Current instructor

Ellen Damschen

Adjusted rating

RMP difficulty

captured reviews

About this rating

Raw average: 3.80/5 from 35 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

BIO152 · course not matched2026-07-08

Quality 4/5Difficulty 2/5

Nice and fun professor who likes to incorporate activities, even in large lecture halls. She is pretty chill, and the Ecology unit itself is not too difficult, so mostly just read through the slides to prepare.

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BIO152 · course not matched2026-05-07

Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5

I really don't understand, she used terminology that we had not learned. The other professors were better.

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BIO152 · course not matched2026-05-05

Quality 2/5Difficulty 1/5

The least stimulating professor ever. I was genuinely falling asleep in her class.

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BIO152 · course not matched2026-04-30

Quality 1/5Difficulty 1/5

Very unorganized. Lectures are very boring and are not worth going to. She seems to have a hard time teaching very easy content. Other 2 professors were MUCH better.

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BIO152 · course not matched2026-04-27

Quality 2/5Difficulty 1/5

Seems to care a good bit, but lectures are very boring and the ecology unit as a whole is about as unorganized as it gets.

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BIO152 · course not matched2026-04-23

Quality 2/5Difficulty 1/5

She obviously really likes what she teaches but her slides won't make sense if you're not actively present during lecture

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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Ellen Damschen

BOTANY 691

Senior Thesis

2–3 credits

Senior thesis course involving individual research for students completing theses as arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Simon Gilroy David Baum+12 more

No recorded grade history

BOTANY 692

Senior Thesis

2–3 credits

Senior thesis course in Botany involving individual research for students completing theses as arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Simon Gilroy David Baum+15 more

No recorded grade history

BOTANY 699

Directed Study

1–4 credits

Directed Study: Explore research questions in botany through guidance and mentorship in a research environment.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

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

Simon Gilroy David Baum+15 more

No recorded grade history

BOTANY 995

Research-plant Ecology

1–12 credits

Research-Plant Ecology involves independent research in the area of Plant Ecology.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Ken Keefover-Ring Kate McCulloh+6 more

No recorded grade history

ZOOLOGY 299

Directed Studies in Zoology

1–3 credits

Directed Studies in Zoology offers directed study or independent research where students experience hypothesis development and research through faculty mentorship.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=15 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=14 letter grades).

Scott Hartman Sharon Thoma+29 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2024–Spring 2026 · limited sample

ZOOLOGY 681

Senior Honors Thesis

1–6 credits

SENIOR HONORS THESIS provides mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Scott Hartman Karen Strier+22 more

No recorded grade history

ZOOLOGY 682

Senior Honors Thesis

1–4 credits

Mentored individual research and study for students completing a thesis in an Honors program.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Scott Hartman Karen Strier+66 more

No recorded grade history

ZOOLOGY 692

Senior Thesis

1–4 credits

Senior Thesis offers mentored individual research and study for students completing a senior thesis.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Scott Hartman Karen Strier+28 more

No recorded grade history

ZOOLOGY 699

Directed Studies in Zoology

1–6 credits

Directed Studies in Zoology consists of selected research projects for juniors and seniors.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2019: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Spring 2020: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades).

Scott Hartman Karen Strier+52 more

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

ZOOLOGY 990

Research

1–9 credits

Advanced research in biology as part of graduate program requirements, arranged with mentoring faculty.

Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources

Karen Strier Jeff Hardin+39 more

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →

Browse recorded courses

Term	Course	Title
Spring 2027	BOTANY 691	Senior Thesis
Spring 2027	BOTANY 692	Senior Thesis
Spring 2027	BOTANY 699	Directed Study
Spring 2027	BOTANY 995	Research-plant Ecology
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 299	Directed Studies in Zoology
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 681	Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 682	Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 692	Senior Thesis
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 699	Directed Studies in Zoology
Spring 2027	ZOOLOGY 990	Research
Fall 2026	BOTANY 299	Directed Study in Botany
Fall 2026	BOTANY 691	Senior Thesis
Fall 2026	BOTANY 699	Directed Study
Fall 2026	BOTANY 995	Research-plant Ecology
Fall 2026	BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 460	General Ecology
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 299	Directed Studies in Zoology
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 681	Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 682	Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 691	Senior Thesis
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 692	Senior Thesis
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 699	Directed Studies in Zoology
Fall 2026	ZOOLOGY 990	Research

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

Instructor identity & provenance

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