[{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:24.170597+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTEyMjE3MjI1","source_instructor_id":"rmp:153868","instructor_name":"Barbara Whitlock","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2006-09-06 23:56:23 +0000 UTC","comment":"Barb got me through the lectures and went nice and slow and was always open to questions (if she spotted your hand). Exams were really hard for me... pretty sure I put magic over one of the arrows for a reaction mechanism...","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/153868","quality_rating":4.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:52:09.696543+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTIzMTU2MzQw","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1818067","instructor_name":"Benjamin Haenni","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2014-05-03 16:58:58 +0000 UTC","comment":"Awesome TA. He made a lengthy lab fun. He's hilarious and very good at teaching. Wish I could take a class from him when he becomes a professor. He even made a meme for us. This is definitely the TA that you want for Organic Chemistry.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1818067","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":2.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTQxMjExMzA0","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2025-05-08 16:14:18 +0000 UTC","comment":"Esselman is the best. The class is pretty good too, I found the exams to be nothing crazy and everyone gets to skip 1 lab for any reason.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTQwNDgxNDE5","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2025-01-04 15:20:50 +0000 UTC","comment":"I had Brian as the lab director for chem 344. Labs were disorganized, poorly written, and often questioned us about material that we didn't cover. Tests are harder than any other course I've taken in ochem.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM5OTE2NzEw","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2024-11-09 02:53:45 +0000 UTC","comment":"CHEM344 with Professor Esselman is a challenging course, but engaging with the content and using study tools like Unstuck AI can help you succeed. The labs are time-consuming, but exams are manageable if you stay on top of the material.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":3.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM5MDYyMDc4","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2024-03-19 01:34:48 +0000 UTC","comment":"Ultimately seems very distant and disinterested in the class and his students' success.  Only method of instruction is videos taken from years ago.  Probably very intelligent about the subject but doesn't seem interested in being a teacher, deflecting almost any direct work with students to TAs.  ","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":1.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM4ODU0NjEy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2024-01-09 15:37:03 +0000 UTC","comment":"Brian Esselman is very knowledgeable about the content. But I would not take a course with him again because instructions were unclear and disorganized, content never covered in class was tested, and he was belittling to students. ","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM4Nzg3NjE4","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2023-12-24 05:23:54 +0000 UTC","comment":"This class is very confusing and disorganized. Each week there was hours of lab work outside of class, and each lab required you to know everything about any chemistry class you have ever taken. The TA's would sometimes answer questions, but half the time they would give you the wrong answer and you would get points off for it. Very tough grading.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3ODU1Mzkx","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2023-05-08 13:45:05 +0000 UTC","comment":"The labs and exams in this course were easy enough to understand. Expect two 2+ hour labs per week plus their 5+ hour postlab reports. Grading criteria on these lab reports can be hard to understand - depending on your TA you may lose points for no reason. Much too much time was spent on this class for two measly credits.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":3.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM3NTA3MjA2","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2023-03-15 13:24:09 +0000 UTC","comment":"Very disorganized course, tons of work each week AND require you to review for 3 exams which are not highly related to the experiments you conduct. Exams and exam grading are unnecessarily rigorous. This course is far more than a 2 credit course (even if you want do average) and avoid taking it with other hard science course.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM2MzUzNTgy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2022-05-16 23:28:43 +0000 UTC","comment":"Brian is passionate about organic chemistry and makes you write pretty in depth lab reports, but this makes studying for the exams a breeze. If you're taking 345 with Esselman/Ellison/Stowe, it is 100% worth taking the lab at the same time. The amount of work this course requires makes me think taking this in summer would be mildly nightmarish.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":4.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM0NzY4ODI4","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2021-05-11 23:12:38 +0000 UTC","comment":"Brian Esselman is definitely one of my favorite professors I've ever had. I was in the combined lecture with him for 343, 344, and 345 and I absolutely loved it. He's passionate about chemistry. I had a couple of circumstances come up that made me unable to take 2 exams at a scheduled time and he was extremely flexible, caring and accommodating.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTM0Njk1MTQ2","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2021-05-04 02:35:23 +0000 UTC","comment":"I went to his office hour once to get help on an exam question I bombed, and he was rude. I was taking 345 at the same time, so concepts like J-coupling weren't taught to me yet, but were on the 344 exam. He seemed uninterested and uncaring. TAs essentially taught the class. After "getting help", I only asked TAs about concepts.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTMyNzM0MzY1","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2019-12-21 00:57:55 +0000 UTC","comment":"Okay so yes the TAs technically teach lab, but Brian is integral to the entire set up. It is a HARD class. Absolutely so demanding on your entire life. Don't let Brian fool you, he's extremely approachable and will answer all of your burning ochem questions. You WILL need to visit office hours to do well in this class. They're there. Use them.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTIyMzU5Njgy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2013-11-20 20:50:12 +0000 UTC","comment":"The WebMO lectures were horrible. Dr. Esselman spent most of the time just showing off how much he knew about chemistry (I dont know why he feels the need to show off to undergraduates)and didn't do much actual instruction on how to use the program, leaving the students to spend the semester stumbling through the program","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":2.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:51:18.949684+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTIxMTkxMTU1","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1445180","instructor_name":"Brian Esselman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2012-12-31 23:24:34 +0000 UTC","comment":"He has high expectation to students but try to be helpful at the same time. You can tell he really wants you to learn and know the material rather than simply makes your life easier by giving you a good grade.Also give him credit for trying so hard to be funny.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1445180","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:43:31.034509+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE0Njc2NzYw","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1021213","instructor_name":"Dino Ress","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2008-07-22 00:58:10 +0000 UTC","comment":"Dino is one of the nicest and most helpful professors i have had.  Get to know him through office hours!!  He is really down to earth and cares about his students. Also extremely funny and knows what he is talking about!!! I can't say enough good things about him!","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1021213","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:35:57.084768+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTIyMDU5MTU5","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1832958","instructor_name":"Iain McPherson","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2013-08-16 11:37:24 +0000 UTC","comment":"IF YOU CAN GET INTO IAIN'S LAB, BE IN IAIN'S LAB!  He's just a bro.  While some people might been offended by his language, you need to get over yourself and just deal with it, because it's worth it.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1832958","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":2.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:35:56.530987+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE2ODI4MzM5","source_instructor_id":"rmp:255838","instructor_name":"Ieva Reich","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2010-02-24 21:32:11 +0000 UTC","comment":"She is a very good teacher.  Very easy to understand and she explains herself very well.  At times she comes off as abrasive, but she has good intentions.  She makes you feel like you need to know the stuff to make her happy, so you want to learn it and you're ashamed if you can't make her happy.  I  think that actually helps her teaching ability.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/255838","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:35:56.530987+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE0MjgwNTcz","source_instructor_id":"rmp:255838","instructor_name":"Ieva Reich","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2008-04-12 02:45:06 +0000 UTC","comment":"The material is extremely difficult, and while she does a great job at teaching it, there is no way to make this stuff interesting or easy to understand. She will blow you away with her ability to remember names.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/255838","quality_rating":3.0,"difficulty_rating":5.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:19:51.371934+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTIzNDgyNDQ4","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1287737","instructor_name":"Matt Bowman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2014-07-29 19:09:27 +0000 UTC","comment":"Best Professor at UW.  TAKE HIM for orgo","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1287737","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":2.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:19:51.371934+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE1OTMyNzgy","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1287737","instructor_name":"Matt Bowman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2009-06-04 17:55:27 +0000 UTC","comment":"Picture the ultimate chemistry lover and that is Matt. He is yes, very nerdy, but  because he loves chemistry so much, he's very helpful and approachable.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1287737","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":2.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:19:51.371934+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE1ODU0NjMw","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1287737","instructor_name":"Matt Bowman","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2009-05-17 16:34:50 +0000 UTC","comment":"Haha, what a nerd. Great guy, loves students.","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1287737","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:12:18.615758+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE2MDkyNjAx","source_instructor_id":"rmp:1309162","instructor_name":"Paul White","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2009-08-04 23:13:24 +0000 UTC","comment":"Paul is a great TA!  He makes ochem lab fun and interesting and explains concepts very well! He writes challenging quizzes, but if you study, you should do alright.  He is also very helpful and loves to teach. Ask him about anything chem-related and he gets super excited.  Overall, he's a great TA and makes ochem lab fun!!","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1309162","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:06:07.683119+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTU0MTE1NQ==","source_instructor_id":"rmp:123919","instructor_name":"Shannon Stahl","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2003-02-04 22:13:57 +0000 UTC","comment":"He was awesome!","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/123919","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":3.0},{"observed_at":"2026-09-07 16:02:31.739390+00:00","run_id":"20260907T155543-ce3781c4","source_review_id":"UmF0aW5nLTE4MjQyNTU0","source_instructor_id":"rmp:2771012","instructor_name":"Tehshik Yoon","course_label":"CHEM344","course_id":"CHEM 344","course_uid":"course_75930c37cc749772d3f9356c","review_date":"2011-02-24 15:43:24 +0000 UTC","comment":"Awesome guy. Really reaches out to students and wants you to succeed. Class isn't easy, but having a great professor really helps","source_url":"https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2771012","quality_rating":5.0,"difficulty_rating":4.0}]