Physics

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Beichner
Py205

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) John Blonding
Py414/415

• Spring 98 "Dr. Blondin knows and can explain the material really well, although he can sometimes get tied up in the math. His tests were hard and extremely long, but he graded fair. If you did the homeworks, then you were in pretty good shape. Great about giving assistance during office hours, he was always there and always willing to help. If you were borderline at the end of the semester, he was willing to give the push you needed. Unless you blew off the homework, then just dream on. I give him a "4"."
• Spring 99 py414 "My grade in the class was A.
  Dr. Blondin is a great teacher; he really knows the material and does an excellent job clearly explaining non-trivial concepts, plus he's funny as hell and a real nice guy. Tests tend to be pretty tough, as is homework, so don't expect to breeze through, but do expect him to do all he can to help you. Take him if you get the chance."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Scott Bonham
Py208

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Brown
Py205

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Grover C. Cobb
Py205 & Py208

"The best physics teacher!"


• "Somewhat entertaining, and he knows what he's doing. No sitting there half the class"
  
• "While a grad student tries to remember how to do a 205 problem come review in his class and people from other classes show up for his test review"
• "Mr. Cobb is very good. He has an answer for everything you ask and doesn't require homework or attendence... occasional pop quizzes though."
• "Has good in class examples and preparation for tests but not too receptive to tardiness or late HW. Occasionaly rude"
• 208"He likes to tell a lot of stories and goes off on a tangent a lot of the time. He also is not very helpful, I could not find a physics 208 book anywhere. Leave it to our school to use a book that is no longer in printing. I asked him if there was any way possible he could try to get me a book and he said that he only has one book and that was his. Then turned away from me like I wasn't there and started talking to some other students."
• Py223 "I understand that GC Cobb is excellent for 205/208. However, he is rather mediocre for astronomy. Even though it fascinates him, he rambles on and on about nothing and everything. I noticed that numerous students' minds were further out in space than the planets he talked about. He makes it sound like you'll have no problem on the tests if you have a basic understanding of the material then he gets you with tricky multiple choice questions that you'll get wrong unless you know what is going on in his mind when he makes the questions up."
• Spring 98 "Dr. Cobb is very unhelpful and unresponsive. I had to resolve an incomplete that I received in his class due to a car accident. He was completely unresponsive, and practically refused to return my phone calls. I have had to get other members of the physics department to help me whenever I've need to reach him. I've had to file two extentions on the incomplete because he was not returning any calls or email, and now that I've completed the requirements he asked of me to resolve the incomplete, he hasn't turned in the grade. And the incomplete could be turned to an F again. I never thought he was especially helpful when I originally was in his class and the fact that I have had to constantly call other members of the physics department just to get him to do his job is rediculous. Everyone tells me he's so great about helping his students, and I just want to laugh. He has been drastically affecting my GPA because every time my incomplete lapses, it turns to an F, and my classes get dropped. What he could do better is be more responsive to his students. When your voice mail box is so full noone else can leave messages, maybe you could try replying to some of them. "

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Dr. Cook
Py205

• "ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....I slept and slept. I suggest another teacher "
• "Dr. Cook requires very little of the student other than completing assigned homeworks. There are weekly quizzes taken directly from the assignments. None of the test questions is any harder than the homework. Dr. Cook welcomes questions and is always willing to provide extra help to any student. Follow his instructions and recommendations and you'll make the grade!"
• py205 "He is as dull as a stick of butter and he can't teach, what he teaches looks nothing like the test, don't take him."
• Spring 98 "My grade in the class was B+.
  He seems to love physics but cannot teach it at all. No matter how much caffeine you have in your system, plan on sleeping through this one. He is willing to talk with you after class; do this at least once, he remembers who you are. If you do end up taking this section, a word to the wise: when he says "0.61" he means 0.061, and vice-versa."
• Spring 98 "My grade in the class was A-.
  All he does in class is derive the formulas in the book, do some lame experiments, and make you work problems. The problems help, but the derivations do not. I wouldn't have minded his class if he hadn't taken attendance."
• PY205, 1999, I give this teacher a 1 out of 4, my grade in the class was C.
  "Dr. Cook is an interesting case to say the very least. Although he completely understands just about everything there is to know about Physics, he just can't seem to teach it! This class is DEFINITELY a sleeper so be prepared to snooze! Quite frankly the only reason to attend class is to get his "bonus points" for examples that he gives in class. A Good hint for anyone willing to go through his boring class; just get your notes off his website. That way you won't miss anything while you sleep. Also be prepared for some TOUGH TESTS! I expect a C or C- in the class and other than this class I have all A+'s. The worse part is the tests, they really do suck. Good luck!"

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) R.A. Egler
Py223

• "He is an entertaining professor that really makes stars pretty intersting!!!"
• Py 124 "Dr. Egler is the best professor I have had so far. He is a superb lecturer and his tests are reflective of the material covered in class. If you come to class and take good notes, you will not even need the book to Ace the class. (Highly recommended)"
• Fall97 "very good teacher, tells many bad jokes, tests relativly easy"

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) John L. Hubisz
Py208

• "Hubiscz has been teaching for a long, long time. He knows his stuff, and it shows. His lectures are always interesting and enjoyable (I just don't like the group cooperation stuff he sometimes does). He concentrates on teaching critical thinking skills, so if you don't like thinking and dissecting concepts, take someone else. This man probably has the most real-world intelligence (read: wisdom) of anyone I have ever met."
• Fall98 "My grade in the class was B.
  Very smart man. He doesn't teach too much. The only way you will learn in the class is to ASK QUESTIONS. Do the homework ahead of time and if you have a Question when he asks, "Any Questions", all you have to do is raise your hand. He will help you, but you have to help him, help you."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Chris Hughes
Py205

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Charles E. Johnson
Py203

• "I did not take the class, but my friend, who is classified as a disabled student, did. Johnson, without any kind of provoking or aggravation from my friend, went so far as to tell them that they shouldn't be a physics major because of their handicap. And Johnson still indirectly harasses them (via their current teacher) today. A horrible, horrible man"
• Fall97 PY205H "Incredibly hard tests. In an honors class with about 15 people in it the average grade was generally about a 50 or 60 or so... he was fairly generous with partial credit, and boy do you need it. Explains a concept with a trivial example, gives a sort of hard problem for homework, and pulls some abstract problem out of the air for the test."
• Class : PY208H, I took the class in Spring99. I give this teacher a 3 out of 4, my grade in the class was A.
  "Tests are very hard. Even with a allowable cheat sheet and all honors students, the class average was an 80. He is very organized but sometimes you cannot understand how he magically brings up the formula. You must be good at guessing on multiple choice questions. You can make or break yourself on the multiple choice questions on his tests. He gives homework every single day and seems very demanding.\ But most importantly he has an incredible curve. I got an 80 on the final common exam and had an 88/87 average before"
• Class : PY 208H, I took the class in Spring1999, . I give this teacher a 2 out of 4, my grade in the class was A.
  "This guy is a rat bastard. he lies to the class about the things he is going to do. the in class homework that he gives is worth 1 out of the total 100 points. his tests are hard as crap and the curve average is about a b."
• Class : PY208H, I took the class in Spring1999. I give this teacher a 0 out of 4, my grade in the class was B.
  "Johnson's teaching style is very poor. He excludes any content in the class that pertains to how to apply the equations to problems and examples. His tests do not reflect the problems he gives as homework or any examples he might accidentally give during class."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Karen L. Johnston
Py131

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) J Krim
Py205

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Chung, Kwong T.
Py208

• "He cares and is good"
• "His English is somewhat broken, but if you copy what he writes on the board, you'll have a good study guide for the test. Also he works old tests on the day of the test."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Gerald H Katzin
Py 208,205

• "the most boring teacher I've ever had.. I'm an A/B student and had never fallen asleep in class before his."
• Py205 "Nice old man, but past his prime for teaching Physics... Don't take him unless you like teaching yourself."
• Spring 98 Py205 "My grade in the class was B.
  I am not sure why the others give him a bad rap. I am retaking the course after having Eric Swanson (aweful teacher). This\ guy has VERY organized notes and knows his stuff. Although he may go into prooving an equation that is not necessary, you can ignore that and highlight the important stuff. He also picks out great examples that resemble test questions much more so than the book. 8 out of 10"

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Fred Lado
Py 208

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Eugene Li
Py 205

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Lucovsky
Py 211

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Richard Mowat
Py 205/208

• "Why bother going to class, just read the book, he teaches straight from it! Questions?? Keep them to yourself! Improvement during the semester doesn't matter, he'll still fail you."
• "He is an awful teacher and shows students little respect"
• Py205/208,411,500 "I am a physics major and I can say he is one of the worst instructors in the department. He treats students with contempt and even borders on being rude. Dr. Mowat refuses or is incapable of answering questions and when he does do so he is condescending and accusing of any performance that is less than perfect. I don't recommend him as a teacher strictly based on his sour attitude and his persistant inability to convey ideas when inquiries are made. Take my word for it I am a physics major."
• Spring98, Py411,412 "Dr. Mowat explained the material very well. He would sometimes get upset when people asked really long (or just stupid) questions in class (one guy wanted proof that everything we had done was "mathematically rigorous"), but I think this was because he had a very large amount of material to cover. (The class was pretty intensive.) If you went to his office with questions then he would gladly help you, explaining the material again if you needed it. (He didn't like it when people blew off the homework assignments, though.) He was very understanding, I learned a *lot* about classical mechanics in his class, and overall thought that he was a great professor. Just don't expect an easy A, you'll get the grade that you earn. Put forth some effort, and you'll get a lot out of the class."
• Spring98, Py401/2 "My grade in the class was A.
  He is hard, but a good teacher. He really makes you think, and I learned a lot in his class. Unless you are a slacker, then I would recommend him for any class. If you are a slacker and don't want to do any work, then change majors."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Robert J. Nemanich
Py 205/208

• "Interesting and challenging"
• "Not great, but not terrible. Seems more interested in his research, but give him a chance."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Michael A. Paesler
Py205

• "He sucks. You sit there half the class wondering what he is talking about. My friends went to class to be counted present, but did homework the whole time."
• "I like him so far for PY208. He is one of those geeky science guys that gets excited about physics. He seems interesting and I don't fall asleep in there."
• "He is a geninuinly nice person, just not a good teacher. He makes way too many mistakes in class, makes no effort to get to know his students on a personal basis, and is downright lousy. The only example problems he works are the ones in the book. Most of us can read..."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) George W. Parker
Py205/208

• "He is the worst teacher I have ever had in my life. We learn NOTHING in class until the day of the test, and by then it is too little too late."
• "The ABSOLUTE worse professor available in the physics department! This is no silly warning, WATCH OUT!!!"
• Fall97,Py208 "Dr Parker's problem is he doesn't teach as much as he just sits there and watches you work problems. Typical class consists of him talking about some concept for 15 minutes and then watching you work problems for 35 minutes. He seems to teach how to "plug and chug" more than any actual understanding of physics. Bottom line, don't take him."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Patty
Py205/208

• "He is very helpful to his students. He is also very thorough in his teaching."
• "Had him for a sub for two days in 205 explained clearly, definitively, and understandably in 5 minutes what had taken the regular prof three days to even form an idea. I would recomend him for 205 just going on his performnce on those two days."
• Spring99 "My grade in the class was B.
  Does some GREAT Physics demos, nice guy, tells lots of stories about him breaking lab equipment. Fun class. Even at 8am. Works lots of down-to-earth and real-world examples too."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Rieg
Py205

• "Class : PY205, Fall 1998 . I give this teacher a 4 out of 4, my grade in the class was A-.
  Prof. Rieg is my favorite instructor so far. Her notes are clear and her lectures are easy to understand. She fully prepared students for the test and was enthusiastic and seemed happy to see us. The only minor complaint I had was that she gave a final project to do with a partner, but it wasn't so bad. If you can get her class, take it!"
• Class : PY205, Fall, 1998 . I give this teacher a 3 out of 4, my grade in the class was C.
  "Good teacher, I had the class at 9:10 so it was hard to make it. She has a good sense of humor and enjoys teaching. I wished she had more demos. Tests were easy, webassign was a pain. Attendence is mandatory, but it is only used if you are on a borderline grade. The PY205 department gives a curve."
• Class : PY205, Fall98. I give this teacher a 4 out of 4, my grade in the class was A-.
  Enthusiastic and intelligent. Makes physics interesting... She was my female role model for a while. She could be yours too! Take this class and learn some physics. The only thing that bugged me was that she gave a project at the end of the class. It was a pain... but overall, the class was great."

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) John S. Risley
Py205H

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Chris Roland
Py525

• Spring98 "Horrible prof! This was supposed to be an _introductory_ class, but that is not how it was taught. He expected everybody to be proficient programmers even though programming was not a prerequisite. The homeworks were extremely long, and the grading was very rigid. Office hours were sporadic at best, and when he was there and was also willing to talk to you (these two didn't happen often), he couldn't provide any help! He did seem to know the material well, but he couldn't convey that knowledge to the students, and didn't even try to teach it at a level that was appropriate for the course. I didn't learn anything in the class (except that time dilation does happen, this class was actual proof of that), and it almost completely killed my interest in Computational Physics. Don't take this course if he is teaching it, you would learn more by taking Ma 427 or CSC 302."
• Spring98 "My grade in the class was B.
  This guy sucked. Don't take his class if you aren't a master programmer, you won't learn anything. Office hours? Don't bother, he won't help you. Pleasepleaseplease find somebody else to teach this class!"

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Saul
Py208

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) JF Schetzina
Py205H

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) Dr. Swanson
Py208

4 (excellent) 3 (good) 2 (yeah) 1 (pooa!) 0 (you suck!) D. Ronald Tilley
Py 208H

.