With fall classes quickly approaching, odds are that at least some of you are looking to change around your schedule. Finding a specific class that you want to take can be difficult since UVA offers so many. Instead of browsing through Lou's List and guessing which classes will be fun and worthwhile, rearrange your class schedule by picking classes based on their professors.
Navigating scheduling and SIS is challenging, especially at a larger university. If you can't get into classes with these professors now, at least have their names in your mind for following semesters!
1. Lou Bloomfield
This man is amazing. The creator of the massive class database Lou's List, Lou Bloomfield is a professor in the Physics Department at the University of Virginia. If his name sounds familiar, it's probably because you've heard students rave about his class How Things Work, which explores tangible examples of how physics can be applied in the real world. He has also been featured on the news, explaining the harmful repercussions that come from superheating liquids such as soup. And if you take How Things Work, he'll show you a video of his appearance on the news. Bloomfield also teaches another lower-level physics class in the spring.
Classes he's teaching this fall: PHYS1050 How Things Work
2. Lisa Goff
A professor in the American Studies Department as well as Middle Eastern Studies, Professor Goff is incredible in every way. She matches her enthusiasm with extensive knowledge of her subject matter. I took Women, Islam, and Social Media with her and it is one of my favorite classes I've taken at UVA so far. Not only does Professor Goff care about the well-being of each of her students, she was also willing to change her syllabus based on current events that were happening in the news.
Classes she's teaching this fall: AMST2422 Point of View Journalism, AMST3031 Theories and Methods of American Studies
3. Elizabeth Fowler
Professor Fowler teaches in the English Department, specializing in Medieval Renaissance literature. I took a Chaucer class with her and went into it not liking Chaucer at all. I left the class with a newfound appreciation for the wittiness, cadence, and rhythm of his work and I even learned some Middle English. Her excitement for teaching is unparalleled and her passion will make you love whatever she is teaching!
Classes she's teaching this fall: ENMD3559 Thomas Malory's King Arthur, ENMD5559 Prayer
4. Michael Levenson
A professor in the English Department, Levenson could make you feel passionate about really anything. His teaching expertise is unmatched and he has a unique way of participating in his class and being engaged instead of just leading it. If you are looking to study abroad during any of your time at UVA, you should definitely consider the UVA Culture of London Program, a month-long trip to London with Levenson and Claire Kinney, another professor in the English Department. I just went this past summer and could not have asked for a better study abroad experience!
Classes he's teaching this fall: ENMC4500 Ulysses and Infinite Jest, ENMC8500 Topics in Modern and Contemporary Literature
5. Ken Elzinga
You've probably already heard of Elzinga because he's basically a UVA celebrity. He's heavily involved in the Christian Study Center and is an Econ professor. He's so legit that he even has his own website and Wikipedia page. He has a heart of gold and deeply cares about UVA and its students, whether he teaches them in his classes or not. Additional plus: his Econ classes will help you understand what's going on in the news and give you a greater understanding of basic econometrics (which is something you can actually use in real life).
Class he's teaching this fall: ECON2010 Principles of Economics: Microeconomics
6. Marva Barnett
I have never actually taken a class with Professor Barnett, a faculty member in the Drama Department, but one of my friends raved about her "Les Miserables" class. Anyone who has read the book, seen the movie, or seen the play should consider taking her class because it goes so much more in depth into the issues and characters of "Les Mis" while exploring the historic time period that is the French Revolution. Not into drama or theater? That's ok. Some of the most valuable advice I received at the beginning of my first year was to take one class every semester that challenges you and pushes your comfort level. For me, a drama course would definitely qualify.
Class she's teaching this fall: DRAM3590 Special Topics in Theater and Drama
7. Sherri Moore
Professor Moore is a professor in the Comm School. Third year Zoe Rankin says, "She is so passionate about her work and really wants to educate her class on law that applies to them. She is a wonderful person and made a class that could have been difficult to understand very attainable." Comm Law isn't only for people interested in law or commerce, because it is a class that can be useful to anyone who wants to have a greater understanding of their rights.
Classes she's teaching this fall: COMM3410 Comm Law 1, COMM3420 Comm Law 2
8. Trenton Merricks
Classes he's teaching this fall: PHIL2660 Philosophy of Religion, PHIL8570 Seminar on Material Objects
9. William Little
Professor Little is a senior lecturer in the Media Studies Department. Fourth year Bethany Kattwinkel says, "Professor Little is awesome! He is very engaging in class, enthusiastic about the subject, and sincerely wants to get to know his students." His primary interests are the history and philosophy of film, religion and cinema, and the relationship between trauma and technology. And the titles for the classes he's teaching this fall sound so interesting!
Classes he's teaching this fall: MDST3640 American Gangster Film, MDST3650 Shooting the Western, MDST4900 Field Experience in Media Studies
10. Barry Condron
Condron is a professor in the Biology Department. He is very enthusiastic about his field and does a great job of making extremely difficult material easy to understand for his students. He always sounds so excited about what he's teaching and you can tell that he really enjoys being a professor! He is also conducting research about the regulation and function of serotonergic neurons during development, which you can read more about here under the Research Interests tab.
Classes he's teaching this fall: BIOL3050 Introduction to Neurobiology, INST3600 The Best of UVA: A Collection of Unforgettable Lectures, and many other higher-level research and independent-study classes
I have no doubt that some of the classes listed here will be difficult to get into, but keep these professors in mind for your future semesters. We are so lucky to have such an amazing group of faculty and there are so many more fantastic professors that are not on this list. Wahoowa!
