Current instructor

Ankur Desai

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.62/5 from 8 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

ATM171 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Fantastic professor and probably one of my favorite. His lectures are clear, relatively easy to understand, and almost an easy A. There is a few papers but that's expected of a Comm B. There is a textbook but its not required (most readings are not required but you'll get the most out of the course that way). Group project (Fall 2021) but easy.
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ATM171 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Taken for Comm B/Phys Sci. Bi-weekly (noncumulative) quizzes and papers and no finals/midterms. Can use notes during quizzes. Lecture slides posted online. Not too "science-y" of a science class. Light on homework, apart from the … Read full reviewShow less
Taken for Comm B/Phys Sci. Bi-weekly (noncumulative) quizzes and papers and no finals/midterms. Can use notes during quizzes. Lecture slides posted online. Not too "science-y" of a science class. Light on homework, apart from the papers (all of which were pretty short). All in all, a great class for knocking out these requirements. Great professor.
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ATM171 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Desai seems really knowledgeable in lectures, and really knows what he's talking about. He throws a lot of information at you, but just copy it down since the quizzes are open notes and come right off of his lectures. Just papers and quizzes, no final or midterm, pretty straightforward layout. Would recommend for Comm B.
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ATM171 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Desai is very cool and very knowledgeable about the classes he teaches. He lays out very clear grading criteria and gives you plenty of time to work on the papers and such he assigns. If you show up to class you will get an A.
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ENVIR171 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Took to fulfill Comm B. Requirement. Boring voice. Not exciting. Not textbook heavy. Not too much reading. Recommend taking notes on a computer. Bi-weekly papers, Bi-weekly quizzes. No midterms or final. Papers are time consuming, but content is easy, not complicated. Lowest quiz grade dropped. 2 Long Papers. Must take notes, PPTs not helpful
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ATM171 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
I needed to fulfill a physical science breadth requirement, and I am glad that I had taken this class by Professor Desai. There is either a short paper or open-note quiz every week; attendance matters; and two longer papers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it isn't at all. Plus, there is no final. I would recommend.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Ankur Desai

ATMOCN 682

Senior Honors Thesis

3 credits

Individual mentored study for seniors completing theses for Honors in the Major as arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

Jonathan MartinAndrea Lang+18 more

No recorded grade history

ATMOCN 699

Directed Study

1–5 credits

Directed Study offering independent study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Jonathan MartinAndrea Lang+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2024–Spring 2024 · limited sample
ATMOCN 999

Advanced Independent Study

1–6 credits

Advanced independent study in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, arranged individually with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2021: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

Jonathan MartinAndrea Lang+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026 · limited sample
CIVENGR 699

Independent Study

1–9 credits

Independent Study for civil or environmental engineering under faculty supervision, involving conducting and reporting on research.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Sue AhnDante Fratta+38 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample
CIVENGR 890

Pre-dissertator's Research

1–9 credits

Pre-dissertation research under faculty supervision where students integrate multidisciplinary knowledge to develop and test civil or environmental engineering research hypotheses.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Sue AhnDante Fratta+39 more

No recorded grade history

CIVENGR 990

Thesis

1–12 credits

Thesis work under faculty supervision where students integrate multidisciplinary knowledge to develop and test civil or environmental engineering research hypotheses.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Sue AhnDante Fratta+39 more

No recorded grade history

CIVENGR 999

Advanced Independent Study

1–9 credits

Advanced Independent Study allows students to conduct and report on independent civil or environmental engineering research under faculty supervision.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Sue AhnDante Fratta+30 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2023 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2027ATMOCN 681Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 691Senior Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 692Senior Thesis
Spring 2027ATMOCN 698Directed Study
Spring 2027ATMOCN 699Directed Study
Spring 2027ATMOCN 990Research
Spring 2027ATMOCN 999Advanced Independent Study
Spring 2027CIVENGR 699Independent Study
Spring 2027CIVENGR 790Master's Research or Thesis
Spring 2027CIVENGR 890Pre-dissertator's Research
Spring 2027CIVENGR 990Thesis
Spring 2027CIVENGR 999Advanced Independent Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 404Meteorological Measurements
Fall 2026ATMOCN 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026ATMOCN 691Senior Thesis
Fall 2026ATMOCN 692Senior Thesis
Fall 2026ATMOCN 698Directed Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 699Directed Study
Fall 2026ATMOCN 903Research Advances in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Fall 2026ATMOCN 990Research
Fall 2026ATMOCN 999Advanced Independent Study
Fall 2026CIVENGR 699Independent Study
Fall 2026CIVENGR 790Master's Research or Thesis
Fall 2026CIVENGR 890Pre-dissertator's Research
Fall 2026CIVENGR 990Thesis
Fall 2026CIVENGR 999Advanced Independent Study

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
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