Current instructor

Ian Baird

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 3.36/5 from 22 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

GEO337 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Taught me genuinely invaluable information that I still reference to this day. Tough class but I learned such important material.
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GEO337 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Great course, great professor
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ENVIRST/GEOG 337
Quality 1/5Difficulty 4/5
I will start by saying that the content of this course is understandable and the concepts aren't too difficult; however, I would not take this class again. Prof Baird is a very tough grader and it's quite difficult to understand what he wants from his students. Also, the lectures are pretty similar to the textbook.
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GEO337 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 5/5
I overall liked this class. Lectures can be very long and he tends to read off the slide but overall interesting content. Tests are wild cards so make sure to know the clean definitions. He expects a lot out of his students and is very tough grader. Take another environmental class before this one. Hard to grasp concepts w/o learning them before.
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ENVIRST/GEOG 557
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Ian is a very traditional lecturer, and most of the course consists of writing two papers, listening in lecture, doing the readings, and a final exam. I found his lecturing style engaging, but he gave minimal direction on the papers in class, so if you struggle with writing at all it would be best to talk to him about your paper in person.
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ENVIRST/GEOG 337
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Professor Baird is a excellent teacher. I am surprised that some others do not see things the way I do. He is friendly and helpful and knows the material he teaches very well. His exams and assignments are not overly difficult.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Ian Baird

ENVIRST/GEOG 337

Nature, Power and Society

3 credits

NATURE, POWER AND SOCIETY explores links between nature, power, and society, examining resource relationships and environmental justice.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Ian Baird is described as a great lecturer who knows his material well and is friendly. However, reviewers also characterize him as a tough grader who expects textbook arguments and offers little personal influence in lectures.

Ian Baird

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited sample
ENVIRST/GEOG 557

Development and Environment in Southeast Asia

3 credits

Examines political, socio-cultural, economic, and ecological aspects of development and human-environment relations in mainland Southeast Asia.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Ian Baird is knowledgeable and engaging, teaching from direct experience in SE Asia and environmental politics. Reviewers find his traditional lecturing style interesting, though he provides minimal direction on the two required papers.

Ian Baird

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2024 · limited sample
GEOG 699

Directed Study

1–3 credits

GEOG 699 is a directed study course allowing students to conduct independent research or study arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Song GaoStephen Young+18 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample
GEOG 990

Research and Thesis

1–9 credits

GEOG 990 is an individual mentored study course for completing theses, arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Song GaoStephen Young+26 more

No recorded grade history

GEOG 999

Independent Work

1–3 credits

GEOG 999 is an independent study course allowing students to arrange specific work with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Song GaoStephen Young+14 more

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026ENVIRST/GEOG 337Nature, Power and Society
Fall 2026ENVIRST/GEOG 557Development and Environment in Southeast Asia
Fall 2026GEOG 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026GEOG 699Directed Study
Fall 2026GEOG 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2026GEOG 999Independent Work

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

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