J.C. Walker

Most students dread having to learn about electricity and magnetism because of the inherently esoteric, math-intensive, and somewhat intimidating nature of the material. Professor Walker broke these barriers down with his teaching! He lectured clearly and at a most reasonable pace, designed very fair exams, graded generously, and seemed concerned mostly with the students learning physics as opposed to making them work too hard on exams. Walker was very approachable and no student felt too intimidated to speak with him about any issue. He delighted the class with stories from his younger days, and came across as a professor with a "kindly grandfather" attitude. Never did he speak a harsh or condescending word, but continued to encourage the class throughout the semester, holding to the principle that making A's should not be seen as ends in themselves, but the actual learning of the material was most important. As this class was designed for pre-medical students, Dr. Walker frequently reminded the class of the importance of certain concepts and their applicability to actual physicians' work. While none of the students in the class would go on to become physics majors, many of them undoubtedly developed a healthy appreciation for E&M due to Dr. Walker's simple yet effective, noncutthroat approach.