Gretchen Koch Assistant Professor, Math and Computer Science
Profile by Tyler Adams
"I'm from all over," says Assistant Professor Gretchen Koch (pronounced 'cawtch', not 'cook') halfway through our interview. "I'm an army brat." Ah. That explains a lot. There is something about Koch, who has a 'newly-minted Ph. D.' with degrees from St. Lawrence University and a brand-new doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that exudes wisdom, a sort of well-traveled comfort with which she speaks. "I actually lived in Germany for three and a half years. I was there when the [Berlin] Wall came down. I was there during the Gulf War." Ah.
Koch has been welcomed warmly by the students and faculty of the Math and Computer Science department - although she is unique among faculty in that she is an applied mathematician. "I take math and I take it and apply it to real world activation," she explains. "My [latest] research involves modeling cell division and e.Coli. So I work with biochemists and talk with them about what they see in the microscope, and [when there are] questions that they cannot answer with what they see... maybe I can answer them using a math model." Sometimes Koch creates computer simulations, sometimes she resorts to more old-fashioned methods, but regardless, her skills are a definite asset to Goucher's sometimes overshadowed Math and Computer Science Department. She has an entire day - every Thursday - dedicated to continuing her previous research. Koch's tendency to combine disciplines and her worldly stance seem to make Goucher a perfect fit for her. She agrees.
Koch loves to talk about St. Lawrence, her alma mater, and it is clear she wants Goucher students to have that same feeling after graduation. "I really liked the small family environment that I had in undergrad," she says. "I loved the feeling of a professor knowing your name." Already, students have shown up to Koch's office (HS 132) to discuss math separate from any of her courses. She plans to develop her relationship with the students here even more. "I love to involve undergraduates in research," Koch says. "[I wanted to be] some place that would have students who would be interested in researching with me. [Goucher's] internship requirements help with that."
The adjustment from graduate school to full-blown professor appears to have been an easy one for Koch. "I have felt extremely welcome," Koch says, smiling. "The department is very much like a family." The area is an advantage over her alma mater, too, she notes. "It's a small liberal arts school, and yet it's not in the middle of nowhere." Currently living in Towson, Koch is still making the adjustment from several years in New York State to our cozy suburb. Still, the army brat part of her adapts quickly. "Right now, it's a matter of getting to know everybody, and seeing where my skills fit in with theirs," she says.
That said, Koch has ambitious plans for her future at Goucher. "I have [a] project in mind for undergraduates to work that would pull students from biology or chemistry, pre-med, and have them work together," she says. "That's the beauty of interdisciplinary research. You don't have to know everything about your subject." Not to say that Koch doesn't. A qualified addition to Goucher faculty, Koch shares many traits with the College's strategic plan: worldly, flexible, intelligent, educated, and approachable. Ah. That explains a lot.
Raquel Schuster-Herr Visiting Assistant Professor, Modern Languages, Spanish
Profile by Bree Katz
Raquel Schuster-Herr came to Baltimore in 1983 after growing up in Colombia, where her family still lives. Having taught at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, she is now a visiting instructor of Spanish at Goucher, where she teaches two sections of Spanish 130 (Intermediate Spanish) and one section of Spanish 235 (Advanced Grammar and Composition). Her passion is modern poetry in the Spanish and Italian languages, and she would like to possibly teach a course on Spanish and Italian poetry sometime in the future. A more immediate possibility for Raquel is teaching basic Italian, which she has taught at Brandeis University along with Spanish. As a mother of three, the majority of her time is spent with her family or the courses she teaches this semester, but in her personal time, she enjoys walking, reading, cooking, classical music, talking with friends, and yoga, which she says helps her focus. Though she had initially not planned to stay in Maryland when she first moved here, she now feels it is her base. She finds Baltimore's atmosphere to be tranquil and has no desire to depart. She hopes to expand on her teaching in Modern Languages and Literatures.
Matthew Hale Assistant Professor, History and Historic Preservation
Profile by Rachel Mirsky
"There are unique discussions [with the students]. They make wonderful comments in class," Professor Matthew Hale says, as he reflects on his first month at Goucher College. "It is very fulfilling."
Matthew Hale is the newest addition to the History Department, specializing in early American History. Growing up in Massachusetts, Hale lived with a large family of eight people and learned to love history at a young age. When he was a young child, Hale visited museums, which sparked his historical and cultural interests. "I remember when my parents bought me a fort and it had American Revolutionary soldiers. I loved playing with that," says Hale.
Following high school, Hale went for an undergraduate degree at Middlebury College in Vermont and did his graduate work at Brandeis University. During his studies, he visited Spain and Italy to obtain a more hands on experience on history. He traveled around the different regions of Spain to see all of the places he had studied in college with a new perspective. Hale stayed with a Spanish family who had a strong opinion on history. "They were intrigued that I liked American history and said, 'American history is only a couple of hundred years old. That's not history! Go out and drive ten miles and you'll see Roman bridges. That's a thousand years of history!'" remembers Hale.
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