Historical instructor

Russ CASTRONOVO

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.10/5 from 20 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

ENG481 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Encouraged me to drop his course instead of meeting me halfway when I had a mental health crisis and could not attend his class. I ended up dropping it and finished my college career with a degree and a 3.89 GPA.
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ENGL 461
Quality 2/5Difficulty 3/5
I highly valued taking this course and would recommend you do. However, keep in mind that he spends class trying to get you to say what he is thinking. It is not a difficult class, but one you will go throughout regurgitating what he desires. I could've gotten more from the class had he not made it intimidating to speak. He is also not very kind.
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ENGL 243
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
At first, the class may seem like a lot of work and reading, but Professor Castronovo makes class interesting enough so it does not feel like work. He is extremely kind and is always accessible outside of class. Visit his office hours and he is more than willing to help you through every step of your writing process.
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ENG175 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Castronovo led one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. Lots of reading, some writing, but it is very much worth it. Impacts both your writing and thinking skills. Cannot recommend enough but be prepped for a moderate workload.
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ENG175 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 4/5
Professor Castronovo leads insightful class discussions and makes literature interesting by tying it into current events. But, be prepared to write very often (1-2 short essays per week) and participate consistently in class to get a decent grade. Do not take this class if you think it will be side work to satisfy credits.
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ENGLISH175 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Great professor that increased my understanding of course content and helped me become a better writer. The professor was very approachable and helpful when discussing ideas for assignments. Overall, would highly recommend the professor as he makes the class interesting and is very knowledgeable on the course content.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Russ CASTRONOVO

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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