With course enrollment for Fall 2018 in full swing, the Wheel interviewed graduating seniors about their favorite courses and professors. From pharmacology to the classics, Emory seniors shared their thoughts on the classes students shouldn’t miss.
The following transcripts have been edited for length and clarity.
Zoey Zhang (18C) German Studies
You have to take the classes you are interested in. It was great to finally have a really hardcore German literature class [like Professor Peter Hoyng’s 302W Goethe class] in [the German] department. I’m a literature nerd, so it’s really exciting to have more courses tailored to specific interests. My school spirit definitely relies heavily on my relationship with my department. It really helps me feel a sense of belonging. You meet the best people there. It’s such a cozy and supportive environment. My love for Emory stems from the German department.
Isabel Falk (18C) Environmental Science
[My favorite class was ANT 207] Foundation Development Studies. I really liked the professor, [Professor Kristin] Phillips. She was really engaging and really nice. She was really accepting and wanted everyone to talk. It helped me participate more in class. [The course] talked about Africa and how there are still implications of colonialism. [We also discussed] the United States and other core countries in ways a lot of people don’t think about. It forces students to take a different perspective on their own country.
Julie Wiegel (18B) Business Administration and Computer Science
One of my favorite professors is [Professor Katrina] Dickson. I took a class with her my very first semester, [CL 104] Ancient Cities [and Urban Culture], and then I took Latin I and II. She’s just the nicest human being. She truly wants the best for her students, more than I’ve ever seen. She’ll go so far out of her way to make sure she’s doing right by her students. [I also enjoyed Professor Peter] Wakefield in an [interdisciplinary studies] class I took for a writing requirement. He integrated a lot of elements that were super interesting … [and] made it enjoyable to go to class. I wasn’t super interested in those subjects, but they ended up being some of my favorite classes because the professors [were] so engaging and passionate about what they’re teaching. They were all very impressed [by] and respecting of their students. They held us to a high standard, but they supported us.
Peter Zheng (18C) Computer Science and Biology
There was a pharmacology course that I took; it’s a [graduate] class. I’ve been doing EMS, and in pharmacology we learn a lot about all kinds of drugs, especially [the] first line of treatment for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. [There are] a lot of things we see in EMS. Knowing [which] drugs can help me figure out a faster cure for my patients, [which] definitely helps and is not something [the EMT training courses] went into detail [with].
Kendall Parks (18C) Economics
Emory got rid of the [Educational Studies] department, but one of the best classes I ever took was [EDS 432H] [Math Curriculum and Instruction for] Elementary and Middle School Math with Professor Robert Jensen. That was amazing. You learn a lot of insightful things about mathematics. There are so many different ways to explain the same exact topic but in ways that can make people understand. Throughout the class, you learn there are [not] “math people” or “not-math people.” All some people need is a little more time or a different interpretation of the material. People can really surprise you. It really inspired me. Teachers are undervalued for the amount of service they provide for our communities. I definitely have a new perspective on the importance of teachers and how a really good teacher, no matter the subject, can make you think ethically about the world.
Eli Patt (18C) Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
My favorite courses have been [REL354W] Ethics of Human Goodness with Pamela Hall, [IDS 205W] Science and the Nature of Evidence with Arri Eisen and [IDS 220RW] “What Does it Mean to be Human?” with Kimberly Loudermilk. I feel like those classes really represent what you should get out of a liberal arts education in terms of the way you’re supposed to think, communicate and collaborate. I’m a religion minor, and I study religion to understand science better. That’s something I learned from Eisen.
