Carolyn Forestiere, Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science
Carolyn Forestiere has established a career-long record of exemplary teaching, mentorship, and pedagogical innovation and has made enduring contributions to
teaching excellence at UMBC.
Since 2004, Forestiere has dedicated herself to designing and implementing courses with great care and sensitivity to the perspectives and best interests of her students. She engages students in and out of the classroom with challenging coursework to instill in them a deeper understanding of the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve academic success. These experiences are both challenging and rewarding to her students, who often credit her with playing a pivotal role in their careers. An approach centered on applied learning, Forestiere designs assignments that help students use the material they study in real world applications. These assignments include civic engagement elements, which help students draw connections between their research and its impact on the community.
Her expertise in innovative pedagogy extends well beyond the classroom. She has helped faculty across campus build a culture of teaching and academic excellence. Departments have adopted her new instructional approach to research outlined in her 2017 textbook, Beginning Research in Political Science, and consider it an essential resource for walking students systematically through the production of an academic research paper. She has participated extensively in university-level committees and other initiatives devoted to pedagogy, and for many years, has delivered talks to new students at orientation.
She has presented at political science teaching and learning conferences and published a peer-reviewed article on teaching civic engagement. She currently chairs UMBC’s Undergraduate Research Awards committee.
Forestiere received her B.A. from College of William & Mary and Ph.D. from Emory University.