Physics Upper Division, Spring 2008

Physics 100, Communicating Physics and Physical Science
Roger Falcone, F 130-330, 150 LHS
“I thought that he was a pretty good lecturer. Most peopel thoguth he was super easy because they took physics in high school, and never went to lecture. He sometimes goes into tangents, but overall, his tests are fair, gives tons of partial credit, and as long as you try to keep up in class, you’ll be able to do well in the class…Professor Falcone is pretty boring. But he totally has fake hands. Seriously. And grades easy…has a passion for physics and his demos are interesting. Tangents sometimes and loses concentration a bit, but overall he’s a great lecturer. His tests are pretty hard tho, but he gives tons of partial credit and his grading scale is excellent. makes physics fun and interesting.”
Text: Redundancy of Courage, the

Physics 105, Analytic Mechanics
Edgar Knobloch, MWF 8-9, 3 Evans
Avg GPA: 2.88, 35% A, 40% B, 9% C, 9% D, 7% F
No reviews.

Beate Heinemann TuTh 8-930, 9 Lewis
No reviews.
Texts: Classical Mechanics

Physics 110A, Electromagnetism and Optics
Mike Crommie, TuTh 930-11, 3 Evans
Avg GPA: 3.0, 33% A, B, C respectively
“He does not do a good job of choosing text books, or homework assignments, usually lectures are written at 2 am the night before the class. Nice guy, and helpful in office hours, but boardwork needs to improve.”
Texts: Introduction to Electrodynamics

Physics 110B, Electromagnetism and Optics
Mark Strovink, MWF 10-11, 180 Tan
Avg GPA: 3.26, 45% A, 43% B, 8% C, 4% F
“Does his job well, perhaps the best in the department. the most efficient in conveying knowledge. If he is teaching a classand you have the option of taking it, do so. However, do not take the class lightly. Grades to 7:8:5, meaning A(+0-);B(+0-);C,D,F…He prepares for lectures in ahead, and his HWs would surely lead students to understanding the materials he teaches. I was impressed his HWs more than his lecture although his lecture is very well organized with neat writings on a blackboard. By the way, you would not use the Optics book much, so you do not have to buy it if you don’t want it…Easily the best professor of my undergraduate career. Go talk to him in OH; he has plenty of entertaining (and usually applicable) stories. Very difficult conceptually, but you are trying to actually learn something, aren’t you?”
Texts: Introduction to Electrodynamics, Introduction to Optics

Physics 111, Modern Physics and Advanced Electrical Lab
Section 1: Joel Fajans, MTWTF 1-5, 286 LeConte
“He’s extremely arrogant, and very rarily in the lab. Thinks you’re an idiot. Will be happy to talk about his MIT education, but in reality i’m not very impressed with him.”
Texts: The Art of Electronics, Microelectronic Circuits: includes CD-ROM

Section 2: William Holzapfel & Yury Kolomensky, MTWTF 1-5, 283 LeConte
Holzapfel: “Very enthusiastic. Explains very good. Lecture’s are very organized and are a big help with the lab reports.”
Kolomensky: “Simply Amazing. He will go out of his way to help you.”
Texts: Experiments in Modern Physics, Second Edition, An Introduction to Error Analysis

Physics 112, Intro to Stat and Thermal Physics
Section 1: X Huang, MWF 8-9, 220 Wheeler
Avg GPA: 3.42; 50% A, 42% B, 8% C
No reviews.
Section 2: John Clarke, TuTh 8-930, 180 Tan
“Very nice guy and explains clearly to detail, his midterms were at about the same level as the homework so they were actually doable and they make you feel good about physics… but his final was unspeakably hard, feel like I could have a different evaluation because of the final…He is very clear and his lecture notes are very helpful. His tests are about the same as the homework level. A very insightful and fair professor.”
Avg GPA for upper-div: 34% A, 43% B, 16% C, 3% D & F each
Text: Thermal Physics (2nd Edition)

Physics 132, Contemporary Physics
Melvin Pomerantz, TuTh 930-11, 35 Evans
Avg GPA: 37% A, 36% B, 26% C, 1% F
“He is truly one of the most caring professors I’ve ever met at Cal. His class definitely emphasizes understanding the concepts rather than just knowing how to do problems. Focus on his powerpoint notes and he explains things very well in office hours. Overall, he is a wonderful old man – very genuine and kind…Perhaps the best professor I’ve had at Berkeley. The tests are not very hard. He puts half application problems, and half book problems on the test. As a person, he is an extremely caring and kind person. He truly cares about his students. If you’re going to take his class, I highly recommend getting to know him. He’s awesome!”
Text: Modern Physics

Physics 137A, Quantum Mechanics
Both sections: L Hall, MWF 9-10, 180 Tan; TuTh 930-11, 70 Evans
Average GPA: 39% A, 33% B, 26% C, 2% D
“He is fair and a great lecturer. Homeworks were very demanding each week, often 10-15 hours of work for a problem set. Tests were pretty hard. Overall a cool professor…He was an excellent professor in quantum mechanics; very clear, showed interest, and encouraged students to ask questions. There was never a dull moment in his class. He can be demanding; the final exam was the hardest test I’ve taken at Cal yet…He was an excellent professor in quantum mechanics; very clear, showed interest, and encouraged students to ask questions. There was never a dull moment in his class. He can be demanding; the final exam was the hardest test I’ve taken at Cal yet…An amazing lecturer. Heavily encourages questions during lecture and answers them as much as possible (within the time constraint). His exams can be difficult.”
Text: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition)

Physics 137B, Quantum Mechanics
Section 1: Richard Marrus, MWF 9-10, 70 Evans
Average GPA: 59% A, 29% B, 10% C, 2% F
“Amazing lecturer; rigorous presentation that is never vague or evasive. He is always accurate with things and he’s nice and funny. (His stories are some of the funniest I had ever heard.) Midterms and final were challenging, but at the same time very doable and very fair. It simply entailed much independent studying…He was a decent teacher, but if you asked a good question, his response during class was usually “you don’t want to ask that”…Marrus is a nice old guy, he curves generously. He does have trouble answering questions in a manner that is easy to understand, and in understanding the questions from the students. Mostly he has trouble coming down to the level of the students…”
Text: Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition)

Section 2: Charles Wohl, TuTh 930-11, 9 Lewis
Average GPA in 137B: 2.9; 36% A, 36% B, 18% C, 3% D, 8% F
“Overall, good professor and decent lecturer. It is sometimes difficult to follow what point he is trying to make, but he makes a good effort to address every student’s questions. Also, he wrote AWESOME lecture notes for this class – it helped a lot to read them beforehand, and then go to lecture for reinforcement…Wohl=”ALEGEBRA MONKEY”…I took Wohl in the summer. The class was fast paced but Wohl demystifies some of the math and concepts. He also had some entertaining lectures. I would take him again.”
Text: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (2nd Edition), Schaum’s Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables

Physics 139, Special and General Relativity
D English, TuTh 2-330, 385 LeConte
No ratings.
Text: Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein’s General Relativity

Physics 141A, Solid State Physics
Ivo Souza, TuTh 8-930, 2 Evans
Avg GPA: 3.62, 67% A, 29% B, 5% C
“Even though I came in with an excited attitude to take this class, Prof. Souza made it a nightmare. In my opinion, it is excusable for a prof. to be mediocre as long as he tries. This guy doesn’t care AT ALL about students, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he really doesn’t care about physics…His lectures are bad regurgitations of an already bad textbook, really no point in attending (not to mention he cant even answer questions). He often tries to be a hardline professor, but he comes off as being mean (ex. won’t let you miss a homework even if you have a good reason). All told, a very bad experience (he’s not even a very nice guy).”
Text: Introduction to Solid State Physics

Physics 141B, Solid State Physics
Joseph Orenstein, MWF 11-12, 385 LeConte
Avg GPA: 55% A, 33% B, 9% C
No ratings.
Texts: Introduction to Condensed Matter Physics: Volume 1

Physics C161, Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology
Adrian Lee, MWF 3-4, 88 Dwinelle
Average GPA: 3.22, 40% A, 43% B, 16% C, 1% D
“Overall a pretty good professor. his lectures are clear and well organized. he’s really nice in office hours, and exams are hard but fair…extremely friendly and enthusiastic, very approachable, challenging but fair tests, sometimes not great at explaining more difficult material, but overall an awesome professor…Like a big, warm, cuddly, physics teaching teddy bear. Entertaining classes, though reading the book is very important to follow him through some of the harder materials.”
Texts: Introduction to Cosmology, High Energy Astrophysics: Volume 2, Stars, the Galaxy and the Interstellar Medium

Physics 177, Principles of Molecular Biophysics
C Bustamante, TuTh 8-930, 70 Evans
Avg GPA: 3.08, 44% A, 40% B, 4% C, 4% D, 8% F
No ratings.
Texts: Molecular Biophysics: Structures in Motion

Tags: Physics, Professors, ratings, telebears, textbooks, UC Berkeley