Favorite Professor

Cyclone06 · 06-12-2008, 02:09 PM

Apparently not too many were lucky enough to have Jack Blanshan (Acct 215 and TransLog 360). What an intelligent man that still knew how to have a good time. The only two classes which I made it to every lecture were his. I think on some days the class had more people than seats.

In a close second is Anne Clem. She knows how to teach in a way that keeps you involved and interested. Eventhough it was advanced accounting, I always looked forward to that class. Probably the most I got out of any of them in my years in Ames.

And I cannot not include Marv Bouillon or Sue Ravenscroft. Both are definetely huge assets to the Accounting Dept at ISU.

CyGal · 06-12-2008, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

Wow - I'm surprised no one mentioned Anne Clem from Accounting.

I never had Clem, but a friend of mine really liked her.

Originally Posted by Ficklone02

Jack Blanshan was a good lecturer, and was always good for some laughs.

I forgot about Jack. He was really a great teacher. It was a class I hated, but he made it worth it to wake up early in the summer for 4 weeks in a row.

cycloneryan · 06-12-2008, 02:41 PM

Dirk Deam was awesome. He is a political science professor. He is fairly tough but his classes make you think like no other professor did at ISU. Amazingly smart too. I think he was an aerospace engineer before he went to law school.

woodie · 06-12-2008, 03:05 PM

dr harold nichols.

SpRiNgLiMe · 06-12-2008, 03:15 PM

1a.) Rajesh Singh - Econ 353, he has great insight on the international systems

1b.) Fred Choobineh - MIS 330 as said before he is very funny, he asks students to go FAC with him, "I show you real good martini." best quote from him was, "You come FAC with me, and those of you underage, bring your false identification."

3.) Brent Kreider - if you have to take micro economics (Econ 101)

jahfg · 06-12-2008, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

What did you have Brottman for jahfg?

Someone to run away from if you're caught in his Lit Crit and Theory class: Carl Herndl. What a dick. Made everyone in the class feel like morons because we're 20 and when he was 20, he was two years away from his phd. I just stopped going to class after a while, took the F and told him that it wasn't worth my time to take the final. His response was that he wasn't teaching that class in the fall. Happiest day of the semester.

I had Brottman for Eng 220 American Lit an Eng 339 Lit Crit and Theory. He can be intimidating but he is a brilliant man and I appreciated how he challenged us as students.

My favorite discussion:

Brottman: Have any of you read Finnegan's Wake?

(no one says anything)

Brottman: Well there are some amazing puns in that book but you will probably have to light up a dooby to make the connections.

uro cy · 06-12-2008, 03:25 PM

Wow...great thread!!!

I finished in '95, and I don't feel that old.....but I don't recognize a single person on this list....I guess thats what I get for majoring in biochem....

Any biochem majors out there....? (crickets chirping...)

travman23 · 06-12-2008, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by SpRiNgLiMe

1b.) Fred Choobineh - MIS 330 as said before he is very funny, he asks students to go FAC with him, "I show you real good martini." best quote from him was, "You come FAC with me, and those of you underage, bring your false identification."

Ha! Fred used "hacked ID" once too. For a FAC he put up an overhead that said something like "C:\iowa\ames\welch_ave\cys_roost\fac\5pm" "to gain access will need to have valid or hacked ID"

He then said something like "Don't go putting this into your computer, I have student that said 'Fred I put in computer but cannot find it.' If you get it we see you there." Too bad I had his class Freshman year when I couldn't go to the bars.

Angie · 06-12-2008, 03:56 PM

Neal Bowers (I think that's how you spell his name) in the English department was awesome.

IcSyU · 06-12-2008, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by travman23

Ha! Fred used "hacked ID" once too. For a FAC he put up an overhead that said something like "C:\iowa\ames\welch_ave\cys_roost\fac\5pm" "to gain access will need to have valid or hacked ID"

He then said something like "Don't go putting this into your computer, I have student that said 'Fred I put in computer but cannot find it.' If you get it we see you there." Too bad I had his class Freshman year when I couldn't go to the bars.

This sucks! I have him in the fall and will only be 19

cyclon · 06-12-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by ColoradoClone

I took a EE class for non EE majors taught by some guy that kind of looked like a muppet. I think his name was Bartlett, or Barret, or something. He talked about music a lot, and speakers, and all the engineering related to that, and somewhere about halfway through the semeseter he threw out the engineering. He said we weren't doube E's, so we'd never need that stuff anyway and instead he talked about interviewing skills, how to answer certain questions that all interviewers asked, how to negotiate job offers, etc. Turned out to be one of the most important classes I took at ISU.

By the way, during the Engineering portion of this class, I don't think anyone ever scored above 50% on his tests. Man they were hard. The nice thing was, the last day of class he called people up individually to show them their grade in his book. I went up and he pointed to the B next to my name. I kind of sighed and said "ok" and he said, "Hang on, how's this" and he erased the B and penciled in an A.

I totally had Bartlett as well and man what a character. Needless to say he isn't teaching that class anymore and probably any classes. He used to bring in his guitar and play during the test. He always told us his informal office hours were Sunday after 9 pm at the Bali Satay, where he played during open mic.

CrossCyed · 06-12-2008, 05:02 PM

Steffen Schmidt and Russ McCulloch

superdorf · 06-12-2008, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by 247cy

Dr. Charles T. Wright, Computer Engineering. Explained interrupts with a parable about his wife making him a sandwich. Sadly he died in a car accident near Eldora in 2000 my senior year at ISU.

I also remember a similar lecture on logic gates that involved installing a 3-way light switch...

He would install it one-way and the light would always stay on, and that didn't bother him, but it was unacceptable to his wife... so he would install it another way, and the lecture would continue.

He was great!

isucyfan · 06-12-2008, 05:09 PM

Corly Petersen- taught Human Sexuality (popular class on campus) and Child Dev. classes

I can't remember his name, but my English Lit prof thoroughly impressed me when Martin Jischke was a member of our class because someone in the class won the "Trade Places with the President" contest. We happened to be discussing DH Lawrence's short story "The Rocking Horse Boy", which had numerous uncomfortable sexual undertones, and the prof didn't alter ANYTHING because of Jischke. I always admired that. Jischke just sat there and uncomfortably took notes.

edit: I see that now she is Corly Brooke.

The_Architect · 06-12-2008, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by travman23

I graduated in 2002 but here's some that still might be around and have already been discussed:

As for a couple prof I would avoid like the plague:

Anada Weerasinghe (Math)

The ONLY class I have EVER failed at any level. His teaching methods suck, you can't understand him, and even the TA's for his classes will tell you his ways suck and will show you better ways to do the material.

QFT!!!!!!!!!!!! I could not understand a word he said!