--- title: A Peek Inside … Math Senior Lecturer Terence Long’s Office date: 2026-04-28T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/a-peek-inside-math-senior-lecturer-terence-longs-office" section: Articles --- # A Peek Inside … Math Senior Lecturer Terence Long’s Office *April 28, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > Monster Movie Memorabilia, Old-School Gaming Systems and Snuggie Create Downtime Oasis *Long Terence Office 03182026 SC 0679 1920x1080 — From Godzilla figurines to boxy TVs, math Senior Lecturer Terence Long's office is full of retro fun. (Photos by Stephanie S. Cordle)* Bedtime stories for a young Terence Long never followed the usual script. Whether his mom was telling him about Goldilocks and her porridge-related mishaps or Jack climbing the beanstalk yet again, Godzilla would always crash the tale. “I would demand that she insert him in every single story,” said Long. Today, that love of the Japanese postwar monster is evident everywhere in the Kirwan Hall office of the [Department of Math](https://www-math.umd.edu/)’s senior lecturer. Long first arrived at the University of Maryland as a graduate student in 2007 and finished his Ph.D. in 2015. Realizing he liked teaching more than research, he stayed on and became one of the department’s most popular lecturers, with rave reviews on Planet Terp and Rate My Professors. “I like to joke and say it’s like being a stand-up comedian, but you have a captive audience,” said Long. He teaches about three classes per semester, including MATH243, which he developed for non-math STEM majors and combines linear algebra and differential equations. One unusual class he leads is for the department’s teaching assistants, prepping grad students before the semester starts and checking in throughout the semester. “I always tell them to keep an open mind, and that they’ll enjoy teaching more than they might think,” he said. Long shares his favorite among three dozen Godzilla films, why old games are superior to modern-day ones and how he achieves maximum comfort in his space. ## Godzilla The larger-than-life *kaiju* is “an interesting character because he is sometimes a straight-up villain, sometimes very heroic and sometimes he's completely neutral,” said Long, who also likes all the practical effects and set design of the early movies. “And there's something very satisfying about seeing people in giant rubber monster costumes fight each other.” His obsession started when he watched 1984’s “Return of Godzilla” as a young child, and since then, he’s seen every Japanese and American film, collecting figurines, posters, blankets and even a custom-made table by his mom along the way. His favorite is the extremely literal “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack,” where Godzilla is “pure evil” and punishes Japan for its past crimes, including those related to World War II. Balanced precariously on Long’s bookshelf (below) are figurines of blue Mecha Gigan, one of many foes, and an “advanced” Godzilla from “Godzilla: Final Wars,” which is “too insane for a non-Godzilla lover to watch.” *Figurines of a blue Godzilla monster and a regular Godzilla* ## Gaming systems galore One semester, Long ended up with a four-hour gap between classes—not quite enough time to go home, so he brought in a couple of video game consoles to kill time. Now, he has more controllers than he can count for his throwback gaming systems, which include a Japanese Sega Saturn, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo 64, all hooked up to a Sony Trinitron CRT TV. The 1990s and 2000s-era games display best on the boxy setup, which has a snappier response to player inputs than modern LCD screens, making the game experience more immersive. When students stop by for office hours, “most of them the first time are like, ‘Whoa, your office is cool,” he said. “A few of them are fans of a lot of the same games, which is very surprising because they're obviously a lot younger. But there has been a retro gaming renaissance.” *A CRT television turned on its side showing an arcade game and a round table with Godzilla designs* *Poster of Godzilla movie above a 90s CRT TV with gaming consoles underneath* ## Neo-Geo arcade system *Red Neo-Geo gaming system* ## Fishing controller *A fishing rod gaming controller alongside two discs of fishing games* ## “Kinnikuman” *Two Godzilla figurines and a box showing a muscled cartoon figure* ## Yogibo bean bag “When I’m in maximum comfy mode, and I know no students are coming by for like a few hours, I put on the Snuggie and I roll out the bean bag to game,” Long said. Colleagues occasionally stop by to try their hand, and he’s even borrowed a controller from an office neighbor, Principal Lecturer Wiseley Wong, known for his prowess at Super Smash Bros. *Terence Long plays a video game while sitting on a bean bag chair in an office full of Godzilla posters* *This is part of an occasional series offering a look inside some of the most interesting faculty and staff offices around campus. Think you have a cool workspace—or know someone’s that you’d like to recommend? Email* [*kshih@umd.edu*](mailto:kshih@umd.edu)*.* **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [Mathematics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/mathematics), [A Peek Inside](https://today.umd.edu/topic/a-peek-inside) **Units:** [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences)