AMAZING LECTURES (49) GROUP PROJECTS (22) ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS (21)
PARTICIPATION MATTERS (18) EXTRA CREDIT (15) CLEAR GRADING CRITERIA (7)
I wanted to say thank you for a great semester in Fluids. I genuinely learned so much information in this course and how fluids relate to systems all around us. I also really enjoyed the wisdom lecture you hosted. All of the quotes and stories you presented really hit home for me on how to make the most out of college and out of life. I’m thankful for your lessons about perseverance and hard work and that engineering is not a knowledge to be gained, but a skill to be cultivated. Having you as a professor has helped me become a better student, engineer, and overall person and I couldn’t be more appreciative of that. Thank you again for everything this semester! (Personal Email - December 2023 - ENCE 305) I just wanted to say thank you for being an awesome professor :D Even though you had a lot of classes to juggle this semester, I still felt the Mike Magic that I read about in all of your reviews when registering for the course. I'm also friends with .... and every time I was with them in the fall he talked about how cool you are. I had actually changed my schedule last minute so I could have you for ENES100, and I'm very glad I did!! (Personal Email - June 2023 - ENES 100)
I really loved your class and your way of teaching; you made a really daunting task much more enjoyable and fun for every student in the class. I’ve made so many new friends and met so many new people because of you! Thank you for everything this semester! Enjoy your break! (Personal Email - June 2023 - ENES 100)
As an exchange student, I want to thank you for this incredible experience. As a sophomore, this is the first ever course I've taken that I actually enjoy. Mike has been the best professor I have ever had, filled with passion, love, and energy in teaching his kids and taught me that learning can be easier if we include fun in it. Sierra has been really patient and helpful to my team. Both of them always made me smile when I was having a bad day or stressed out. And my teammates are all my ride or dies. We work, worry, and laugh together from start to end. I'm gonna miss this place and I'm gonna miss everybody I worked with this past semester. Thank you for everything. ENES100 will always be in my heart! [Peer Evaluation Assignment - May 2023 - ENES 100]
Thank you for the past two semesters; I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for your support, contagious enthusiasm, and lighthearted humor throughout this semester. Your genuine dedication to teaching and inspiring your students has truly made a profound impact on me! You are such a great lecturer and you push your students to be their best, I genuinely cherished learning about your travels and personal interests that bring you joy during your leisure time. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to learn from you, and I will always look back fondly on the time spent in your class. Thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful summer! [Personal Email - May 2023 - ENES 102]
Your teaching is beyond teaching - you're a professor, but also a friend, a scholar, and a mentor. Your ambition in your classes is highly contagious, and it's something that i'll carry for the rest of my life. [Award Nomination May 2023]
Thank you for a great semester. I had a rough time in the middle of the semester but with how I feel the final went I should be set for the class. I really enjoyed how you taught the class. I wish I had you the first time I took it! Just know you are one of the best professors I have ever had in 4 years at this university. [ENCE 305 - Personal Email - May 2023]
Thank you for Being the best engineering professor I've ever had and always make classes fun and cares about his students a lot. [Teacher Thankagaram May 2023]
Thank you being the most amazing professor at UMD! You made my experience in mechanics 1 absolutely amazing last semester, and I'm so proud to be your student! I hope to work with you in the future. [Teacher Thankagaram May 2023]
I just wanted to write this email to let you know that I really appreciate your teaching style and effort that you put into teaching fluids. Although this class is nothing more then a graduation requirement, I feel as though you have executed your teaching to make the class worth coming too on my own. I know I may have missed some lectures, but honestly if it weren’t for reasons out of my control I would have attended every single class. I’m not trynna be like every student trying to just kiss up for some grade but rather express my appreciation. After transferring to UMD and having a Rough start with some failed classes, I can confidently say you will be a professor I will leave this semester with a positive memory. And I guarantee you that can’t be said for all of my current professors. I hope you have a great summer! [Personal Email - May 2023 - ENCE 305 Current Student]
The lemon bars were super delicious. I will be a customer at “Mike’s Bakery” or “The Fluid Bakery” [Personal Email - April 2023 - ENCE 305 Current Student]
I hope you're doing well. Just wanted to check in and say hello. I switched jobs in August from working for the ********* to now I am an engineer for ******* in their *********** department. It's pretty cool considering I always wanted to work on cars, and now I get to drive them on almost a daily basis as part of my job. Living in ********* is definitely a change from living in Northern VA last year, but I always wanted to experience what life outside of the DMV area is like, so I'm glad I am getting an opportunity to. Hopefully at some point I can come back and say hello, but till then I wanted to check in and let you know that your class was still one of my favorites that I ever took and I always appreciated your great attitude and support. [Personal Email - March 2023 - ENES 100 - Former Student)
I was so happy to hear that you received the dean’s distinction for excellence in teaching. From the deepest of my heart, Congratulations Mike. Since early on, I had noticed your passion for teaching and your amazing creativity. You find ways to make it fun for students, but most importantly, make it practical! Your insistence that engineering should make sense is likely your most treasured quality from my perspective. You do that by giving students real life examples, and ones that relate to their lives now (not 10 or 20 years down the road). I started paying attention to you after I saw all the ENES102 videos you created during COVID. Initially, I though “this guy is very charismatic and photogenic”. But your gifts go beyond that. You have passion, you have patience, you have student insights, you know how to teach, you know how to connect with students, you are hungry, and likely most importantly, you care. I hope you recognize that you have something special going on here Mike. (Personal Email - Colleague March 2023)
I just wanted to say thank you for being such a great professor this semester. This was the class that scared me the most when first coming to school. I was not sure what to expect. I am glad I have you as my professor because you made this class fun. I really was expecting to hate this class because I had similar feelings about physics in high school. However, you helped me change my mind. I will say this class helped me grow the most as a student this semester. Halfway through the semester, I was so close to withdrawing from this class. I got my second exam grade back and thought my life was over. I really was expecting to get a C in this class and I was too afraid of what that would do to my GPA. I was going to take the easy way out and withdraw. However, I talked to some classmates and my family about this situation. Some told me to withdraw, some told me to push through. I chose the latter option. I wanted to at least try my hardest and see what grade I would get, whether that be a C or higher. "At least I will finish this semester with my dignity," I told myself. It scared me because I may have very well been setting myself up for failure at that moment. I decided to not let that happen though. I studied so hard for this class and exam 3 showed that. I got a 97 on that exam! I was seriously so proud that my hard work paid off. This class shaped me as a student. It taught me that it is okay to fail as long as you work to bring yourself back up. That's exactly what I did. It is such an accomplishment that I can say I will get a B+ or even an A in this class as my final grade. Now, I can confidently say that I actually enjoyed this class (I will bring this same mindset to physics next semester haha). I hope you have a great rest of your year. I signed up for your ENES100 class next semester, so I will see you soon! (Personal Email December 2022 - ENES 102H)
Thank you for an amazing semester! Lectures were super fun, and it was so hard to not burst out laughing at times. It's such a shame that you can't teach all of my classes, but I am glad to have met you. Thank you for being an awesome professor, Mike! Also, thanks for the gluten free Oreos! I really appreciate how you took into account students with dietary restrictions. (Personal Email December 2022 - ENES 102)
I wanted to thank you for a great semester... ENES100 was a class that I looked forward to and looking forward to class was something that had never happened to me before. Not only were the baked goods a phenomenal addition to the class, but the overall social dynamic was a pleasure to be a part of. I created some amazing memories with the data team... Overall, thank you for the fun atmosphere that you created and I hope the TikTok and YouTube channel goes viral. (Personal Email December 2022 - ENES 100)
Hi Mike! I wanted to thank you for being the best professor I had. You were the only professor whose class I looked forward to every time. Your energy, charisma, and comedy made a 2 hour class feel like 2 minutes. I’m going to miss ENES100. I want to thank you for being one of the sole reasons I was able to make it as far as I did at UMD. Please, please, please keep teaching the way you do because I’m sure there are other students like me who you are helping so much with your teaching style that you don’t even know about. Your class was the only place I felt comfortable and welcome at UMD. I hope to see you again sometime in the future. Thank you for the Icelandic donut on my birthday, the laughs, and everything. I wish you and the rest of my team the best of luck with the rest of the year! (Personal Email October 2022 - ENES 100)
Hey Professor! I was a student in the Experience Engineering Virtual Summer Program for week two. I just wanted to thank you for running the program. I really enjoyed it, and I will be applying toearly action to the A. James Clark School of Engineering. (Personal Email September 2022 - Experience Engineering Summer Camp)
I hope all is well and you are having a great start to your summer. I just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you helped me with this semester. You truly made the class super enjoyable. (Personal Email May 2022 - ENES 100)
If I haven't already said this a thousand times, I just wanted to say thank you. Even before you woke up at 3:30am to get me at the airport, you were extremely reachable and answered every one of my questions. You're a large part of the reason I came on the Iceland study abroad trip, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this. It was awesome. (Personal Email May 2022 - ENME 407)
Hi professor—I just wanted to say thanks for a great semester. In the civil tutoring office I heard the course tutor complain a few times this semester that hardly anyone was coming to see him anymore, because "Mike is making fluids too easy for everyone." This was (a) pretty funny, and (b) a pretty good testament to your great teaching. I hope you have a great time in Iceland and a great rest of summer vacation. (Personal Email May 2022 - ENCE 305)
After my first semester as in college, I was not quite sure that I belonged as an engineer. However, from my first day in this class, you showed us what it truly meant to be an engineering student. Your passion, feedback, humor, and compassion towards all students this semester made this a class that I will never forget. I hope to have you as a professor once again in the future. Thank you for all the baked goods! (Personal Email May 2022 - ENES 100)
He made us enjoy the class and therefore everyone did well in it. In addition, everyone was close to each other in the class. He also told us about his life and how he went through UMD. He was an inspiration. (Donna B. Hamilton Award Nomination - May 2022)
I wanted to put a little note in here mentioning that you were one of the best professors I had this semester, both in the way that you explain topics and just in your manner of existing. (Personal Email May 2022 - ENCE 305)
I was in your engineering school tour group on Friday (you might remember me as the only person that wanted to be a civil engineer) and was very impressed with the facilities and your friendliness, passion, and humor. (Personal Email April 2022 - Campus Tour Feedback)
For one of my classes we have to send out an appreciation email to someone who had a profound impact on us. This was the perfect opportunity for me to thank you for everything that you have done. Starting off my freshman year in the middle of the pandemic was awful and it was so much harder to meet people. With all my classes online, I had no expectations of making any friends from these big zoom meetings. However, with your passion and constant reminder for everyone to keep their cameras on in breakout rooms, I have made friends that I still talk to this year just because of how engaging you made online classes. Your passion for teaching and wanting to impact the future of other students influenced me to become a TF for enes102, something that I truly enjoy. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your impact and I can’t wait for this upcoming Iceland trip (Personal Email April 2022 - ENES 100 / ENES 102 Student).
My new years resolution is to “Be like Mike”. Literally. Like everything comprehensive in your wisdom lecture I want to integrate and implement in my life and career going forth.... (Personal Email January 2022 - ENCE 305 Student)
Thank you so much for an awesome semester this year Professor Mike! I couldn’t have asked for a better professor to teach Fluid Mechanics! I think your way of teaching truly stood out compared to all of the other engineering courses I’ve taken! Thank you for all of the baking and jokes you’ve made, it was always exciting to come to your class and your persona always made my day better :) (Personal Email December 2021 - ENCE 305 Student)
Thank you so much for letting me know and for everything this semester and for being understanding. You were such a good professor and showed you cared for your students and made this hard class better for all of us. I really appreciate everything you did for us and am lucky you were my professor. (Personal Email December 2021 - ENCE 305 Student)
Thank you so much for a wonderful semester. I had a lot of fun participating in the OTV project and really learned what it meant to efficiently fall forward. I was able to apply that method of thinking to my other classes. Thank you for always motivating me to always put in my all and giving us encouraging hints that spawned new ideas for our OTV. Thanks again and I hope we can stay in touch. (Personal Email December 2021 - ENES 100 Student)
Thanks Professor Mike For such an awesome school semester. Having any of your classes over the years makes me feel great being able to engage and learn any course material despite its difficulty. Thanks for being a great professor and mentor.(Personal Email December 2021 - ENCE 305 Student)
I want to thank you for time and effort you put in making the course online videos. They are very informative & educational. I understand making quality multimedia that be educational, entertaining and inspirational requires spending many resources in any step of production. I filled the midterm feedback survey; I also wanted to send you an email to express my appreciation for your dedication and effort in producing these online resources; so, Thanks! (Personal Email September 2021 - ENES 100 Student)
Thanks for always being such a great person and knowing the right things to say. You are one of my biggest role models, seriously I always look back to my freshman year because you were a pivotal part to it, and you guided me into the start of my engineering journey and showed me that engineering could be fun! Have an awesome semester with fluids and ENES100, you rock! (Personal Email September 2021 - Former ENES 102 Student)
I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to reach out and thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I just graduated from UMD with a mechanical engineering degree and started a job as an Environmental Engineer... I remember the conversation we had about a year ago and how lost I was on what my path would be. On that phone call, you gave me great advice and let me accept that my path will be exactly what I want it to be. I don’t think I would be doing what I do right now without that phone call. Even as a teacher, you made it so easy to learn. I had the privilege of having you for ENES100 and ENES102 and I had a blast in each one. I still have memories of sitting in that classroom just absorbing the material with a smile on my face. It was a pleasure to have you as a teacher and someone that gave me words of advice in times of need. I don’t think words can do justice on how grateful I am for your help. Thank you so much and hope you have a great summer! (Personal Email June 2021 - ENES 100 & ENES 102 Student)
Thank you for helping me learn Mechanics 1 this summer. I really appreciated your showmanship in your lectures. You did a great job and deserve a raise. I hope they give it to you. It has been a pleasure. (Personal Email August 2021 - ENES 102)
I wanted to thank you for a wonderful semester. During the short amount of time we have in the Summer, I learned about the engineering process and most importantly, how to apply it to my career; rarely do you have an opportunity to be able to apply what you learn in school on projects. (Personal Email August 2021 - ENES 100)
I really enjoyed having you as a professor and I truly believe I will never have another professor as incredible as you. You are such a source of inspiration in my life, always so positive and energetic. I really do look up to you. (Personal Email May 2021 - ENES 100)
I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me and all of my ENES classmates. You have taught us a lot about life and learning. I found the true pleasure in learning while attending your lectures and you’ve inspired us to follow in your footsteps for life-long learning. (Personal Email May 2021 - ENES 100)
Throughout this online learning fiasco, I can confidently say that your classes were the only ones to make me excited to attend. I found your videos charming as well as informative, and even in the virtual setting, it feels like I'm being taught by a genuine person. Having a good laugh in class is better than falling asleep! (Personal Email March 2021 - ENES 102H)
I hope you had a great holiday break and a Happy New Year! I wanted to say thank you for a wonderful semester. You have been very helpful and supportive throughout this unique semester we have all been through and ensured that all of us learned all the material we needed. You also made the class fun and enjoyable, while also teaching us all the material. Thank you for the fun in-person classes, even though we could only have a couple, and the baked treats. (Personal Email January 2021 - ENES 102H)
I hope you enjoy what the New Year holds for you as much as I enjoyed being your student. Wishing you all the joy of the season. Have a Happy New Year! (Personal Email January 2021 - ENES 102H)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to really thank you for all you have done for me! Being a first generation American and college student, having this first semester of my freshman year be online is difficult beyond all measures. The structure of your class and your teaching abilities have made it much easier on me. Having a teacher that wants to be your friend and does not act like the god given gift to the subject that they are teaching is something that I have craved for in all of my classes. Being able to talk about fantasy football with my professor is amazing within itself. I really hope to be able to take your class in the spring for ENES100 because you are one of the best teachers I have ever had. I wish you the utmost success and hope we can continue this friendly relationship. (Personal Email Fall 2020 - ENES 102)
I just wanted to say thanks for an amazing semester. Honestly, so far at UMD you have been my favorite professor. Your content was engaging and educational, but not boring like some other classes I’ve taken. You really explained things well and answered every question I had, and the extra credit opportunities were great as well! I hope I have the opportunity to take another class with you in the future. (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 102)
I would also like to thank you for a great, though unusual, semester. You are the most enthusiastic professor I have encountered so far at UMD, and your passion for teaching made me excited to come to class. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I appreciate how deeply you care about your students' success. Thank you again, and I hope you have a nice summer! (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 100)
Becoming an ENES100 TF has been one of the best and most rewarding experiences I've had at UMD. I'm so lucky to have taught with you and learned ways to keep students excited and engaged about engineering (especially if that means jumping on top of tables or dressing up as Marvel characters). Thank you for always being such an amazing mentor. Your passion for the job and helping students has been an inspiration to me. (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 100 UTF)
Hope you’re doing well! I just wanted to thank you again for an amazing semester of ENES102. Your hard work and dedication to the class was tremendously helpful. Every lecture video was both informative and captivating due to your delivery and jokes. Keep up the same teaching style! You are one of the best professors I have ever had and I hope to take one of your classes again in the future. Thank you once again for everything (including the free $50) and have a great summer! (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 102)
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain the dynamics and focuses of a TF role. Between your "prank" stories, your crazy undergrad schedule, and the helpful information you shared - it was the most enjoyable interview I've ever experienced. I remember last semester, I was at the back of JMP1116 when you brought in a tour group and gave a keystone presentation. Then, I picked up that you were a special professor. However, this interview drove home how just joyous of a person you are in general. So, thank you for serving UMD and it's students so diligently. (Personal Email Summer 2020 - UTF Interview)
Thank you...for also being you!! You always tried to make whatever we were doing each day fun, and I am grateful to have had you for a professor. If I need anything or someone to talk to in the future, I will definitely reach out to you. Hope you have a great summer! (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 100)
You've been an incredibly inspiring teacher, if a bit corny at times, and you encouraged me to embrace my creativity and go all out with this project. But most importantly, you showed us that engineering is not just about machines, it's about the people; you impressed upon us the value of teamwork and of building friendships to create the best possible product. I am incredibly grateful to have been in your class, and to have met my team through there. (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 100)
With the semester coming to an end, I just wanted to say thank you for making my ENES100 experience so enjoyable despite the complete change in how you had to teach the course. You are one of the few professors who actually care about their students and it clearly shows in the way you conduct your class. This was my first engineering course ever and I think this class has solidified my initial thoughts to become an engineer. You made this class so enjoyable in every way you knew how. Never change the way you teach Mike. (Personal Email Spring 2020 - ENES 100)
First off, thank you so much for an amazing semester; I don't think I will ever meet another professor that loves teaching as much as you do. Thank you again for making this semester such a memorable one. (Personal Email Fall 2019 - ENES 100) I have heard that you still show your ENES102 classes the Infinity Gauntlet Truss that my group and I made last year, I'm happy that team "Truss the Process" lives on! I still have the truss hanging in my dorm, but the TimTams are gone. Also, one of the people I met through that project, will be my roommate when I study abroad, thank you so much for getting me interested in studying abroad! Thank you again for making that such an entertaining, informative, and enjoyable class! (Personal Email Fall 2019)
It was a pleasure to have you as my professor this semester. You made ENES 102 both easier to understand and fun with your interactive teaching style and funny jokes throughout the class. I will have it done by the end of the day. Hopefully you can teach even more classes and make a difference in more students lives. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! (Personal Email Spring 2019)
Dear Mike, Thank you so much for all that you have done for me this semester. From inspiring me everyday during your funny and entertaining lectures... I'm really lucky that I've been able to have you as my professor. I I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to write me a recommendation letter, that was really kind and generous and I am really appreciative. While I will not be interning there this summer, I will have three jobs, one of them being in research. Without you pushing me and motivating me as much as you did this semester, none of this would be possible. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and I will definitely be in touch. (Personal Thank You Card Spring 2019)
Just wanted to thank you for the semester! It was a joy to be in your class! You’re a great teacher that always created an environment that made it easy to learn! Thank you for everything and hope you have fun at Iceland! (Personal Email 2019)
Thank you so much for an absolutely amazing semester. I don’t see any class replacing this one as my favorite any time soon. I learned so much and gained a ton of experience in engineering design and you created an amazing classroom environment. Also, your wisdom lecture was amazing; it made me critically think about who I am as a person and my priorities in life. It was all great advice, and funnily enough I ended up on concrete canoe’s executive board in a similar way to how you got your first internship. Also, if the Iceland study abroad course that you run is offered again in the future, I will definitely apply. (Personal Email Spring 2019)
Mike the most engaging and fun teacher to have and he gave me and my classmates and great impression of the college of engineering. I appreciate the excitement and passion that he puts into his teaching, and it makes his class fun and enjoyable for every student. (Office of Undergraduate Studies Teaching Award Spring 2019)
I know I thanked you today at the pizza and cookie party, but I just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful semester in ENES100. Before this class, I considered dropping bioengineering entirely because I thought it wasn't the right fit for me and that I couldn't handle the major. Your class reminded me of why I ever chose engineering in the first place, and I can't wait to take advantage of all the opportunities this school and major will bring. (Private Email 2019)
Hey Mike! Just wanted to thank you again for providing us students with all your wisdom and guidance during that ENES 100 course during spring of last year. Also, thank you for helping me out with providing some next steps towards my career. Hopefully, things do work out for me this summer but if they don't, I still have you to thank for motivation I gained in order to get things started. Thanks Mike!! (Thank-a-gram Spring 2019) Hi Mike! Thank you for being the most fun, engaging, and informative professor I have had so far here at UMD! I have been able to apply the things we learned in 102 to more classes/projects than anything else I have learned here so far, and I am very grateful for that! You also first got me to look into study abroad, and now I am excited to be planning to study in Madrid Spain next semester! Thank you for being a great human being, and your lemon bars are phenomenal! (Thank-a-gram Spring 2019)
FOR MIKE'S EYES ONLY. I would like to take the last 10 minutes of this test to thank you for actually making a 9:00 AM class fun. Your jokes and energetic behavior are the only reason that I made sure to never miss your ENES 102 class. You are a fantastic teacher and you have a real ability to make people want to learn. I hope you have a great winter break. (Note on Final Exam Fall 2018)
Mike is one of the best professors I've ever had. His lectures are informative and funny.
Taking ENCE489G with Mike was great! He was able to teach us so much in such little time! His lectures are not boring and he is so knowledgeable about lots of subjects. I would highly recommend taking a study abroad class with him or even a class at UMD!
Professor Mike is amazing. He was a student once at UMD, so he relates so much to his students to help them understand that everyone struggles with course material and work. With Mike's encouragement to be self-engaged, asking questions, & provide feedback, encouraged me to work very hard in this class to Earn a very good passing grade.
Mike was a great professor who made the daily lectures interesting and always kept us engaged. His humor was one of my favorite parts of the class. He was very ready and willing to help us with any questions or concerns we had with our Rube Goldberg projects. Although the course focused on Civil, Mike gave us a good overview of other branches.
Mike's an awesome teacher and very enthusiastic and passionate about what he does. Highly recommend him as a teacher and hope I can take him again in the future because he makes class a lot of fun!
Mike is the best! he is so funny and personable, definitely the best ENES100 prof. He is accessible outside of class and is always willing to help!
Mike's funny, understanding, and really really wants you to succeed. He gives good advice and adds a personal touch to the class that makes you want to succeed as well. 10/10 would recommend.
Mike was a great teacher and I truly learned a lot from his lectures, which were interesting and really caught my attention. I enjoyed being in his class because he was entertaining and not monotone. He seemed like he actually cared about all his students. It was a great experience
Mike is an amazing professor. He cares about the success of his student. He also makes the class very fun and engaging. I would definitely recommend to take his class!!
I took Mike for ENES 100 and 102 and also ENME 407 and had an amazing experience in each one of those classes. His lectures are super engaging and clear and he takes the time to create a relationship with the students.
Awesome professor, good at making concepts clear and always willing to answer questions
I had Mike for two classes, one being ENES100 and the other being ENME407 (study abroad), and in both he was able to show his dedication to the success students achieved in the course. Never did I feel overwhelmed by his expectations and my experiences in both courses were fantastic.
I was in Mikes ENES100 class which had a lot of groupwork. He would often bring candy or even bake lemon bars for the class. He tells entertaining stories or makes corny physics puns, or even runs around the class wearing a black tarp pretending to be a sith lord. He is always accessible when you need help and gives extra credit/curve for effort.
One of my largest critiques of most college professors is that they are primarily focused on their research and subject area, and their teaching is an annoying side-task that prevents them from focusing on what they truly care about. This is clearly not the case with Mike; he has both a genuine passion and gift for teaching. Definitely recommend.
Mike is super energetic and is really invested in his students and their success. For a class that can be easily overwhelming, he offers great insight and creates an excellent classroom environment.
Took him for ENCE489G (Sustainability in Greece). Great guy and great teacher. He really cares about the success of his students and makes sure they are having fun while learning. He is a smart guy, knows his stuff, and knows how to convey that info in a learn-able way. Mike is a friend and a mentor (a frientor). Take his class.
If you're looking to take ENES 100, definitely take Mike! He's an amazing professor who really cares for his students. He makes the class interesting and is always there to help. The class can definitely be a lot of work, but if you come and do your part you will be successful. Mike was awesome and I would definitely take him again if I could! Definitely take Mike's class if you can! He really cares about his students and works hard to help them be successful. He also finds ways to encourage teamwork that make the class really fun and engaging. Learned a lot and had a great experience taking his class.
Mike is such a great lecturer! He always makes class interesting. He genuinely cares about his students and is very helpful outside of class.
Mike was an overall amazing professor during my time in his course. He prepared interesting lectures specific to several topics within the study area. Additionally, Mike was always willing to help us with difficulties. He recognized that not all of us had been taught the same material across the board. Mike was able to help us in and out of class.
Studying abroad with Mike was a great experience. The class had the perfect balance between learning the course material and applying the concepts learned in class on field trips around Iceland. Mike was very knowledgeable about the course material and the country, and his lectures were informative and entertaining.
Mike is great. He cares a lot about teaching, gets to know you on a personal level and is glad to help whenever needed. Even when all we wanted was walk around in Greece and experience the new culture,he continuously engages us in and out of lecture so that we are actually able to learn from the class. 10/10 great guy and fantastic travel bud.
Professor Galczynski is an amazing professor. He cares deeply about his students and the subject. He is easy to talk to in and outside of class and has a good sense of humor too. I would definitely recommend taking a class taught by him!
Excellent, exciting and engaging professor! Take him for any class and you will have a good time!
What an amazing teacher! Mike's engaging personality made his lectures a joy to participate in. He is so inspiring and easy to relate to. Mike often used personal anecdotes to allow me to further understand the topic being taught. On top of it all, his fun personality and attentive nature made everyday in his class a wonderful experience.
3 words to describe Mike is not nearly enough. Mike is everything you could ask for in a teacher. He is attentive, inspiring, and all around a great human being. Mike is a role model to me and I HIGHLY recommend you get to know the guy if given the chance. Mike is an amazing teacher. He finds a way to make the material fun to learn. He really cares, and puts a lot of effort in to making the experience as best as possible. During lecture he is hilarious. The class/trip planned for this course was unforgettable, and I would absolutely go back. I highly recommend taking this class and Mike as a teacher.
Mike put in a lot of effort planning this course so we made the most of our time in Iceland. He was also very personable, so it made the trip fun for everyone. I strongly recommend this course and this professor.
Mike was a great professor. He always made his lectures engaging with his corny dad jokes, candy, and baked goods. He genuinely cares about his students and is willing to work with you.
Mike is one of the best professors Ive had, and it shows in his lecture style. Hes informative and interesting to listen too, which makes lecture that much better. Hes an amazing teacher for a great class.
He really knows the material and is good at explaining it. He also encouraged thinking outside the box and participation in class.
Mike was an amazing teacher in ENES102. What other comments forget to mention is that he once took the same 102 class when he was still a student at UMD. So he understands what students go through. He'll explain everything in the most simple way possible. Visible effort from you means extra support from him. More than anything, Mike really cares about the atmosphere of the class. He made sure we all knew him on a personal level as well as gave us plenty of opportunities to get to know the rest of the students. He cares that each student is doing well, so if you put in any effort, you'll do great in this class!
You can tell that Mike really cares about if his students grasp the concepts that are being taught. He was very good at preparing us with problems that were similar to test and homework questions. He was always available for extra help outside of the classroom and overall, a very cool teacher. He makes this class both interesting and fun.
VERY FUN TEACHER, I would recommend him 100%
Took his ENES100 class my first semester of college. I think he will end up being my favorite professor. He genuinely cared about my learning and me as a person. ENES100 is one of those classes where you're kind of left on your own to figure it out, but Mike did an awesome job guiding us.
Mike is a great teacher for 102! He's really passionate about what he teaches and always had examples to demonstrate the material. He's also so funny and definitely kept the class engaged.
Professor Galczynski easily made ENES100 the highlight of my first semester at UMD. Never before have I had a Professor that was as charismatic about the course content. I was blown away by the hours that he put in for the students outside of class too. The week prior to the competition he stayed until 11 PM to help each team. Take Mike for ENES!!!
Great professor, keeps class engaging and is very helpful in and out of class. Anecdotes keep class interesting but dont waste time and 100% would take again
ENES100 was my favorite class I took this past semester. Mike was an awesome teacher. He is super helpful to his students and you can tell that he really cares about their success. 10/10 would recommend
Thank you so much for everything you've done! For teaching me about engineering, for helping me grow as a better person and for helping me with my application to Stanford University! I'm so glad that I met you! After all, everything happens for a reason! Hope to see you again soon!
Hi Mike! I was in your ENES100 class this semester and I just wanted to say thanks for it all. Coming into the class, I wasn’t sure if Engineering was truly for me. But towards the end of the semester, I realized that I loved learning about the material and did not mind the work at all. Also, you always were someone that I could go for help. You helped me get off the waitlist to get into the class. You also gave me advice when I was confused about what I should to do with my future. Teachers like you are very hard to find so I thank you for all the hard work you put in to make our experience better. Have a great summer!
I really enjoyed your class and having you as a teacher - you are probably one of the most influential, effective, and personal teachers I have ever had, no exaggeration. I also believe that this ENES100 course solidified my desire to be an engineer. I was still deciding if I would apply to the engineering school, and your class excited me and made me fall in love with the field.
Our ENES100 class finished tied for 2nd (should have been 1st) out of 14 sections. This success was due to Mike. His lectures were very helpful in teaching us the basic math and science behind building an OSV (Over Sand Vehicle). However, he promoted creativity and teamwork as the most important aspects of the class. That's why I enjoyed his class.
Our ENES section and our team did an incredible job all thanks to Mike. He did an amazing job giving us advice and keeping us motivated throughout the semester even when times got tough. And he made a very demanding project seem manageable. He's a fantastic teacher and I would definitely take his class again.
Mike was a good professor. I could tell he was really enthusiastic about the material, and he was never afraid to show it during lecture. This guy clearly loves what he's doing! That being said, he really cares about his students, and wants you to succeed; whether providing extra office hours or help, he's very easy to talk to. Solid choice for 102
ENES100 was my favorite class I took this past semester. Mike was an awesome teacher. He is super helpful to his students and you can tell that he really cares about their success. 10/10 would recommend
Great professor, keeps class engaging and is very helpful in and out of class. Anecdotes keep class interesting but dont waste time and 100% would take again
Professor Galczynski easily made ENES100 the highlight of my first semester at UMD. Never before have I had a Professor that was as charismatic about the course content. I was blown away by the hours that he put in for the students outside of class too. The week prior to the competition he stayed until 11 PM to help each team. Take Mike for ENES!!!
Mike is a great teacher for 102! He's really passionate about what he teaches and always had examples to demonstrate the material. He's also so funny and definitely kept the class engaged.
Took his ENES100 class my first semester of college. I think he will end up being my favorite professor. He genuinely cared about my learning and me as a person. ENES100 is one of those classes where you're kind of left on your own to figure it out, but Mike did an awesome job guiding us.
VERY FUN TEACHER, I would recommend him 100%
You can tell that Mike really cares about if his students grasp the concepts that are being taught. He was very good at preparing us with problems that were similar to test and homework questions. He was always available for extra help outside of the classroom and overall, a very cool teacher. He makes this class both interesting and fun.
More than anything, Mike really cares about the atmosphere of the class. He made sure we all knew him on a personal level as well as gave us plenty of opportunities to get to know the rest of the students. He cares that each student is doing well, so if you put in any effort, you'll do great in this class!
You're a very entertaining teacher and a super cool guy! I love all your stories that you told. I often find myself repeating them to friends and family. Also, thanks to you I can give examples that actually relate to something that I am trying to explain. Overall, Thank you! Keep in touch!
Mike please keep doing what you're doing. For the first time in my life I felt like I was special. That was a good misconception that you played on us. Telling us that you chose each of us individually, and you wanting us specifically for your class after we finished the 3 week course. It was an honor Mike. I really appreciate all that you have done for me. You made lecture and class feel like just another way to learn with your interesting stories and the way you relate the science to real world examples was amazing. Thank you and best of wishes Mike.
Mike is an amazing professor! He puts so much effort into his lectures to make them fun and engaging - lots of discussions, extra credit, funny stories and jokes - it really helps grasp the concepts and it makes the time fly. It is easy to see that he cares a lot about this class and his students. And he bakes for his students which is awesome!
Come for the lemon bars, stay for the life changing advice. Mike doesn't teach you how to build an OSV, he teaches you to succeed in life. Not only the best ENES100 professor, but the easiest as well with multiple extra credit assignments. The kind of teacher you would come back to visit and stay in touch with. Build your schedule around his class
Here's a teacher who is what you would call an ideal professor. He knows his material extremely well and is able to make any lecture interesting. He has endless funny stories that always add to the situation. He does his very best to make sure everyone understands the material. Anyone who has him as a teacher is super lucky, because he is amazing!!
Mike is such an inspiring and interesting teacher who understands how to captivate his students. Mike possesses the ability to relate the lecture to stories that he experienced, which actually helps create an insightful look at the lecture. Mike is such amazing guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to help the student learn from the experience
I'd just like to say thank you for everything you've done for us in the past three weeks. This camp has been incredible, and it's really been eye-opening in terms of what I want to pursue in the future....You are a hilarious person, and you bring out the best in all of us. I can say that you are, without a doubt, the best teacher I've ever had. Once again, thanks for everything Mike, and I hope our paths cross again in the future.
Mike Galczynski is the best professor at UMD hands down.
Mike is the man, I loved him and he was one of my favorite teachers/professors I've ever had. He was so funny and so cool, but he was also so smart and when helping with the OSV, he could really think outside of the box and help us come up with solutions to problems we had. I will always choose Mike as my professor when I see he's teaching a class I'm taking, and I would even take his class if it's not related to what I'm doing, just so I can have him again.
Mike was a great teacher and I would recommend him to everyone!
Hey Mike, I hope all is well with you! I wanted to let you know that I will be starting at the ....... School of Medicine this summer! ..... This would have been impossible without my Berkeley roots! Thank you for all you do for your students. Beyond the physics (and life) skills you impart us with, it's your endless support and encouragement (and awesome recommendation letter writing!) that allows us to go great lengths beyond the classroom and make a difference in the world.
I hope you're doing well! I wanted to let you know that what I learned from your Civil Engineering course has played a significant role in my year thus far. Your course allowed me to develop a unique and mature perspective on the fundamental principles of engineering, the environment, and even life itself.
ENES 100 was a blast this semester, and I was actually just talking with my dad about how much I learned from the OSV project. I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to this course, including going beyond the standard requirements by treating everyone with respect and keeping our morale high with awesome goodies and pep talks.
Thank you again for all of your help and guidance this semester. I think your teaching style especially in the lab kept me level headed and able to think. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that kind of atmosphere in a classroom/lab setting.
Thanks for a great semester in ENES100. I look forward to using the skills and knowledge that I’ve gained in the future. You were a great professor. I appreciated your efforts to present the course material to us in memorable, unique, and effective ways... I hope that other students can enjoy ENES100 with a professor that will ensure that they learn and grow as we did this past semester. Best of luck in your future endeavors; we students need more teachers like you!
Thank you for being such a great and inspiring professor this semester, I truly hope the rest of my years in the Clark school give me the same great experience. I honestly had my doubts and fears pursuing engineering in the beginning, but after going through your class and hearing the advice you gave me on Civil Engineering it definitely helped me solidify and think more about the path I want to pursue.
Your classes were exceedingly engaging, and you provided many interesting activities for us to complete. Most importantly, however, you did so in a way that allowed me to rediscover my passion on my own time. You gave me plenty of room to breathe...and when my moment of transformation came, you acknowledged my final efforts, giving me the confidence I needed to assure myself of the following: all of the work I do can mean the world to me if I put my heart into it... I had to show you the impact you had on me as a student and a person. You allowed me to reconnect with my base purpose, and for that I cannot thank you enough. I owe everything to you and your program, whether or not you realize it, and I needed to let you know
I had you last semester in ENES 100 and always admired the way you viewed situations/problem solving. This especially stuck out to me on the last day of class when you spoke on your experiences about everything that led you to where you are today. I was and still am very inspired.
Mike is great ! He knows the material well and is passionate about what he teaches, but also likes to have fun and genuinely cares for his students. Although the class was rather challenging, I consistently looked forward to it and learned a lot. As long as you apply yourself and take his class seriously, and your grades will fine. :)
Mike is a great professor, he cares about students and wants them to do well grade-wise and also cares that you actually learn in his class. He's good about being hands off and allowing for experiential learning, he'll support your group but he's not going to be doing the project for you. He's nice, funny, and makes good cookies. Take Mike.
Mike was by far my favorite professor this semester. I really enjoyed coming to class because he made it so fun. He was super helpful with our OSV project giving us the guidance & advice we needed to succeed. We could always count on him for motivation & inspirational speeches. He brings food occasionally too. Definitely take his class if you can!
Mike is the best instructor I have had. Nothing else needs to be said.
I came in to SPCS engineering not knowing what to expect, but after attending just a couple of Mike's classes, I realized that he was an amazing teacher as well as a great person in general. He really cares about his students and also has a lot of experience with engineering. It is a shame that the course only lasted three weeks!
Mike is awesome! He cares so much about his students and loves to teach. He is a hilarious lecturer and very helpful throughout the semester. He even brings in sweets to share with his students! Even after you take his class, he is still available to help you out, whether it be engineering related or career advice. TAKE HIS CLASS!
Mike is by far the coolest Professor I've had at UMD. He is a great mentor and someone I have learned a lot from. I took ENCE 489 with him, which was a short-term study abroad program in Prague and I couldn't have asked for a better Professor to travel with. He presents his lectures in a fun, and interactive way making sure everyone is paying attention. He knows his way around Prague and knows the historical details so doing after class activities with him was always fun and educational at the same time. He is a young professor with a lot of experience that you can learn from, so I highly recommend to take him. Mr. Galczynski truly cares about his students and strives to help them grasp concepts and succeed in life. He tends to cater to visual and hands-on learning which makes class more interesting. He has a lot of wisdom and insightful experiences to share. He's also really funny and may or may not give you candy and lemon bars.
Mike is by far the best instructor I've had in college. He makes material easy to understand using relatable and humorous analogies, he is very patient and willing to help, and his lectures are the perfect mixture of relevant jokes or backstories and important information. He also makes you want to work hard for yourself. Overall, great guy.
Mike is an amazing proffessor. He cares a ton about his students and is really good at explaning concepts in a way that makes sense to students. Hes also amazing about feedback. If you feel he could be doing something more, just tell him and he will probably take you up on your suggestion.
Mike was probably one of the best, if not the best, instructors and resources I had at Cal. I had him as a GSI for Physics 8A, which quickly became one of the only discussions I really looked forward to attending because of his enthusiasm, devotion, and ability to present the material in a way that was both informative and engaging. Take him!
Mike has honestly been one of, if not, the most inspirational professor I have ever had as an engineer. He is young, funny, and really understands where the students come from. I consider him a good friend as well as an amazing professor. This class takes a lot of work, but he is there for you ever step of the way. Plus he bakes lemon bars!
Mike is the man. Period. Not only a great professor to take engineering classes with, but an awesome guy to talk to in general. Even though he's a young guy, he has a lot of wisdom and general life experience that he is more than willing to impart on his students given that they listen. Also an excellent baker.
Mike is a genuinely good professor who cares about his students and goes out of his way for them. His lectures are entertaining and he has a good sense of humor. Would recommend taking his class and also befriending him because he'll be there for you when the course is over, too. I had Mike as a Physics 8A Fall 2013 graduate student instructor. He was always prepared, had creative examples for explaining concepts, made going to section something to look forward to, and was really approachable especially for individual help. He's an instructor you remember after leaving college and can say cared about his students.
Mike was probably the most helpful, instructive, relatable, compassionate and communicative teachers while I was in school. Every minute in his lecture/discussion/lab is well spent--and it is equally rewarding for your understanding of the subject and confidence in yourself to have Mike G. on your team. He encourages grit and rewards sincere effort.
One of Mike's strongest attributes is that he's highly approachable. He makes it easy to ask for help, and gives excellent, thorough explanations. He's the kind of prof that is obviously passionate about teaching and the subject, and I'm so glad I got to learn from him. Would definitely take a class with him again!
Mike was one of the best lecturers I've ever listened to. He explained concepts such as resistance in circuits and torque better than any other teacher or professor that I've listened to. He used clear analogies that made it really easy to understand. Also, he's a really good baker, and if you're nice to him, he'll give you candy.
An absolutely great prof who really makes you believe that you can succeed, not just in his class, but in life. He's very approachable and gives great, engaging lectures and made us excited to go to class everyday. I would highly recommend!
Mike was well-known at UC Berkeley for being the best Physics 8A graduate student instructor. He gave clear and engaging lectures, created helpful problems with hilarious drawings, and baked us amazing lemon bars. I dislike physics and do not excel at it, but Mike made a difficult class much more bearable. Take physics with him if you can! Mike is without a doubt one of the greatest teachers I've had the pleasure to learn from. His enthusiasm for the subject matter and the manner of his teaching, through both engaging lectures and a hilarious personality, are second to none. The extent to which Mike was willing to sacrifice his free time to help his students was very inspirational.
Mike was one of the best teachers I've had the privilege of working with. He was clearly very knowledgeable, and his engaging personality and sense of humor created a dynamic classroom environment with lectures that never failed to both entertain and inform. He also took time to arrange wonderful field trips, and was quite approachable.
Professor Mike is amazing!!! He cares about his students so much and prioritizes teaching over everything else! He made me look forward to going to physics class at 8 am because his class was so much fun and he brought food and coffee. He's adorkable :) Taylor Swift, I hope you are reading this.
Hi Mike! Thank you for being the most fun, engaging, and informative professor I have had so far here at UMD! I have been able to apply the things we learned in 102 to more classes/projects than anything else I have learned here so far, and I am very grateful for that! You also first got me to look into study abroad, and now I am excited to be planning to study in Madrid Spain next semester! Thank you for being a great human being, and your lemon bars are phenomenal!Being the best engineering professor I've ever had and always make classes fun and cares about his students a lot.