The Majors You Want

Transcript

Okay, let’s make sure we talk about the academics at Goucher too, which is rated a top liberal arts college by U.S. News and World Report. Goucher has a unique curriculum, strengths in both arts and sciences, and recently added in-demand majors. For more on the academics and passions you can explore at Goucher is Phong Le, Associate Professor of Mathematics and also an alum of the college. He has some great insight for all of us. Phong.

– Hi everyone. I’m an Associate Professor of Mathematics in The Center for Data Mathematical and Computational Sciences. I coordinate our Integrative Data Analytics Program, I’m also Co-Director of The Maker Space, and support community-based learning. I was also a student at Goucher, back in 2003, I majored in math and minored in music. To me, Goucher has always been a place where students are ready to explore, be challenged, and have big and small conversations. We ask them to make connections deeply across disciplines. I may ask my intro class students the limits of a racial diversity index or when we talk about median income instead of mean income. Other colleagues help our students explore how art has shaped how we think of and define nature. Beyond our Interdisciplinary Gen Ed Courses that we call Complex Problem Exploration, we offer over 60 different academic programs, many of which, such as the Integrative Data Analytics Program I’m part of, are meant for students with broad interests who are looking for breadth and depth in their studies. Our curriculum also contains areas of common inquiry on questions of justice. One about race, power and perspective, and another about environmental justice. Goucher also has great graduate programs, as well as premier 4+1 options with institutions like Johns Hopkins University. My current pet project is The Maker Space. I’m team teaching a course with our gallery curator on the ethics of art and artifact reproduction. Students will be challenged to think about the technical aspects of 3D scanning and printing while simultaneously asking themselves whether what they are doing is appropriative, disrespectful, insensitive, or unethical. I love teaching at Goucher. The students are creative, funny, and kind. I look forward to finding new ways to engage them and know that they’ll respond with joy and enthusiasm. Now back to you, Alex.

– Oh wow. That Maker Space is really neat. What a fun thing for students to get their hands on and experience with. Thanks Phong for letting us see what you’re up to and filling us in on all the academic opportunities students have here at Goucher. Thanks again. Okay, everyone.