You may know Wallace Loh’s entire life story by now, but there’s still more to learn about the university president. He finds time — albeit not a lot — to do all the things many of us enjoy: eat, watch movies, read, work out. 

So the next time you find yourself face-to-face with Loh, you can strike up a conversation about one of his favorite things.

Favorite foods:

  • Fruit, particularly watermelon, papaya, mangoes, cherries
  • Tofu
  • Mango ice cream from The Dairy

The steak, salmon and fancy pastas don’t catch Loh’s eye — the fruit platter does. He’s quite the health nut. He often skips full meals to talk with guests or deliver a speech at events, so to keep from getting hungry, he’ll go for a few handfuls of berries or a couple of crackers. 

Favorite reading topics:

  • History
  • Biographies
  • Politics

Currently reading: The Wealth and Poverty of Nations: Why Some Are So Rich and Some So Poor by David S. Landes

Loh often quotes various historical and political figures because he’s read their stories. Rarely will he explain an aspect of his job without drawing upon some of history’s most famous figures and events. 

Favorite recent movie: 2012’s Lincoln

This choice is unsurprising given Loh’s love of biographies and Abraham Lincoln’s prominent role in U.S. history. He admires the way the 16th president narrowly passed the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery. 

Fun tidbit: While Loh boasted at dinner last month with his wife, Barbara Loh, about Lincoln’s ability to “basically bribe” a couple Congressional members to pass the amendment, Barbara Loh told her husband, “I wouldn’t make him your role model even though he did really great things for civil rights.” 

Favorite part of the job: Meeting people

This is pretty much the response you’d expect from the university president. Loh said he loves meeting interesting students, faculty, staff and alumni. It must be cool to be able to hang out with Under Armour founder Kevin Plank.

Least favorite part of the job: PowerPoint presentations

Loh has a rule in his cabinet: No PowerPoint presentations. His hatred of them is well-known among his staff. In fact, he paraphrases English Catholic historian Lord Acton’s famous dictum: “Power corrupts and PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.”

Favorite recreational activities:

  • Working out at Eppley Recreation Center
  • Downhill skiing
  • Attending events at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Many students have seen Loh working out at 11 p.m. at the ERC. He loves to exercise  — it’s how he unwinds at the end of the day. Before he was president, Loh used to take ski trips whenever possible. He hasn’t had much time for those lately, though. 

Favorite music: Classical

Whether he’s in the midst of a long drive or working at home, Loh enjoys classical music. He doesn’t care for much else, but did mention that he enjoys the Maryland Opera Studio, a university performance ensemble and degree program, even though he typically isn’t an opera fan. 

Favorite U.S. presidents: Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is self-explanatory. Loh guessed most people would rank Lincoln and FDR near the top of their “favorite presidents” list — for those who have such a list. 

Favorite world leaders: Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill

Again, unsurprising. He could talk for days about how former South Africa President Nelson Mandela eliminated apartheid with “nearly no bloodshed — that is unheard of.” And in an interview, he spoke for 10 minutes about how Churchill led Britain and the Allies through World War II. He said he has many of Churchill’s speeches almost perfectly memorized.