The only history we got is the life span of mathematicians. Only math on the midterms. The 2nd midterm being 20% of our grade, 20 points, and only having 4 questions means that if you get one of the questions wrong or make small mistakes on two of them your grade is screwed. He also cut me off while I was asking a question.Rate My Professors ↗
Historical instructor
MICHAEL KEMENY
What students say
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Quality 1/5Difficulty 3/5
Quality 1/5Difficulty 4/5
Instead of focusing on the history aspect of this class in any way, it was very much proof and mathematical based. I have heard from other math majors this isn't the way the class usually is. He made the 2nd and 3rd exams purposefully harder because people, "did too well." Also, sometimes he could not read his own proofs and was confused/lost.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 2/5Difficulty 4/5
The midterm and final were each worth 40% of your grade. Stared at the board, didn't go over examples, put proofs on the midterm in a nonproof class, and the textbook was above the level of the class. The homework was impossible and I'm not sure he could do them they were so hard. Wasted the last 2 weeks of class teaching material not on the final.Rate My Professors ↗
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
He tries to teach at a level that is inappropriate for the given class. He often will ask the class questions during lecture and no one will be able to answer them. When he lectures, he normally talks to the board and stands directly in the way of what he is writing so you cannot see. Unhelpful office hours.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Classes with MICHAEL KEMENY
No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.
View last recorded teaching term →No courses match this selection. Try the full catalog or another term.
Recorded teaching history
Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →Browse recorded courses
| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | MATH 764 | Introduction to Algebraic Geometry |
| Fall 2025 | HISTSCI/MATH 473 | History of Mathematics |
| Spring 2025 | MATH 750 | Homological Algebra |
| Spring 2025 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Fall 2024 | HISTSCI/MATH 473 | History of Mathematics |
| Spring 2024 | MATH 699 | Directed Study |
| Spring 2024 | MATH 742 | Abstract Algebra |
| Spring 2024 | MATH 941 | Seminar-algebra |
| Spring 2024 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Fall 2023 | MATH 443 | Applied Linear Algebra |
| Fall 2023 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Spring 2023 | MATH 750 | Homological Algebra |
| Spring 2023 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Fall 2022 | MATH 541 | Modern Algebra 1 |
| Fall 2022 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Spring 2022 | MATH 863 | Advanced Topics in Algebraic Geometry |
| Fall 2021 | MATH 443 | Applied Linear Algebra |
| Fall 2021 | MATH 941 | Seminar-algebra |
| Fall 2021 | MATH 990 | Reading and Research |
| Spring 2020 | MATH 542 | Modern Algebra 2 |
| Fall 2019 | MATH 863 | Advanced Topics in Algebraic Geometry |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
Instructor identity & provenance
{
"instructor_uid": "instructor_9eb4753436927be7d646f7cf",
"source": "madgrades",
"source_instructor_id": "6239610",
"identity_basis": "source_id",
"identity_status": "source_identified",
"name": "MICHAEL KEMENY",
"email": null,
"first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
"last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
"ratings": {
"review_count": 4,
"quality": 1.25,
"difficulty": 4,
"quality_count": 4,
"difficulty_count": 4,
"profile_id": "rmp:2575442",
"source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2575442",
"match_basis": "exact_name",
"observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:18:02.961128+00:00",
"courses": {
"course_858c09056ac5ed119a96d808": {
"review_count": 2,
"quality": 1,
"difficulty": 3.5,
"quality_count": 2,
"difficulty_count": 2
},
"course_6a5fd6b22fd05d58426ea680": {
"review_count": 1,
"quality": 2,
"difficulty": 4,
"quality_count": 1,
"difficulty_count": 1
},
"course_60c2767a206a079d3af2a1a4": {
"review_count": 1,
"quality": 1,
"difficulty": 5,
"quality_count": 1,
"difficulty_count": 1
}
},
"bayesian_quality": 3.2580714862888294,
"prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
"prior_weight": 20
},
"grade_statistics": {
"gpa": 3.59,
"graded": 255,
"counts": [
158,
39,
30,
16,
8,
1,
3
],
"sections": 21
},
"current": false,
"courses": [],
"revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
"instructor_url": "/instructors/MICHAEL_KEMENY--instructor_9eb4753436927be7d646f7cf"
}