Meet Our Faculty: Ben Fan

I like to try to engage students and challenge them to think about the ways that the course material is really making a difference in how they see and think about problems that they come across in their day to day lives.

I strive to make sure that what is covered inside the classroom is applicable outside the classroom, and so, I encourage discussion and push for deeper reflection on initial claims that students make.

In doing so, I hope to encourage students to see that thoughtfulness matters for the conclusions that they reach in their arguments, as well as for shaping the kind of person they are.

I'm interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and I help to teach kids' classes at my Brazilian jiu-jitsu school.

Yes, I work as a teaching assistant for both UMD and Campus.com, which is promoting an online community college model to reach those who find college inaccessible.

I think that it offers a really practical way for students to get a foothold in their careers, and the quality of education is really at a high level.

I recommend that a student take my class because I'm interested in helping students understand the material and apply it in their lives.

My goal is to help students feel like the course was worth taking for how it changes the way that they think about issues that they come across in their careers or relationships with others.