all, he was the first thinker whose ideas really resonated with me. To be clear, he’ll be alive while we’re eating dinner, right?
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Subcommandate Marcos: ‘Marcos is gay in San Francisco, black in South Africa, an Asian in Europe, a Chicano in San Ysidro, an anarchist in Spain, a Palestinian in Israel, a Mayan Indian in the streets of San Cristobal, a Jew in Germany, a Gypsy in Poland, a Mohawk in Quebec, a pacifist in Bosnia, a single woman on the Metro at 10 p.m., a peasant without land, a gang member in the slums, an unemployed worker, an unhappy student and, of course, a Zapatista in the mountains’.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Kimberly R. Moffitt
American Studies
B.A., University of North Carolina Charlotte, 1992;
M.S., Boston University, 1994;
Ph.D., Howard University, 2000

I’m best known for:
my challenging exams, yet supportive
classroom environment

Kimberly R. Moffitt

Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina
Department: American Studies
I’m best known for: my challenging exams, yet supportive classroom environment

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 5 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? It’s a familiar place. UMBC reminds me of my undergraduate institution in terms of its student diversity, geographic appeal to students, commitment to academic excellence, and the remote suburban setting in the backdrop of a major metropolis.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Start thinking and stop memorizing and you’ll be successful here!
4. What was your favorite class in college? Any course that provided me the opportunity to learn more about self and others. We’re such interesting beings!
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Committed; Compassionate; Open-minded yet Opinionated; and Sassy
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: are willing to challenge and critique most stances, including mine, with vigor AND skill.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: “Be Natural” by Fertile Ground
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? I’m dating myself with this question, but I’d have to say Prince. He’s a musical genius! And I’d like to believe our stimulating conversation will inspire him to write a song about our “encounter.”
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? I’m not into hero worship, but I admire and respect individuals who embrace life’s journey to the fullest and enjoy it even during the highs and lows.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Dr. Kevin Omland
Biological Sciences
B.A., Dartmouth College, 1985;
Ph.D., The University at Albany, 1995

I’m best known for:
I used to be known for ski racing. Now I am
best known for our research on bird
evolution – yup, we study orioles and ravens!

Dr. Kevin Omland

Hometown: Rutland, Vermont
Department: Biological Sciences
I’m best known for: I used to be known for ski racing. Now I am best known for our research on bird evolution – yup, we study orioles and ravens!

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 11 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Great combination of excellent graduate research and excellent undergraduate students.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Look forward to learning how to think in new ways.
4. What was your favorite class in college? One favorite was “Religion and Morality”
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Outdoorsy, enthusiastic, word hard, play hard – did I say outdoorsy?
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: have fun thinking hard.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Coldplay
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My wife – ok and maybe Jimmy Carter
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Sure – Jimmy Carter
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs (Macs rule.)
    4. Tests or Papers (I would rather write and read papers)
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post (Google news)

Wendy Salkind
Theatre
B.F.A., California Institute of the Arts, 1972;
M.F.A., University of California, Davis, 1974

I’m best known for:
My students say I’m known for being calm, a
good listener, funny, and I tell students the truth
about their work because I want to bring out
the best in them.

Wendy Salkind

Hometown: Great Neck, NY
Department: Theatre
I’m best known for: My students say I’m known for being calm, a good listener, funny, and I tell students the truth about their work because I want to bring out the best in them.

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 33 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? This university provides a stimulating intellectual environment with great colleagues, a supportive administration, and I get to work with imaginative students.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Attend performing arts events; find a mentor; develop strong study habits; explore the campus community to find out who you are.
4. What was your favorite class in college? Shakespeare’s plays
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Thoughtful, playful, demanding, curious, creative
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: take the initiative and ask questions.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Bob Dylan, “The Times They are A Changing”
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Susan B. Anthony
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Nelson Mandela
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Tom Schaller
Political Science
B.A., State University of New York at Oswego, 1989;
M.S., Florida State University, 1990;
Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1997

I’m best known for:
My Colbert Report appearance.

Tom Schaller

Hometown: Delmar, New York
Department: Political Science
I’m best known for: My Colbert Report appearance.

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 13 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Because I believe in higher education—especially public universities.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Study hard, have fun, and always make new mistakes.
4. What was your favorite class in college? Political Rhetoric
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Intensely curious, curiously intense.
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: travel.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Broken Bells.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Bill Murray
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? My parents.
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post (I write for them.)

L.D. Timmie (Tim) Topoleski
Mechanical Engineering
B.S., Cornell University, 1981; M.S., 1984;
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1990

I’m best known for:
Showing pictures of pandas, my daughters, and my secret life as a violinist/fiddler during my orientation lectures, and engaging students both in and outside of the classroom.

L.D. Timmie (Tim) Topoleski

Hometown: Ithaca, New York
Department: Mechanical Engineering
I’m best known for: Showing pictures of pandas, my daughters, and my secret life as a violinist/fiddler during my orientation lectures, and engaging students both in and outside of the classroom.

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 21 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? I like our philosophy of working toward student and faculty success. At UMBC, we want every student to succeed. We are also a school on the forefront of integrating faculty research with student success. Every day in my lab, my students and I see things that no one else in the world has ever seen, and I like to bring that excitement to the classroom.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Take some time to explore all that UMBC has to offer — from classes to learning and help opportunities to activities outside academics — and then make use of the incredible resources here. I think that often students feel that they have to “go it alone,” and that is not true. One of the best things about being part of the UMBC community is that we are all dedicated to your success, but students need also need to actively pursue that success. I’m a big advocate of undergraduate student research, and I encourage any interested student to become involved in research or creative pursuits beyond that required for class work.
4. What was your favorite class in college? This is a tough question! I would say my favorite classes were (not in order): Math, Creative Writing. Quantitative Physiology, Genetics, Biomedical Ethics, Biomaterials, Acoustics, Crystallography, Finite Element Analysis, and an independent study in Orthopaedic Surgery. Some of these were grad courses, and some undergrad. It’s hard to pick one favorite, since I was an interdisciplinary student. If I had to pick one favorite from the sciences, it would be the Biomaterials class I took as a grad student, and from the humanities, it would be the four Creative Writing classes I took as an undergrad.
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. Persistent, Husband/Dad, Curious, Adventurous, Fun-loving.
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: want to learn about the world, both as part of their major and beyond their classroom requirements, and who enjoy the challenge of learning.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Impossible to say! I’m always listening to music. The last few pieces I played on purpose were the 1st movement of Mahler’s Symphony #2 (since I played that with the BSO this summer), Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rosa, and Under the Moon, a CD by the great Irish Fiddler, Martin Hayes.
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? There are way too many choices! Who could resist an invite from any of the most important figures (good, evil or neutral) in history? I’d have to throw a huge dinner party. Originally, when I was thinking about this question, I was going to restrict myself to living people. There are so many people whose ideas have influenced and continue to influence the world, and it would be fun to sit down with any of them. I thought, why not go with Elizabeth II, the Queen of England. I’ve always wanted to meet her, and she is a fellow stamp collector. However, my wife, who often sees what I miss, even though it’s right in front of me, reminded me that I enjoy reading and learning about some specific people. So I can narrow it to three (relaxing the restriction on living people, and depending on their schedules): Georgia O’Keeffe, Ernest Shackleton, or Walt Disney. But honestly, given the opportunity, I’d like to have dinner with some of my friends that I haven’t seen in several years.
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero? Again, I can’t narrow this down to one person. There are many people that I admire for their achievements and qualities. I’m fortunate to know many of my heroes, starting with my parents, Leonard and Janice Topoleski, my brother Daniel, my sister Tammy, and my wife Marci. Outside my family, in the UMBC community, my heroes include Freeman (President Hrabowski) and Mr. and Mrs. Meyerhoff for how they have helped create our current UMBC. But I also include my colleagues on the faculty and staff, for doing remarkable things everyday for our students, and the students themselves. Beyond UMBC, there are too many people to admire, for too many reasons, to make even a short list!
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post

Ka-che Yip
History
B.A., The University of Hong Kong, 1965;
M.A., Columbia University, 1967; Ph.D., 1970

I’m best known for:
being the guy that teaches Chinese history

Ka-che Yip

Hometown: Ellicott City
Department: History
I’m best known for: being the guy that teaches Chinese history

1. How long have you taught at UMBC? 39 years
2. Why do you teach at UMBC? Interesting students, exciting department, and great location for doing research.
3. What advice would you give the incoming class about UMBC? Do not overlook the excellent liberal arts program that UMBC has to offer.
4. What was your favorite class in college? Chinese intellectual history
5. Describe yourself in 5 words. teacher, researcher, hardworking, bookworm
6. Fill in this blank: I’m impressed by students who: are not afraid to ask questions.
7. The last piece of music I listened to was: Silk Road by Kitaro
8. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Zhuang Zi
9. Who would you consider your biggest hero?
10. I’m a bigger fan of (choose one):
    1. Fiction or Non-fiction
    2. UMBC in the fall or UMBC in the spring
    3. Macs or PCs
    4. Tests or Papers
    5. The Baltimore Sun or the Washington Post