ME 510 Undergraduate Heat Transfer
Very good at relating material outside of class to the things we learn in class.
Covered important aspects and seemed interested in teaching.
Knows subject matter and encourages thinking independently.
Very clear, enthusiastic, always had a direction.
Probably the best professor I've ever had.
Explains things well.
Instructor is well prepared.
Able to communicate subject matter clearly. (easy to understand)
Quizzes force students to keep up with material.
Lecture notes were effective.
Forcing students to work problems in class and calling on them makes them pay more attention. Good job.
Appreciate the professor's efforts towards class.
Makes good connection to life examples.
Well prepared with many transparencies.
Professor always made himself available.
His knowledge of subject a strength.
He did a good job of covering a lot of material. I like how he still somehow found time to ask the students questions about the material and had us do practice problems in class.
He was easy to talk to and was one of the best teachers I have ever had.
"Was able to communicate material/questions clearly"
"Knows the material"
"Straight forward lectures were easy to follow."
"Spoke well, handwriting, well at introducing new concepts"
"He is very knowledgeable and makes things interesting."
"Good at explaining concepts"
"Understanding of Students"
"Enthusiastic about teaching and well qualified"
"Good speaker, fun to listen to"
"Good presentation-he cuts through the theory and presents the core ideas clearly."
"The lectures were well organized. He started with the theory and derivation then would build to useful applications in a good manner."
"This was a well presented class."
"Good lecturer"
"Ability to explain theory/problems in a matter that all can understand is a strength."
"Knows material very well and its easily understood."
"When assistance was needed he was very helpful in trying to solve the problems."
"Explains things very well"
"Very informed lectures, well organized."
"Explains concepts clearly, good notes."
"He was very well informed on all of the material in the course so it made it easier to learn from him."
"Consistently asks if we understand material-will explain in sufficient detail even if its something we should have remembered from before."
"He is one of the best instructors I've had at OSU."
"Strengths-Problem solving sessions during the part of lectures."
"Pretty good class overall."
"Good lecturer, fine dresser."
"Ability to convey material a strength."
"Good explanation of theory"
"did an excellent job doing example problems."
"good lecturer, explains concepts very clearly."
"Strength- Works example problems."
"Vafai was always interested in helping if I had problems."
"Explaining theory is a strength and his promptness in grading."
"Project was interesting. Lectures were very good."
"The instructor communicated the subject matter well."
"The instructor was very interested in his subject and made a very goo atmosphere for learning."
"The problem solving sessions were very helpful."
"I really liked having him work out problems in class to show the application of the theories discussed"
"YES!! Finally a class that gives more application than theory. The assignments did a good job of showing the theory in practice."
"The instructor's lectures didn't lag and he gave homework corresponding to the lectures."
"The instructor was one of the better motivators I had this quarter."
"Well organized, Problem solving session helped greatly."
"Problems worked in class a strength."
"Professor Vafai is one of the best professors!"
"Lectures very organized and relevant to important material."
"Overall good lecturer."
"Good explanations and answers to questions."
"Good examples during second hour of class"
"Encourages questions."
"It is obvious that he enjoys the subject."
"Gives pretty good examples."
"The review sessions were very helpful."
"The concept of student feedback is a good one-more instructors should use it."
"Also the homework system-given a day to ask questions before it was due was a good idea."
"Includes examples in class with lecture notes."
"Monitored classes response to class on weekly basis."
"Tried to explain questions."
"Good homework load. (not too much)"
"Very organized and explained himself well."
"Excellent professor, probably one of my best at OSU."
"Very concerned about students learning material."
"Excellent instructor. Very concerned."
"Highly experienced."
"I liked the interaction."
"Good pace, meaningful homework and class examples."
"Lectures were informative and helpful. "
"I like the idea of having the students comment on lecture speed, etc. on the handout."
"He knows his stuff."
"The last problem solving session was a good idea- a very good review and gives us an idea of what will be on the final."
"Major strengths: going over homework problems and visual aids."
"Review of homework problems in class was very helpful. "
"Good, clear lectures."
"Great professor-definitely knows his material and communicates it well."
"Always available for help."
"Homework was adequate to teach material, but not overwhelming."
"He was a great instructor and always ready to help."
"Good lectures."
"Does a good job of explaining what he is writing on the board-makes each lecture much clearer."
"Emphasized the important material."
"The instructor did motivate me through his video, spectrometer and presentation data."
"Professor Vafai's lectures are well planned, in that not only does he represent the material of heat transfer, he keeps it interesting."
"Very good lecture pace, not too fast or slow."
"Vafai is one of the better ME instructors who seems genuinely interested in the students ability to grasp the subject matter."
"He encouraged participation."
"I also liked the straightforward approach to the book."
"Well presented lectures."
"Knows his stuff."
"Cares a lot. Good professor."
"Good interesting speaker."
"Keeps the class moving."
"Does not stumble over any topic."
"Makes sure the students understand everything."
"The frequency of homework was very good, with the amount assigned, you were able to make an honest effort."
"Recaps material in the beginning of class, good speaker."
"The best instructor I think I have ever had at Ohio State."
"Thorough with lecture material, reinforces basic material."
"Generates interest among students."
"Very helpful in office hours."
"Professor Vafai is one of the best M.E. instructors that I have had."
"Explains things well, and does lots of example problems."
"Knows material well."
"Knowledge of the subject and, homework size and relevance are strengths."
"Very knowledgeable about subject."
"One of the best professors I have had at OSU."
"Very enthusiastic, interesting lectures."
"I think that Dr. Vafai is probably the best professor I've had in the M.E. department."
"Very perceptive of the students, how well they are understanding the material. Professor Vafai would slow down when the students were having problems grasping the material."
"The instructor was excited about the material and he was always willing to help the students."
"One of the best professors in the department. It's nice to have a teacher who cares about teaching and the students."
"Seems concerned about teaching the basic that will help us in the future and not trying to bring us up to his level."
"By using homework problems in class, to cause us to think about a coming up topic or difficult topic, we are better able to understand the material. He stresses understanding concepts and their application. Seems to enjoy teaching and is very responsive to questions."
"One of the better professors I've had."
"He made the learning easy."
"The approach to the vast amount of material is good."
"Doesn't do as many proofs, more practical applications."
"Instructor's use of examples and in class questions were very helpful."
"Lectures were generally good."
"The course was presented very well."
"Knows his material very well and did a good job explaining it."
"He is the best teacher I have ever had in the ME department."
"Good knowledge of the subject matter."
"The course was well organized and being able to do the homework in class was a big help in understanding the topics."
"Understanding professor. Willing to help when needed."
"Good attitude towards students."
"Seems to be very responsive to questions and wants to be sure that everyone understands."
"He makes sure class understands topic in class and allows students to spend time working problems and asking questions."
"Emphasis on problem solving was very good for us."
"I like the changes the instructor has made for this quarter. i.e. concentration on fewer topics in order to make understanding more thorough."
"I liked the way problems were assigned in class because it gave us time to ask questions. He also interacted very well with the students which is quite unusual for mechanical engineering."
"Dr. Vafai was very interesting."
"Some strengths are an emphasis on class participation and an effort to make sure the students thoroughly understand the concepts introduced during each class."
"Good communication, understands students and student's problems, well prepared, and knowledgeable."
"Bends rules to accommodate student's needs."
"Interaction with class with homework problems was very helpful."
"Very interactive with class."
"The clarity of the lectures and class interaction were useful."
"I think he was genuinely interested in what he was teaching."
"Well prepared."
"One of the strengths is the ability to talk to the students and not at them."
"Good interaction with the class-this helps because questions are raised that might not have been considered- it gives students a feel for how well they understand material compared to the students."
"Seems to care about students. Asks a lot questions to encourage participation."
"Instructor takes his time and allows the students to think about material."
"Gives good background material and "real life" applications."
"Good knowledge of material."
"He explains the material very well and covers the material by solving class problems."
"Examples in class are helpful."
"Writing down important equations a strength."
"Communicated material very well to students."
"Enthusiasm and willingness to answer questions a strength."
"He handles questions of the class thoroughly and his examples and problems done in class have really helped understand the material."
"He got across the main idea of course topics well - he tried to work problems in class as much as possible."
"He was enthusiastic about the topic and helpful the couple of times I went to talk to him."
"Welcomes questions, cares about students, tries to explain real meaning behind things."
"Very thorough knowledge of subject."
"He kept lectures interesting, the class was not boring."
"Tried to explain things well."
"Interacts well with class."
"The instructor knows his material very well."
"Thorough knowledge of subject. Is sincerely interested in students education."
"Very good working knowledge of material- very responsive to student questions, requests, and feedback."
"He explains things clearly and thoroughly."
"He enjoys the subject he teaches and so I thought he was a good motivator."
"Good understanding of material"
"Clear loud voice."
"I think he explains things very clearly."
"Thorough knowledge, gives practical exams, draws useful diagrams."
"Very available."
"Wants the students to truly understand the material, not just how to solve a problem."
"I appreciate having an instructor who cares whether the student learns."
"Motivational."
"The instructor is very enthusiastic and enjoys teaching this subject."
"Instructor is well organized in lecture."
"Strengths- answering questions, homework performed in class."
"The instructor was very well prepared."
"The instructor was always available."
"Very good lecturer. Interested in helping students learn the material."
"The instructor has a very good understanding of the material and related it very well to the students."
"His notes for explanations were very good. He always took time to answer questions."
"Strengths- brought in examples sometimes, correlated well with the book."
"Knows his material well."
ME 808 Graduate Convection Heat Transfer
"Knowledgeable-Very Much-In a very broad spectrum"
"Always, He has time for students."
"Excellent organization of the class."
"Very active in class, keeps the class alive. The time went pretty fast."
"Very enthusiastic about the topic"
"Encourages thought during lectures"
"Very motivated by Dr. Vafai"
"Very approachable and helpful."
"Excellent instructor."
"Helped when I had questions"
"the professor was excellent."
"Good display of "physical feel" of various problems."
"Overall it was quite informative and insightful."
"He knows the material well."
"The instructor provides an excellent knowledge for convection problems. Also, the instructor gives the practical experiment to prove the concept."
ME 710 Intermediate Heat and Mass Transfer
"He had a strong knowledge of the material, exam problems were fair"
"His energy and interest in teaching is a strength. He is concerned if the students learn the information."
"Instructor is very busy but always made time if a student stopped by."
"Great lectures."
"the major strength was in explaining how to do the problems."
"Good home work examples.."
"Going over the homework in class is great."
"I think a good job was done in emphasizing what was important."
"Enthusiastic. Willing to answer all questions."
"Most lectures were interesting despite length."
"Going over assigned problems a strength."
"Enthusiastic for subject. Professor is nice."
"Quizzes are good."
"Many example problems were given. This was very good."
"Various subjects were introduced. Good!"
"Professor was knowledgeable."
"Very good interaction."
"Good flexibility for suggestions."
"Knowledge of material a strength."
"Good pace for the material presented."
ME 581 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory
"Very good theory lecturer."
"Good knowledge of subject."
"He was not uptight about lecture and lab work. He seemed to try to be in tune with the students wants and needs."
"Good lecturer and speaker. Very personable."
"He is very helpful when there is a question."
"Well organized, knew the material well."
" The instructor's information helped us a lot designing our project."
"Excellent knowledge and enthusiasm."
"Very helpful."
"The instructor was enthusiastic about the project and very helpful in answering questions."
"Good enthusiasm for the material."
"Very accessible."
ME 512 Undergraduate Heat and Fluid Lab
"At this point the lectures are so clear and somehow I think the examples and problems explained are strongly explained some views that might be helpful to start thinking about some point to focus on during the experiments.
"The instructor's lectures were interesting. He is very knowledgeable in heat transfer."
"The lectures were well informed."
"The lectures were informative lectures with great examples"
ME 806 Graduate Fluid Mechanics
"Thorough coverage of topics, clearly shows development"
"Breadth of knowledge reflected in lectures."
"Interesting subjects were introduced."
"Strong physical background introduction."
"Good explanation of solving various flow problems."
"The lectures were very well presented and informative."
"Excellent knowledge of material."
"Very clear explanations of complicated material."
"I find Dr. Vafai very enthusiastic, helpful, and approachable."
"Excellent class."
"The material was nicely covered in a well organized way. The course was very interactive."
"Very clear and straight forward in explaining solutions."
"Dr. Vafai is very personable and very helpful when asked questions."
"Enthusiastic for subject."
"Adapting to a class needs is a strength."
"Plenty of examples provide good insight in the physics of flow field."
"Analytical ability a major strength."
"Well prepared and knows the subject matter well."
"Clear and concise."
"Listens to feedback from students."
"Lectures on theory and does problems."
"Good examples."
"he knows the subject very well."
"Basically well-organized and followed syllabus and notified us of changes in syllabus when necessary."
"The instructor seemed to recognize student problems so he emphasized more on unclear subjects."
"Lectures are generally good."
"Teacher knew the subject well and was prepared for class."
"Dr. Vafai was easy to approach and handled questions in class very well."
"The strengths were that he started teaching the material from the ground level. He did not jump into the middle of the material and lose everybody."
ME 815 Graduate Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media
"Knowledgeable"
"Gets to the point"
"Answers any question"
"Knows a great deal of heat transfer and related areas"
"Excellent professor. Keep this way, updated! Top of the line on porous media. Presenting updated material."
"Very good instructor."
"The instructor has a wide experience in the field covered in this course and the lecture has been very good."
"Strong background in the major field and Math field."
"Good discussions in class."
"Strong knowledge of the subject matter and very motivating/interactive with students."
"Very well informed instructor."
"Extensive research experience in particular subject a strength."
"Knows the subject well."
"I think the most strengths of the lecture is the instructor's own research experience and familiarity in this field. Also creative participance is highly encouraged in this course."
"Dedication to the students' understanding of the material-questions are encouraged and ever detail is explained."
"Use of examples-all examples have practical applications so understanding is enhanced."
"Professor Vafai is excited about the material and it shows!"
"He explains the material very well."
"Good examples in dealing with practical problems."
"The instructor was well prepared for the lecture."
"He is well prepared for the material."
"He was ready to help when the need arose."
"The major strength of the instructor is that he gets the class interested with a practical problem and then models it theoretically with a solution after simplifying procedures if possible."
ME 809 Graduate Thermal Radiation
"Comprehensive coverage of the pertinent theory."
"Good pace especially with the use of transparencies."
"Very wide background knowledge in heat transfer reflected through lectures."
"Good notes, excellent use of examples."
"Good analogies for abstract topics."
"Very strong in theoretical aspects."
"Fundamental theory, a major strength."
"Strong knowledge of subject."
"The exam format was excellent."
"Combination of lectures, examples and exams is very good in learning the radiation."
"He gave me good conceptions for radiation."
"Instructor did a great job motivating with examples of radiation problems (applied)."
"Materials were covered in an appropriate way, where build up strategy was followed supported by problems."
ME 503 Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics
"The lectures are usually pretty interesting. Professor Vafai tries to keep them at a level where the students will enjoy or at least amuse themselves. -Very Good."
"Excellent lecturer. (It is possible to learn the material without spending hours reading the book.)"
"Our quizzes and midterm were covered very well before we took them."
"Dr. Vafai is one of the 3 best professors that I have had in 3 ½ years at OSU."
"Very straightforward lecture told what you need to know."
"The lectures are very good. Some of the best I've had."
"the lectures were interesting enough. The teacher had a good relationship with the class which helped the atmosphere of the class."
"Lectures were very instructive due to the problem-solving approach and open interaction."
"The lecturer is enthusiastic and knows the subject well."
"Instructor Vafai is, in my opinion, the best teacher in this department. He cares that the students understand the material and really tries to make all of the material crystal clear."
"Simplification of complex material is a strength."
"I like very much the way he taught the class. he broke down the book's complex representation of equations into simpler equations."
"It was great when many examples were done and homework was gone over in class."
"Good lecturer."
"Lectures were kept very interesting by the instructor."
"Overall lectures were kept interesting, and presentation was very good."
"Instructor did a good job of teaching what the book lacked."
"Strengths are knowledge of subject, intensity, and class interaction."
"Lectures were pretty good."
"Dr. Vafai's lectures were always interesting."
"Solving homework problems in class was useful and helped to create a better understanding of the material."
"I liked the way he did not refer to the book too often. I also liked going over homework in class. Lectures did not get boring. Good job."
"Going over homework problems a major strength."
"Does a lot of examples, explains homework solutions class and does it well. Lectures are good for a few laughs so you don't mind coming."
"The instructor seemed to know much about the course material."
"He encouraged participation"
"Also interacted well with students over homework."
"Right to the point, did not mess with trivial points, gave us the material we needed and put it on the tests."
"Everything is usually explained very well."
"The instructor was motivational and available for help."
"Instructor's lectures were very good. I learned the material better through his format."
"Instructor taught the course very well."
"Instructor simplified the material."
"The instructor presented material in an easy to follow manner."
"He hit the nail right on the head! He doesn't mess around with excess derivations, etc."
"He was extremely helpful and willing to help out even outside of office hours."
"Overall I thought the lectures were very good."
"Good lecturer."
"I liked the lectures and going over the problems at a latter time."
"Good presentation of material."
"Doing homework problems in class helpful."
"The examples given are a strength."
"He is knowledgeable on this subject."
"The instructor mad the course interesting."
"He's very enthusiastic about his subject which makes the class better."
"He goes over homework so you know what you are doing."
"Very knowledgeable in subjects."
"Relates fairly well to students."
"Problem solving good."
"Has a lot of interaction with students."
"Does a lot of examples on board."
"Good understanding of material."
"Does examples and explains well."
"Seems to enjoy teaching. Excellent in helping one on one."
"He is a good lecturer."
"Knew the material well and was well prepared for class."
"Knows material, communicated well most of the time, enthusiastic."
"Teacher was good on getting class to interact and discuss material."
"Liked going over problems in class."
"Teacher was very sympathetic to other class loads and exams- nice for a change."
"Thorough knowledge of subject."
"Good presentation."
"Enthusiastic."
"Well organized, writes well."
"Understandable, with good presentation of topics."
"Excellent knowledge of subject and the ability to convey this knowledge."
"Was enthusiastic and a nice guy."
ME 501 Undergraduate Thermodynamics
"Lectures were good, material outlined and covered was relevant, and in class problem solving was excellent."
"Stressed major points and explained concepts very well."
"Strengths are that he usually highlights the most important issues from the text and that sample problems are studied in class."
"Examples provide good application for the lectures and are very helpful. Pointing out the implications of the may assumptions was also helpful."
"The instructor stimulated interest and answered questions and gave illustrations which were interesting."
"Good interaction with students."
"Good question and answer sessions."
"The examples given are very helpful. Going over homework problems before they are due is also very helpful."
"Good explanation of qualitative analysis given by equations"
"The instructor was available for assistance and made the class more interesting than I expected it to be."
"I thought that Vafai was very flexible with the students needs and was open to changes or suggestions."
"The homework sets were very useful to the course. Lectures were very good and question sections were useful. Also, working problems in class was a good idea."
"I thought the classwork moved along at a good pace. We were not crammed with material and had time to explain and understand the information."
"He is a good teacher. His lecture is clear."
"Good knowledge of course."
"Good tests and homework."
"I liked the problem solving in class a lot. That really helps."
"Was well prepared for the particular class, knows the material well."
"Communication skills a strength i.e.. spoke at a level the students could comprehend."
"Was very helpful and willing to see students even outside of office hours."
"He explains his lectures very well and gives adequate examples."
"The lectures went quite well. Explanations were very good. This is important as this can be a very hard to comprehend subject."
"The instructor was more than willing to teach all that you needed to know "
"Strengths include the instructors knowledge of the material."
"I thought the lectures were very well presented."
"The material was clearly explained and satisfactory answers to most questions were given."
"The major strength was his emphasis of the fundamentals."
"Good knowledge of subject matter."
"Good that homework problems are done in class."
"Answers questions during lecture."
"He's helpful in terms of answering questions."
"Good organization."
"Explains problems and principles better than the book."
"Follows the book. This helps clarify confusion."
"Instructor always tried to clarify confusing points."
"Good lecture"
"He derives the equations quite well."
"The instructor knows the material very well."