MMW Staff
Matthew T. Herbst, Ph.D. - Director
Prof. Herbst received his B.A. in History, Greek, and Latin from Binghamton University in NY and his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he specialized in Byzantine History. He is passionate about teaching, both in the classroom and on summer global seminars abroad, and is committed to helping students engage with and understand the diverse tapestry of cultures and civilizations, both past and present, that have shaped the world in which we live. Prof. Herbst also enjoys learning about contemplative traditions from around the world as well as dabbling with other languages, notably French, Greek, Latin, and, most recently, Turkish. He teaches: MMW 3 (The Medieval Heritage, 100BCE-1200CE), MMW 4 (New Ideas/Clash of Cultures, 1200-1750), Byzantine Empire (History Department), and Freshmen and Senior seminars on religious and contemplative issues.
Jackie Giordano - Assistant Director
Heidi Keller-Lapp - Assistant Director
Dr. Heidi Keller-Lapp received her Ph.D. in European History from the University of California San Diego, where she specialized in early modern French history and completed fields in the anthropology of religion and gender/religion in medieval Europe. In addition, she holds a BA in Communication Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a MS in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University. Her research interests include gender in early modern Europe and in European colonial expansion, world religions, women’s religious communities, and the history of social and political thought. Her current project is the completion of her book manuscript entitled Floating Cloisters and Holy Amazons: French Ursuline Missionaries in the Atlantic World (1727-1744). Outside of teaching and scholarship, Dr. Keller-Lapp enjoys traveling with her family, attending her sons’ sporting events, and walking Shelby, her beagle. She teaches MMW 3, 4, 4T, and 5.
Edmond Chang - Lecturer
Edmond Chang received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, San Diego in 2002. A former Fulbright Grant recipient, he focused on comparative philosophy with an emphasis on Chinese aesthetics in the 4th century C.E. Dr. Chang also holds a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, as well as a B.A. in History and International Relations from Tufts University. Aside from teaching, Dr. Chang has published poetry and worked as a professional translator and editor. His hobbies include many sports and hiking in the Sierras with his family. As the Lecturer for the MMW program, he teaches MMW2, MMW3, MMW4, MMW5, and MMW6.
Mollie Martinek - Program Coordinator
Vilaya Roberts - Administrative Assistant
Vilaya attended UCSD during the “wild & wooly” days of the early 70’s as a student at Third College (now Thurgood Marshall College). She majored in Theatre and minored in music, and was cast in several school productions under the direction of Dr. Floyd Gaffney. After college, she worked for a while at the Old Globe Theatre in the costume shop; formed a theatre company with friends called “A Wing and a Prayer”; and performed around southern California as a jazz vocalist. Her favorite pastimes are cooking, reading and spending time with her friends.
