The Wheat: Dartmouth's Best ProfessorsJohn Rassias Rassias is perhaps Dartmouth's most famous professor. His innovative theories on the teaching of foreign languages led to Dartmouth's LSA programs, drill sessions, and language lab. His teaching style verges on the outrageous. In class, he dresses up as Montesquieu, throws raw meat around, breaks eggs on students' heads, and rips his shirt off—all in the line of teaching. Rassias' vivid instruction is something no Dartmouth student should forgo.
Blanchflower is something of a public economist and intellectual and he rarely teaches—he's spending his time doing policy consulting for the government, writing high-profile articles, and testifying as an expert witness. He teaches the bare minimum, just enough to remain on the faculty. Which is a damn shame. Blanchflower is a fantastic and hilarious lecturer and manages to make the dismal science somewhat less dismal. He usually leads Econ 10: it's a testament to his good sense that he can make even basic statistics interesting and fun. A must.
A thoroughly old-school professor: No caps for gentlemen, no snacks. Save the nonsense for another class.Though he suffers fools poorly, Professor Bradley will take you into the West's foundational texts as well as anyone. Bradley tells students that he hopes the works of Homer, Ovid, Vergil, and Appolonius will become "good friends" who will stay with them for a long time. He tells stories about the old days of Dartmouth, which are always hilarious and related by a master storyteller. And after decades at the College he still teaches sections of Latin One with enthusiasm and verve.
Stam is one of Dartmouth's youngest professors, but he's also one of it's most brilliant. He's an expert on international relations, and a prolific author of several highly regarded books. But he's also a perennial favorite among students and his classes almost always have a long wait-list. It's easy to see why—Stam is an amazing, highly-energetic lecturer. He's never boring, even when dealing with stale material. He's also got that rarest of qualities among academicians: a sense of humor. Stam should not be missed.
Calloway is one of the country's foremost Early American historians and his passion for his subject is palpable. He says he does not a student of Indian history; rather, he studies American history with Indians in it. Calloway is an extraordinarily sophisticated and sensitive lecturer and a motivated discussion group leader who takes a genuine interest in his students. He's also written several fine books, his most recent a history of the American West before Lewis and Clark.
A lecture by this man consists of serious, learned literary criticism leavened with all manners of asides, anecdotes, and aphorisms: in short, a virtuoso performance every time. Watch him rattle off lines from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in perfect Middle English while discussing Eliot's "Waste Land." Hear about Robert Frost and Walt Whitman at Dartmouth (and what Kate Sanborn, of Sanborn Library fame, thought of the Good, Gray Poet). Stop by and say hello; you can't miss him: he's the bald black man with a white beard smoking cigarettes outside of Sanborn. Just don't ask him about either Edgar Allan Poe or George W. Bush.
An engaging lecturer, Professor Saccio is Dartmouth's premier Shakespeare scholar. He teaches a great course on Modern British Drama as well. Saccio truly loves the material, and this is readily apparent in class. His flair for the dramatic manifests itself in his teaching style—this is a man who used to wear a cape around Hanover. Saccio's lectures are even sold nationwide on audiocassettes for a hefty sum; you may have seen advertisements for them in assorted magazines. His comments on students' papers are especially helpful.
Even if you can't fit a class with Professor Tatum into your schedule, The Mourner's Song: War and Remembrance from the Iliad to Vietnam—published earlier this year by the University of Chicago Press—is a must-read. Tatum is an expert on Apuleius and a sophisticated teacher. He uses Greek call-and-response to keep his classes awake, attentive and involved.
Professor Lagomarsino is not afraid to buck the trend of political correctness and conventional wisdom. For example, he teaches that the Inquisition was more just than most judicial procedures of its time.
In a demanding subject such as computer science, teaching skills and accessibility are in high demand. Aslam's lectures make difficult concepts less cumbersome, and the long hours spent with his door open make his courses in high demand. An expert on cyptography, he is an eloquent critic of government control of private computers.
Professor Benor takes the time and risk to question deeply held beliefs and assumptions about his very own discipline. And best of all, students are invited to challenge his own theories. He's better known for his Judaism classes. He's an encyclopedia of classical, medieval, and modern Judaism, and his lectures on the rabbinic revolution and mysticism are masterful.
Pease is a leading Americanist and a highly respected scholar in the field of American Studies. His dense lecture style takes some getting used to, but if you're able to get beneath his jargon there's something deep and profound to be had.
Eickelman's readings are carefully chosen, and classroom discussion borders on genius. Professor Eickelman squeezes the best work from his students; given the depth and breadth of material he covers, asking any less would be a waste of his and students' time.
Professor Mastanduno's remarkable ability to present both sides of any issue is particularly rare and worthwhile. The students who line up outside his office to discuss foreign policy are a testament to his appeal.
One of the up-and-comers in the department, and a Dartmouth alumnus to boot, Professor Christesen is the most popular adviser to classics majors. And his lectures provide compelling evidence for the importance of classics; he has a firm grasp on the value of understanding of Western Civilization's development. Christesen is a wise choice for beginning or continuing your study of classics.
Professor Whaley holds joint positions in two departments: Classics and Linguistics, where he serves as chair. He is serious about his subject matter, but he does not lack enthusiasm. Whaley is very approachable and eager to help students.
Unlike many of her colleagues in the English department, Professor Will provides a savvy, critical analysis of postmodern literature without dwelling on self-aggrandizing literary theory.
Professor Simons is the department's resident medievalist, a man quietly passionate about a misunderstood but essetial period in Western history. Among the many things he does well include writing his lecture outlines on the board, assigning good and even great books in class (Augustine's Confessions, Huizinga's Waning of the Middle Ages, among others), effectively moderating discussions, and being helpful and patient with his students during office hours.
After the anti-WTO protests in Seattle, Irwin took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to defend WTO trade policies and criticize President Clinton for "caving in to pressure from labor interests." Irwin is an unqualified expert (he currently serves on the President's Council of Economic Advisers) and an excellent teacher.
Kuypers is the lone professor in the Speech department; as such, it's probably one of the strongest departments at the College. He teaches small, intimate classes that are at once intense and free-wheeling—be prepared to defend your point of view articulately. Demanding but fair, Kuypers is a master.
Daniell retired last year and he's now an emeritus professor; but he still holds regular office hours and we'd encourage you to stop in and chat. He's enormously knowledgeable about the history of the College, as well as colonial New England. Vinegary and outspoken, Daniell is a Dartmouth institution. |
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