Best UM teacher

Submitted by uniqenam on

Since the other threads on classes are so popular, I have to nominate one about the best professors that you had at UM.

I'll have to nominate Dr. Cameron for Great Books (although I hated the class) and Gavin LaRose for Calc III.

03 Blue 07

February 9th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^

I took Lassiter and the gentleman who taught History of US Wars (his name escapes me, but someone mentioned him above) and I thought they were both solid.

However, my two faves in Poli Sci and overall (I graduated in 2003) were:

1. Jeff Bernstein- He was a U of M alum who also taught at EMU and was a great teacher. I took multiple classes with him, and asked him why he didn't think he was on tenure track at U of M. Unfortunately, he was a great professor-as-instructor, and was more interested in this than writing/publishing. I believe he got the Golden Apple while he was at U of M (or at least the Poli Sci department's version of it). I had him for a few American Politics classes, including Poli Sci 499- Quantitative Analysis in Politics, which was essentially stats. Always entertaining, friendly, cared about his students.

1a. Mika Lavaque-Manty- He was/is a Scandinavian with an accent who I took for Poli Sci 409, which was Advanced Political Theory. Given the fact that I was lazy in college and really was only interested in American politics at the time as a discipline, I give this man serious kudos, as his class ended up being my favorite at U of M. He was brilliant and had an excellent way of relating theory to real-life. I learned an incredible amount in his class and found myself actually thinking about what we'd been discussing in class far more in daily life than any other class. I thought he was an outstanding teacher and very intelligent.

I am fairly certain Mr. Bernstein is no longer at U of M, as he was a visiting professor. Mr. Lavaque-Manty was still there 4 years ago, but I am not sure if he still is.

Also, anyone who had Hanes Walton for Poli Sci 111 would probably have to admit that he was highly entertaining and at least thought-provoking as an instructor when you're an 18 year-old fresh out of high school.

wishitwas97

February 9th, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^

are already mentioned. The best Econ professor that I've had is Bachmann from Econ 402. He's not only bright but he can actually teach. His lecture is very detailed and you don't need textbook(yay for money savings!!!). He knows how to integrate math and concepts at the same time into ways that we can understand.

Sure Econ 402 is a lot of work but I did well because of Bachmann. I'm not sure if I can survive Econ 402 with different professor.

Bando Calrissian

February 10th, 2010 at 12:01 AM ^

The more I think about it, the more I realize that a lot of the best teachers I had at Michigan weren't even professors. And most all of them either weren't retained or found full-time positions elsewhere. Robert Greene for 20th Century Russian History, Matthew Herbst for Eastern Christianity, Ken Mikolowski (who is apparently -still- a lecturer?), Leslie Stainton in the RC, John Bacon (who, I've heard, isn't teaching next year?)...

So many professors mailing it in on tenure, and the amazing classes are taught by one-and-done lecturers and post-docs. Academia never ceases to amaze.

spumich

February 14th, 2010 at 4:40 PM ^

She is in the english department and she was the best teacher I had at Michigan. I took freshman english with her and she really was a positive teacher that encouraged each of us to pursue what we wanted.

Kokko

February 14th, 2010 at 4:58 PM ^

I can't pin point a best most my profs haven't stood out in a good one, I have had a few bad ones with Mary Lou Dorf being the worst, she's a computer science professor

PackardChug

February 14th, 2010 at 11:23 PM ^

I took History 320: Great Britain, culture and politics 1901-1939 from her, and she was FANTASTIC. She was so unbelievably knowledgeable, sincere, enthusiastic and fair. Class isn't hard, but it isn't easy, you have to put your work in.

Vamos Azul

May 29th, 2010 at 4:27 PM ^

I feel a tad left out.  While I earned way more credits than I needed at U of M (2007), I never had the privilege of taking a class with even one of the aforementioned professors/lecturers.

My favorites:

Allen Hicken, Politics of South Eastern Asia: He made a class that i had little interest in one of my favorites and he looks just like one of the guys from the Canadian sketch comedy Kids in the Hall.

Maria Coolican, School of Ed: She was a great teacher!  Each class was useful and she truly cares about the well-being of her students!

DoubleMs

May 30th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^

In the order that I had them:

Jason Daida, Engin 100 - Brilliant, best engineering prof of all, hands down.

Kathleen Nolta, Chem 210 - I learned more in Orgo I than any other science.

David Potter, ClCiv 375/376 - Another brilliant guy. I actually did independent study under him for fun, you wouldn't believe the random encyclopedic knowledge he could pull out of nowhere.

Steve Kesler, GeoSci 380 - Taught one of the most applicable courses to the reality of the world that I ever took, 'Mineral Resources, Economics, and the Environment'. Retiring soon.

Max Shtein, MatSci 489 - Crazy Genius who knows way more than he should about everything. Can think circles around anyone else that I met in the engineering school. Taught a brilliant senior design.

MGoBender

May 30th, 2010 at 1:45 PM ^

I had a couple that have already been mentioned - Noble, Chen in EECS. 

Take SAC 236 - The Art of Film with Prof. Hubert Cohen.  The dude is awesome and the class is awsome.  It's being offered this fall and its the first time Cohen has taught it in a couple years.  I had it with him my Freshman year and it was amazing.

If you want to learn about how films are made and the artistic choices that go into making a movie, take this class, preferrably when Prof Cohen is teaching it.

Also had him for SAC 455 - Religion in film.  The last day of class he decided that he had seen enough of our writing and that a final wasn't really necessary.  Needless to say, nobody objected.