"The only young adults I ever came into contact with - beyond my friends' children - were gang mem-bers," said Likar. "All of a sudden I'm dealing with people that are 30 years younger than I am. They come from completely different backgrounds. They're not gang members, but reg-ular students. I didn't quite know how to treat them."

Likar's transition from agent to educator was not the first time he had shifted careers. He began as a corporate attorney for a firm in Dallas, Texas, back in 1977 following his graduation from law school. But he was not fulfilled by his work. He wanted a challenge. A conversation over hand-ball with a former attorney-turned-FBI-agent changed Likar's life forever. It wasn't long before he joined the agency and was on his first assignment in Omaha, Nebraska, as the resident agent.

Why law enforcement? Likar says he was always fascinated with crime and criminals. As an FBI agent, he lived an adrenaline-charged life that could change dramatically at a moment's notice depending upon the investigation.

"Every door you go to, you're never quite sure what you're going to run into, what you're going to see, who you're going to meet" said Likar. "As an investigator, you do that every day. Different neighborhoods, different environments, different people. It's fascinating."

In his years as an agent, Likar be-came an adrenaline junkie. He also found himself inside the minds of master criminals, men and women who operate on a completely different set of principles.

"Our day-to-day life is relatively routine. We worry about mortgages, our kids, their education and their health. Criminals - for the most part - don't worry about that stuff. Their day-to-day life is spent on how they are going to scam someone, how they are going to make a score."

Trying to bring such people to justice put Likar in plenty of dangerous situations. In 1985, he planned and organized OPERATION CLAW, the FBI raid on the infrastructure of the violent Puerto Rican terrorist organization called Los Macheteros. He received a commendation from the Director of the FBI for his work on that case.

In 1989, Likar helped form the Greater Pittsburgh Fugitive Task Force, which is charged with tracking down and arresting violent fugitives. The efforts of that task force resulted in the arrest of Gerald Watkins in 1995. Watkins was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for killing a Pittsburgh area mother, her 12-year-old son and her 18-day-old baby. Watkins now sits on death row.

"When you go out there (as an FBI agent), you are representing the people of the United States. You're out there to protect their rights," said Likar. "I feel like what I did benefited people."

One of Likar's final accomplishments as an agent was to form the Western Pennsylvania Crimes Against Children Task Force in 1999. It is a cooperative effort involving a number of law enforcement agencies to track down child abductors. Likar's endeav-ors with that task force have made him an expert in the field. Local reporters called on him this past winter when a Virginia man abducted a Pittsburgh area teenager after contacting her on the Internet.

Why trade in such an intense, rewarding career? Likar says he was burned out.

"I worked a lot of long hours in many high-risk situations," said Likar. "It was a high-risk job."

Likar now looks forward to developing a reputation as a researcher and a writer. One of his first research interests is to more closely examine FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover's controversial beliefs on the mafia.

Likar is also excited about using his background to help train the next generation of law enforcement professionals.

"In most cases, the subjects I encounter in the classroom are ones in which I have had practical experience," said Likar.

His students know that, and they appreciate the added benefit of having someone such as Likar as their professor.

"Having a hands-on account really gives you a better understanding," said Kathryn White, a junior majoring in psychology who is enrolled in one of Likar's criminology classes. "If we're learning about gangs and he relates a story about a gang case he worked on, I can get a better picture of what he's trying to teach us."

The move from the field office to the college campus has been quite an interesting one for Likar, a transition he admits he has not fully completed. But after a semester at La Roche, the Mon Valley native feels more comfortable about his role as educator. He also believes he has a better sense of his students and their approach to life.

"They're fresh," said Likar. "They're not overly cynical or jaded yet, and they still have a lot of ideas. They're a blank slate right now. They have a lot of options. I don't think they realize that."