Professor Spotlight: Maria Szasz – A Kind, Creative, and Impactful Educator
January 14, 2025 - Anna Abeyta
Dr. Maria Szasz has made an indelible mark in the Honors College, combining her passion for teaching with a deep commitment to her students’ personal and academic growth. Known for her kindness, leadership, and dedication to fostering an inclusive learning environment, Dr. Szasz has earned praise from her students, who describe her as not only an exceptional teacher but also a genuine and caring mentor.
Charles Aguirre, one of Dr. Szasz’s students, described her as “one of the kindest individuals and best teachers” he has ever met. He noted how her caring nature and dedication to her students had a significant impact on his own learning experience. “She is so kind and caring, and one of the best individuals that I have learned from in Honors College,” Charles shared. Abby Merhege echoed this sentiment, praising Dr. Szasz for making a “high-quality” learning environment and for showing a real interest in her students' lives. “She is kind and cares deeply about her students,” Abby said. “She makes an effort to get to know us as students and people. She takes an interest in our lives and consistently tries to make her class as high quality as it can be.”
Dr. Szasz’s ability to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences is also evident in her innovative approach to curriculum design. In a recent class dedicated to the world of Taylor Swift, she not only conducted thorough research but also developed assignments that encouraged her students to think critically and intellectually about their favorite artist. Abby described it as an example of Dr. Szasz’s creativity and commitment to providing high-quality education.
Dr. Szasz’s journey to the Honors College is rooted in both her academic interests and personal connections to the University of New Mexico. A proud graduate of Albuquerque High, she comes from a family deeply embedded in UNM’s academic community—both of her parents were UNM Regents’ Professors of History. Her academic journey took her from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she earned her BA in English, to Emerson College in Boston, where she obtained a Master’s in Theatre Education. She then completed her PhD in English with a Theatre emphasis at UNM.
“I am a proud second-generation UNM faculty member—my parents were both UNM Regents’ Professors of History, so you might say I bleed Cherry and Silver,” Dr. Szasz shared. She joined the (then) UNM Honors Program while completing her PhD and has remained a fixture of the Honors College ever since. Reflecting on her career, she says, “I really value working with my fine colleagues, our Interim Dean Professor Leslie Donovan, and—most of all—our amazing Honors students.”
What motivates Dr. Szasz to work with Honors students is their unique combination of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and potential. “Honors students are a unique bunch,” she explains. “They are inquisitive, full of tremendous potential, and yet also fragile. I take my role as an educator very seriously.” Dr. Szasz strives to inspire her students to explore topics like Justice, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEADI) through courses on subjects ranging from theatre and comedy to musical theatre and, of course, Taylor Swift. For Dr. Szasz, teaching in the Honors College is an endlessly rewarding challenge. “It’s a huge challenge, but I love every single day—yes, even those 8 am classes!” she says, reflecting her deep passion for teaching.
A particularly memorable experience for Dr. Szasz came when she worked with Spenser Willden, a former Honors student and Senior Teacher, who co-taught her 300-level Art of Stand-Up Comedy class in the spring of 2022. “Spenser’s knowledge of comedy is unparalleled,” Dr. Szasz recalls. “It was so thrilling for both him and the students to watch him grow into his role as Senior Teacher.” She describes the Senior Teaching Program as a “treasured aspect” of the Honors College, and encourages more students to explore the opportunity if they are interested in teaching. "Senior Teaching is really a treasured aspect of being a part of the Honors College, and I encourage more students to explore this path," she says.
Dr. Szasz’s approach to teaching combines rigor with empathy, creativity with structure, and intellectual exploration with personal growth. Her dedication to her students, both as learners and as individuals, has made a lasting impact on the Honors College community, and her commitment to fostering an inclusive, thoughtful classroom environment continues to inspire students and colleagues alike.
