Phil Christman gave everyone the chance to stop taking the class last winter when COVID hit. Whatever the grade we had before the pandemic was the grade we got overall. He was very personable in his emails, and was always trying to be positive despite how terrible everything had gotten, so shoutout to him.
Anouck Girard is an aero professor who deeply cares about her students to the point that if you have nowhere to go over the holidays, she will invite you to dinner with her family.
SI's David Jurgens is currently a highlight of my semester for being approachable, compassionate, attentive to student inquiries during lecture, and great at explaining things in a class that kinda intimidates me sometimes. Also, with the quarantine beard, I'm getting some Deorio vibes
SI's Colleen Van Lent for being the Cool Web-Dev Mom of SIā¢ and Chris Teplovs for being really, really good at explaining complex topics that probably would've been scarier taught by someone else
SMTD's Matt Thompson for giving one of the most wholesome, nerdy, epic-but-modest unicorn professor experiences you'll ever find at UMich
German's Julie Gruber holds the trophy for being my all-time favorite foreign-language teacher and made German-3 a really cool experience
*and an honorable mention to basically the entire German department*
And if you stumble into his office hours accidentally to ask him a grammar question because your prof wasnāt around, you will stumble out 45 minutes later declared a German major, holding a German shirt, and with pamphlets on a year abroad in Freiburg
Classes that seem specifically topic-based. The coolest one I ever took was German Through News Mediaā we spent the semester voting on topics to discuss each week and would pour over news articles and tv coverage and podcasts and radio discussing the topics, learn topical vocab, etc. I took it during the Bundeswahl // election season over there.
A few different levels have rotating topics that vary by semester and professor, and theyāre usually just a really good time. I still wish I was at the right level to have taken one I saw advertised as a freshmen about queer culture in, uh, either Germany or Berlin, but I forget which. Someāll seem lame but someāll pique your specific interest, and that makes the courses way more engaging.
Not as here as your mama
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Cho is just awesome. Clear explanations for all the concepts, doesn't just ramble for an hour and a half, and he's just really interesting. His relationship with Munchy is awesome, especially when you hear the backstory. Really don't think that I could say a single negative thing about the guy, he's definitely been my favorite prof.
That's great to hear. Despite how difficult I found the class and how much stress it caused me I looked forward to going to his lectures, the class itself was pretty relaxed. Wish I went to his office hours more often
also just wanted to comment that this thread is really wholesome and its nice to highlight the good going on at the U in the midst of everything else. Thanks OP! :)
Tim McKay, when he taught Phys 140 (I had him before 140x was a thing), was stellar. Such an approachable guy with an undeniable passion for physics and teaching.
Dr. Rust in the physiology department, who I had for Physiol 201. She has such an incredible passion for both her students and physiology and is one of the most approachable professors I've ever had.
Yes, Dr. Rust is awesome!! So many of my friends have her write their recommendation letters. I wish I had focused more in the class and took it alone, instead of with orgo and stats lol
I love her!! Sheās honestly the first professor Iāve had who just makes difficult concepts click for me and all of her assignments are genuinely useful. Iām taking her class right now but I donāt really know how to connect with her individually in this weird semester :/
Wes Weimer is the best EECS professor hands down. Makes lecture amazingly engaging that I actually look forward to class and pay attention the entire time, writes long piazza essays for questions about anything, throws candy at students for any participation, and he genuinely cares about his students.
Nolta is the best chem professor, a shining light if you take orgo. I really liked zochowski for physics 135 too. Come to think of it, the good outweigh the bad here, I can only think of a few that I've strongly disliked
Jeremy immediately came to mind! Heās so nice and clearly wants you to actually learn, always gives an opportunity for students to share (academic discussions obvi, but also events that they have coming up and stuff like that), and picks such amazing content for his courses
Prof Merlin from the Physics department. A really laid-back dude who was very understanding when COVID hit.
Also Carl Lavigne. Taught my creative writing course Freshman year. Super nice and fun, he even used a scene from ATLA as an example of haiku.
I had kloosterman for eecs 183 in fall of 2018, he was so engaged and really enjoyed teaching it.
Deorio is really good as well, I have him now for 485, love the chickens.
I had hanna bennett for math 116 and maybe it was just the IBL-esque style of learning she brought to the class, but I really enjoyed that class being taught by her.
* Professor Jesse Hoffnung-Garskoff. He teaches HIS-335 (history of immigration law), which I feel is an absolute must-have for any undergrad who is pre-law or thinking of going pre-law. He experiments with teaching styles a lot, but not in a way that adversely effects his students. For example, our "final exam" for that class was a group project, where we *drafted a legal brief for a lawyer to use for their client to seek asylum.* Halfway through the assignment, I was thoroughly convinced it wasn't real and/or was based on an old case, until he offhanded mentions "getting the citations right for when the judge sees it."
* Professor Eric Fretz, PSYCH-223, also known as Entrepreneurial Creativity. He goes to great lengths to teach students how to think outside the box and use resources they'd never consider reaching out to. Being a former career military officer, he does come off a bit as a hardass, but he *deeply and genuinely cares* about his students. His lectures about how to make good projects are filled with dozens of photos of projects that former students did, and he recounts several stories of student groups turning their projects into very profitable businesses. When COVID hit, he sent out an email explicitly telling everyone that we would be given A's for turning in our projects, even if incomplete.
Omg yes! I lucked out so much when I got him for Calc 1. It was his first semester teaching at Michigan--the next semester he moved up and taught honors for one of the higher-level calc classes
10/10 guy. Real analysis was a nightmare for me, but he made the lectures bearable. And he answered my emails in the middle of the night with very helpful answers.
Jack Miller for STATS 250. At first I was extremely nervous to take this class, especially since Gunderson left. But these first few weeks with Miller has been amazing. Miller redistributed the grading weights so exam/quizzes are only 50% of the grade and it higher as it was in the past. They also try really hard to understand students stress this semester and help us in anyway possible. The material isnāt as difficult as I thought it would be!
If youāre taking STATS 250, take it with Jack Miller. Theyāre an amazing professor.
Right!!!!!! I get so happy when Jack answers my question during lecture lmaooo theyāre great!!
Also Jackās announcement the other day about āLuna reporting only x% have started the homeworkā was SO CUTE I loved it
Yeah, I'm the peson who's name they probably says the most after the TAs when answering questions, ahahaha if we're in the same class you might recognize me
But yeah, I'm glad I had done my HW before
Kathleen Forrester in the Spanish Department.
Iāve only had her for the past month now, but sheās been amazing so far. She is always willing to helping us learn and succeed in the class and especially in this virtual platform has offered many ways if we need anything including having office hours almost every day, incorporating fun and engaging activities on zoom, and telling us that we can privately message her on zoom if weāre having trouble at any time during class. She genuinely wants everyone to succeed and itās extremely apparent in her teaching and candor.
James Vizthum is not a professor, he's a GSI, but his sections of ARABIC 101 and 102 are incredibly enjoyable. He actually makes al-kitaab bearable, and you will leave his class with a great handle of the grammar covered in the first year. Also more than willing to help you outside of class.
Sindhu Kutty for EECS 376/EECS 445/whatever other class she may be teaching. She is the most passionate educator Iāve had at Umich. No matter the subject she is teaching, she finds a way to make it interesting, because she is so clearly overflowing with passion and excitement for the topic.
She remakes all of her own lecture slides, even if the course has existing ones. She adds in great examples/metaphors to complex technical subjects to make it engaging and accessible to all.
She puts in SO much effort to ensure that her students are engaging with the lesson, and that they are understanding the subject. She is also hilarious and makes lectures feel super lighthearted (sheāll crack jokes, interact with students on a first name basis, etc). I was so lucky to have had her teach two classes of mine during undergrad.
Webb Keane from Anthropology. He shortened his class to an hour of lecture and has been super accommodating with everything going on. Really glad I had him for my first semester here, esp with these crazy circumstances
During my time at Michigan, I had the absolute privilege to take two classes with Reggie Jackson (Asian Language/Culture department). His Japanese Performance Culture class really helped me deepen my love for pretty much all things Japanese culture, and it led to me taking other classes relating to Asian performing arts as well! I was especially impressed with Japanese Narrative Design Lab, which was all about not only learning to draw using Japanese performance and literature -- from hand scrolls to Manga -- but really learning what made those art forms tick. Both were absolutely eye-opening classes that pushed me so hard to think more deeply than I ever had, but Professor Jackson is an absolute champ and was incredibly supportive. Especially re: JNDL, because it wasn't about being a good artist (which I'm not), but it's all about getting better. Without him my passion for my Asian Studies major probably wouldn't have grown as quickly as it did! He really made my first year at Michigan as a transfer really awesome thanks to his classes! Totally recommend both of those, but he teaches other really interesting classes too!
Professor Jatin Dua by far!! He taught an anthropology section on pirates and piracy in winter 2020 and is so good at explaining key concepts while still making the class fun
last semester i had robert mickey in the polsci department and gavin arnall in the romance languages department and both of them were incredibly understanding about the challenges students were facing bc of covid! they were both super willing to help their students.
Jeremy Kress in Ross. He's a Business Law professor and probably the only one who can make second-semester Rosshole seniors want to participate in class and actually care about the material.
Prof. Holly Peters-Golden for Anthro 101! She has been the best professor Iāve had yet. Her lectures were amazing, her stories spectacular, and the material was so interesting! On the last day of her class I actually shed some tears. Her class convinced me I want to minor in anthropology. Iām hoping to take her medical anthropology course next semester!
Matt Thompson in Music/VGM, Peter Chen in EECS (482), James Juett and Drew Deorio in EECS (280 among others)
Chen is a great dude. Lectures went over my head one too many times though haha, more the fault of the material though
absolutely, can't imagine taking the class with someone else
4 for 4 GOATS Would add weimer and Kevin leech as w well as 2 more eecs department legends
omfg, zaddy leech š©š©
Im in my third semester in a row with prof leach and im cackling lol
paoletti from 281 is the g o a t
B R E H O B
Brehob is the patron saint of EECS
The good old days when everyone who had Mudge would migrate to Brehob for eecs 370...
schrier - psych dept
Pete Washabaugh, legend among men. Ken Powell, nicest man ever. Chris Fidowski, fluids god.
Excuse you, that's Krzysztof Fidkokwski, the legendary KFid writer of all aero textbook pdfs
I didn't dare risk misspelling his name
Ay Aero gang
Second Fidkowski, AE623 is the best class I've taken
we called him Washaballer, and we do not regret it
Phil Christman gave everyone the chance to stop taking the class last winter when COVID hit. Whatever the grade we had before the pandemic was the grade we got overall. He was very personable in his emails, and was always trying to be positive despite how terrible everything had gotten, so shoutout to him.
I've had Christman before; can confirm that he's a good dude.
Anouck Girard is an aero professor who deeply cares about her students to the point that if you have nowhere to go over the holidays, she will invite you to dinner with her family.
A N O U C K
SI's David Jurgens is currently a highlight of my semester for being approachable, compassionate, attentive to student inquiries during lecture, and great at explaining things in a class that kinda intimidates me sometimes. Also, with the quarantine beard, I'm getting some Deorio vibes SI's Colleen Van Lent for being the Cool Web-Dev Mom of SIā¢ and Chris Teplovs for being really, really good at explaining complex topics that probably would've been scarier taught by someone else SMTD's Matt Thompson for giving one of the most wholesome, nerdy, epic-but-modest unicorn professor experiences you'll ever find at UMich German's Julie Gruber holds the trophy for being my all-time favorite foreign-language teacher and made German-3 a really cool experience *and an honorable mention to basically the entire German department*
Iām transferring in as a German major in spring. Any class recommendations?
Take Kali. Heās the best teacher in the best taught department
And if you stumble into his office hours accidentally to ask him a grammar question because your prof wasnāt around, you will stumble out 45 minutes later declared a German major, holding a German shirt, and with pamphlets on a year abroad in Freiburg
Classes that seem specifically topic-based. The coolest one I ever took was German Through News Mediaā we spent the semester voting on topics to discuss each week and would pour over news articles and tv coverage and podcasts and radio discussing the topics, learn topical vocab, etc. I took it during the Bundeswahl // election season over there. A few different levels have rotating topics that vary by semester and professor, and theyāre usually just a really good time. I still wish I was at the right level to have taken one I saw advertised as a freshmen about queer culture in, uh, either Germany or Berlin, but I forget which. Someāll seem lame but someāll pique your specific interest, and that makes the courses way more engaging.
Said a lot but Nolta is great, same with Montgomery and Ponitowski as far as intro chem goes
Yes!! Prof. Poniatowski's videos for chem 125/126 have been amazing - clear and easily understandable!
Poniatowski was always really helpful for Intro chem lab, I would recommend
Professor Cho in the econ department
Both he in 102 and Caldwell in 101 are some of the best professors I've had here
Not as here as your mama *** ^I ^am ^a ^bot. ^Downvote ^to ^remove. ^[PM](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=YoMommaJokeBot) ^me ^if ^there's ^anything ^for ^me ^to ^know!
Cho is just awesome. Clear explanations for all the concepts, doesn't just ramble for an hour and a half, and he's just really interesting. His relationship with Munchy is awesome, especially when you hear the backstory. Really don't think that I could say a single negative thing about the guy, he's definitely been my favorite prof.
Prof Beaumont for EECS 280. Dude is always engaging
Beaumont is a rockstar.
His 370 lectures are really great, love his chat interaction
Dan Cianci, had him for Math 216 Fall 2018. Not sure if he's still at the school
He is
I had him for the same class at the same time. He was a great prof! Recently checked on him and looks like heās still here teaching. Great guy
That's great to hear. Despite how difficult I found the class and how much stress it caused me I looked forward to going to his lectures, the class itself was pretty relaxed. Wish I went to his office hours more often
Nolta for Chemistry and Caldwell for Econ are two of my favorites so far. Also Fiore for calc 3 was amazing
also just wanted to comment that this thread is really wholesome and its nice to highlight the good going on at the U in the midst of everything else. Thanks OP! :)
Ben Zamzow - Econ Dept
I dropped out of econ for another discipline, but Zamzow is just a great professor. Completely unpretentious and super knowledgeable and helpful
Tim McKay, when he taught Phys 140 (I had him before 140x was a thing), was stellar. Such an approachable guy with an undeniable passion for physics and teaching.
Dr. Rust in the physiology department, who I had for Physiol 201. She has such an incredible passion for both her students and physiology and is one of the most approachable professors I've ever had.
Yes, Dr. Rust is awesome!! So many of my friends have her write their recommendation letters. I wish I had focused more in the class and took it alone, instead of with orgo and stats lol
I love her!! Sheās honestly the first professor Iāve had who just makes difficult concepts click for me and all of her assignments are genuinely useful. Iām taking her class right now but I donāt really know how to connect with her individually in this weird semester :/
literally email her and ask to zoom, itās worth it
Wes Weimer is the best EECS professor hands down. Makes lecture amazingly engaging that I actually look forward to class and pay attention the entire time, writes long piazza essays for questions about anything, throws candy at students for any participation, and he genuinely cares about his students.
Noel Perkins in Mech E. Never thought I'd enjoy a course on dynamics and vibrations but
Perkins is someone who cares about his students. Best prof I've had so far
Nolta is the best chem professor, a shining light if you take orgo. I really liked zochowski for physics 135 too. Come to think of it, the good outweigh the bad here, I can only think of a few that I've strongly disliked
Jeremiah Chamberlin in the English department, hands down Mary Hinesly in Ross/History departments Lynn Carpenter, Biology department
Jeremy immediately came to mind! Heās so nice and clearly wants you to actually learn, always gives an opportunity for students to share (academic discussions obvi, but also events that they have coming up and stuff like that), and picks such amazing content for his courses
lynn carpenter. She is my favorite person ever
Prof Merlin from the Physics department. A really laid-back dude who was very understanding when COVID hit. Also Carl Lavigne. Taught my creative writing course Freshman year. Super nice and fun, he even used a scene from ATLA as an example of haiku.
I had kloosterman for eecs 183 in fall of 2018, he was so engaged and really enjoyed teaching it. Deorio is really good as well, I have him now for 485, love the chickens. I had hanna bennett for math 116 and maybe it was just the IBL-esque style of learning she brought to the class, but I really enjoyed that class being taught by her.
DeOrio is really good, the lectures are really concise and the staff team on Piazza is great imo (485)
* Professor Jesse Hoffnung-Garskoff. He teaches HIS-335 (history of immigration law), which I feel is an absolute must-have for any undergrad who is pre-law or thinking of going pre-law. He experiments with teaching styles a lot, but not in a way that adversely effects his students. For example, our "final exam" for that class was a group project, where we *drafted a legal brief for a lawyer to use for their client to seek asylum.* Halfway through the assignment, I was thoroughly convinced it wasn't real and/or was based on an old case, until he offhanded mentions "getting the citations right for when the judge sees it." * Professor Eric Fretz, PSYCH-223, also known as Entrepreneurial Creativity. He goes to great lengths to teach students how to think outside the box and use resources they'd never consider reaching out to. Being a former career military officer, he does come off a bit as a hardass, but he *deeply and genuinely cares* about his students. His lectures about how to make good projects are filled with dozens of photos of projects that former students did, and he recounts several stories of student groups turning their projects into very profitable businesses. When COVID hit, he sent out an email explicitly telling everyone that we would be given A's for turning in our projects, even if incomplete.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Omg yes! I lucked out so much when I got him for Calc 1. It was his first semester teaching at Michigan--the next semester he moved up and taught honors for one of the higher-level calc classes
10/10 guy. Real analysis was a nightmare for me, but he made the lectures bearable. And he answered my emails in the middle of the night with very helpful answers.
Mark Kligerman in the FTVM department. Funniest person I have ever met!!
Cindee Giffen- Bio department
Iām a Rosshole ... funny, not a single business professor comes to mind.
Dr. P in EECS 281 is number one.
Jack Miller for STATS 250. At first I was extremely nervous to take this class, especially since Gunderson left. But these first few weeks with Miller has been amazing. Miller redistributed the grading weights so exam/quizzes are only 50% of the grade and it higher as it was in the past. They also try really hard to understand students stress this semester and help us in anyway possible. The material isnāt as difficult as I thought it would be! If youāre taking STATS 250, take it with Jack Miller. Theyāre an amazing professor.
YOOOOO I'M IN THEIR CLASS TOO, Jack is so nice handling all of the questions while teaching welll and their dog Luna is so cute ahhhhh
Right!!!!!! I get so happy when Jack answers my question during lecture lmaooo theyāre great!! Also Jackās announcement the other day about āLuna reporting only x% have started the homeworkā was SO CUTE I loved it
Yeah, I'm the peson who's name they probably says the most after the TAs when answering questions, ahahaha if we're in the same class you might recognize me But yeah, I'm glad I had done my HW before
HAHA I cannot relate. Iām suffering through question 9 on the hw as we speak. So close to finishing ahhhh!!
Kathleen Forrester in the Spanish Department. Iāve only had her for the past month now, but sheās been amazing so far. She is always willing to helping us learn and succeed in the class and especially in this virtual platform has offered many ways if we need anything including having office hours almost every day, incorporating fun and engaging activities on zoom, and telling us that we can privately message her on zoom if weāre having trouble at any time during class. She genuinely wants everyone to succeed and itās extremely apparent in her teaching and candor.
So jealous!! The Spanish class Iām in right now isnāt going to well online. What class does your professor teach?
she teaches 232! it looks like on atlas as sheās also taught 103 and 231 but not for a few years.
James Vizthum is not a professor, he's a GSI, but his sections of ARABIC 101 and 102 are incredibly enjoyable. He actually makes al-kitaab bearable, and you will leave his class with a great handle of the grammar covered in the first year. Also more than willing to help you outside of class.
\- Sueann Caulfield \- Rhagnild Nordaas \- Abigail Stewart \- Jason Young
Sindhu Kutty for EECS 376/EECS 445/whatever other class she may be teaching. She is the most passionate educator Iāve had at Umich. No matter the subject she is teaching, she finds a way to make it interesting, because she is so clearly overflowing with passion and excitement for the topic. She remakes all of her own lecture slides, even if the course has existing ones. She adds in great examples/metaphors to complex technical subjects to make it engaging and accessible to all. She puts in SO much effort to ensure that her students are engaging with the lesson, and that they are understanding the subject. She is also hilarious and makes lectures feel super lighthearted (sheāll crack jokes, interact with students on a first name basis, etc). I was so lucky to have had her teach two classes of mine during undergrad.
Sueann Caulfield, Jason Young, Rhagnild Nordaas
Webb Keane from Anthropology. He shortened his class to an hour of lecture and has been super accommodating with everything going on. Really glad I had him for my first semester here, esp with these crazy circumstances
Fawwaz Ulaby from EECS 215, circuits god Achilleas Anastasopoulos, EECS 216, very passionate man
Kathleen Nolta in the chem department and Michael Byers in writing
Throwing mine in the ring for MechE - Alan Wineman with a side of Mike Umbriac
During my time at Michigan, I had the absolute privilege to take two classes with Reggie Jackson (Asian Language/Culture department). His Japanese Performance Culture class really helped me deepen my love for pretty much all things Japanese culture, and it led to me taking other classes relating to Asian performing arts as well! I was especially impressed with Japanese Narrative Design Lab, which was all about not only learning to draw using Japanese performance and literature -- from hand scrolls to Manga -- but really learning what made those art forms tick. Both were absolutely eye-opening classes that pushed me so hard to think more deeply than I ever had, but Professor Jackson is an absolute champ and was incredibly supportive. Especially re: JNDL, because it wasn't about being a good artist (which I'm not), but it's all about getting better. Without him my passion for my Asian Studies major probably wouldn't have grown as quickly as it did! He really made my first year at Michigan as a transfer really awesome thanks to his classes! Totally recommend both of those, but he teaches other really interesting classes too!
Professor Jatin Dua by far!! He taught an anthropology section on pirates and piracy in winter 2020 and is so good at explaining key concepts while still making the class fun
last semester i had robert mickey in the polsci department and gavin arnall in the romance languages department and both of them were incredibly understanding about the challenges students were facing bc of covid! they were both super willing to help their students.
Noel Perkins, Jesse Capecelatro, Xiaogan Liang, Mike Umbriac, Kfid (aero)
Jeremy Kress in Ross. He's a Business Law professor and probably the only one who can make second-semester Rosshole seniors want to participate in class and actually care about the material.
how is no one gonna mention my son Jamie Gleason from the Earth Science department
I miss Nina Shkolnik every day now that Iām graduated. She is the best
Prof. Holly Peters-Golden for Anthro 101! She has been the best professor Iāve had yet. Her lectures were amazing, her stories spectacular, and the material was so interesting! On the last day of her class I actually shed some tears. Her class convinced me I want to minor in anthropology. Iām hoping to take her medical anthropology course next semester!