RHA Professor of the Month is a new monthly special recognizing exemplary faculty. If you’ve ever had an amazing professor, one you feel you could rant about for hours, please send us a 250 word recommendation and you could see your favorite professor getting the recognition he or she deserves. All nominations must be sent to rha@rpi.edu">rha@rpi.edu or dropped off in the Residence Hall Association mailbox, in the Residence Life Office (next door to Commons Dining Hall).
An award will be given to the student who wrote the paper, as well as the professor the paper is written about.
This month’s Professor of the Month award goes to Don Millard, the most dedicated and sincere teacher I have ever had, before college and to date. I had the pleasure of coming into contact with Professor Millard during my spring semester of my sophomore year, with his class Electric Circuits.
This class is known to be a tough class; I was told, before going into the class that I should only sign up with a section with Millard. Not only did he explain concepts in a very concise manor, he showed us real life applications, and kept a fun and friendly atmosphere during the class.
For one lecture each semester, he brings in his guitar and dissects it to show us different components and concepts that we’ve learned. This class is so exciting and popular that the students in the other sections ask him to do a guest lecture for this class.
As I said before, Millard is the most dedicated professor I’ve ever come in contact with. Not only did I visit his office hours, but so did many Electric Circuits students, whether they were in his section or not. The week before exams, he would hold office hours from early morning to far past supper time. I often wondered if he slept in his office he was there so late at night sometimes.
Also, before the exams Millard would hold review sessions—I’ve even heard that he still holds review sessions for Circuits, even though he is not currently teaching the class. One time he changed his plane flight so he could get back to teach the review session, because we pleaded with him that we only wanted him to teach it.
Recently, I was walking to a meeting and met him in the hall. He stopped me to ask me how school was going. I was excited he wanted to talk to me, and actually cared. Most teachers I have, at the end of the semester, they have no clue what my name is, not to mention what major I’m in or what my interests are.
I could definitely talk or write about Millard for hours. He is by far the most knowledgeable and devoted teacher I’ve ever had. If he taught any other classes that pertained to my major I would not hesitate to take them in the least—in fact, I would be excited to take them.
Editor’s Note: Professor of the Month is sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, who ultimately decides the winner.
