# THOMAS PURNELL — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison

[View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/THOMAS_PURNELL--instructor_2b1635a98764e06cbfb7d6ab)

## Dataset

### search projection

#### version

1

#### terms

* 1272
* 1264
* 1262
* 1254
* 1252
* 1244
* 1242
* 1234
* 1232
* 1224
* 1222
* 1212
* 1204
* 1202
* 1194
* 1192
* 1184
* 1182
* 1174
* 1172
* 1164
* 1162
* 1154
* 1152
* 1144
* 1142
* 1134
* 1132
* 1124
* 1122
* 1114
* 1112
* 1104
* 1102
* 1094
* 1092
* 1084
* 1082
* 1074
* 1072

### revision

e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349

### repository

twangodev/uwcourses

### schema version

6

### importer version

8

### projection id

7eb94c60c31fe3d8ae732986b7f3d069e1345ae92fd6239119e63b9d2461969d

### observed at

2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00

### built at

2026-10-01T19:10:41.241229+00:00

### courses

8951

### current instructors

5754

### limited

false

### terms

* 1272
* 1264
* 1262
* 1254
* 1252
* 1244
* 1242
* 1234
* 1232
* 1224
* 1222
* 1212
* 1204
* 1202
* 1194
* 1192
* 1184
* 1182
* 1174
* 1172
* 1164
* 1162
* 1154
* 1152
* 1144
* 1142
* 1134
* 1132
* 1124
* 1122
* 1114
* 1112
* 1104
* 1102
* 1094
* 1092
* 1084
* 1082
* 1074
* 1072

### term

1272

### departments

| subject   | count |
| --------- | ----- |
| AAE       | 90    |
| ABT       | 20    |
| ACCTIS    | 36    |
| ACTSCI    | 14    |
| AFAERO    | 10    |
| AFRICAN   | 87    |
| AFROAMER  | 71    |
| AGROECOL  | 21    |
| AMERIND   | 53    |
| ANAT\&PHY | 7     |
| ANATOMY   | 2     |
| ANESTHES  | 8     |
| ANSCI     | 57    |
| ANTHRO    | 95    |
| ART       | 125   |
| ARTED     | 10    |
| ARTHIST   | 121   |
| ASIALANG  | 129   |
| ASIAN     | 109   |
| ASIANAM   | 28    |
| ASTRON    | 38    |
| ATMOCN    | 69    |
| BIOCHEM   | 51    |
| BIOCORE   | 10    |
| BIOLOGY   | 14    |
| BIOMDSCI  | 18    |
| BME       | 66    |
| BMI       | 41    |
| BMOLCHEM  | 10    |
| BOTANY    | 69    |
| BSE       | 44    |
| C\&ESOC   | 73    |
| CBE       | 48    |
| CHEM      | 101   |
| CHICLA    | 52    |
| CIVENGR   | 133   |
| CLASSICS  | 47    |
| CNP       | 10    |
| CNSRSCI   | 50    |
| COMARTS   | 137   |
| COMPBIO   | 15    |
| COMPLIT   | 11    |
| COMPSCI   | 138   |
| COUNPSY   | 78    |
| CRB       | 19    |
| CS\&D     | 71    |
| CSCS      | 40    |
| CURRIC    | 193   |
| DANCE     | 93    |
| DERM      | 8     |
| DS        | 88    |
| DYSCI     | 35    |
| ECE       | 155   |
| ECON      | 145   |
| EDPOL     | 114   |
| EDPSYCH   | 97    |
| ELPA      | 70    |
| EMA       | 53    |
| EMERMED   | 17    |
| ENGL      | 206   |
| ENTOM     | 40    |
| ENVIRST   | 148   |
| EP        | 15    |
| EPD       | 67    |
| ESL       | 16    |
| F\&WECOL  | 60    |
| FAMMED    | 22    |
| FINANCE   | 50    |
| FOLKLORE  | 40    |
| FOODSCI   | 43    |
| FRENCH    | 63    |
| GEN\&WS   | 145   |
| GENBUS    | 72    |
| GENECSLR  | 17    |
| GENETICS  | 60    |
| GEOG      | 113   |
| GEOSCI    | 83    |
| GERMAN    | 82    |
| GLE       | 48    |
| GNS       | 38    |
| GREEK     | 27    |
| HDFS      | 41    |
| HEBR-BIB  | 13    |
| HEBR-MOD  | 10    |
| HISTORY   | 233   |
| HISTSCI   | 56    |
| HONCOL    | 13    |
| ILS       | 43    |
| INFOSYS   | 9     |
| INTEGART  | 7     |
| INTEGSCI  | 22    |
| INTER-AG  | 18    |
| INTER-HE  | 11    |
| INTER-LS  | 22    |
| INTEREGR  | 16    |
| INTLBUS   | 21    |
| INTLST    | 50    |
| ISYE      | 83    |
| ITALIAN   | 53    |
| JEWISH    | 56    |
| JOURN     | 88    |
| KINES     | 128   |
| LACIS     | 26    |
| LANDARC   | 61    |
| LATIN     | 24    |
| LAW       | 120   |
| LEGALST   | 48    |
| LINGUIS   | 35    |
| LIS       | 89    |
| LITTRANS  | 78    |
| LSC       | 52    |
| M\&ENVTOX | 7     |
| MARKETNG  | 62    |
| MATH      | 153   |
| MDGENET   | 8     |
| ME        | 130   |
| MEDHIST   | 43    |
| MEDICINE  | 60    |
| MEDIEVAL  | 32    |
| MEDPHYS   | 39    |
| MEDSC-M   | 29    |
| MEDSC-V   | 41    |
| MHR       | 68    |
| MICROBIO  | 45    |
| MILSCI    | 16    |
| MM\&I     | 22    |
| MOLBIOL   | 6     |
| MS\&E     | 59    |
| MUSIC     | 165   |
| MUSPERF   | 126   |
| NAVSCI    | 20    |
| NE        | 44    |
| NEURODPT  | 11    |
| NEUROL    | 7     |
| NEURSURG  | 4     |
| NTP       | 11    |
| NURSING   | 111   |
| NUTRSCI   | 65    |
| OBS\&GYN  | 18    |
| OCCTHER   | 39    |
| ONCOLOGY  | 14    |
| OPHTHALM  | 5     |
| OTM       | 43    |
| PATH      | 34    |
| PATH-BIO  | 29    |
| PEDIAT    | 26    |
| PHARMACY  | 31    |
| PHILOS    | 77    |
| PHMCOL-M  | 11    |
| PHMPRAC   | 45    |
| PHMSCI    | 60    |
| PHYASST   | 37    |
| PHYSICS   | 88    |
| PHYSIOL   | 3     |
| PHYTHER   | 37    |
| PLANTSCI  | 52    |
| PLPATH    | 35    |
| POLISCI   | 192   |
| POPHLTH   | 58    |
| PORTUG    | 33    |
| PSYCH     | 101   |
| PSYCHIAT  | 22    |
| PUBAFFR   | 54    |
| PUBLHLTH  | 23    |
| RADIOL    | 11    |
| REALEST   | 41    |
| RELIGST   | 90    |
| RHABMED   | 9     |
| RMI       | 24    |
| RP\&SE    | 102   |
| S\&APHM   | 17    |
| SCANDST   | 73    |
| SLAVIC    | 89    |
| SOC       | 149   |
| SOCWORK   | 87    |
| SOILSCI   | 46    |
| SPANISH   | 83    |
| SRMED     | 21    |
| STAT      | 94    |
| STDYABRD  | 52    |
| STS       | 8     |
| SURGERY   | 25    |
| SURGSCI   | 33    |
| THEATRE   | 91    |
| URBRPL    | 60    |
| UROLOGY   | 5     |
| ZOOLOGY   | 89    |

### designations

None recorded.

## instructor

### instructor uid

instructor\_2b1635a98764e06cbfb7d6ab

### source

legacy

### identity basis

name\_only

### identity status

unresolved

### name

THOMAS PURNELL

### first observed at

2025-04-16 05:20:33.104844+00:00

### last observed at

2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00

### ratings

#### review count

61

#### quality

2.87

#### difficulty

3.16

#### quality count

61

#### difficulty count

61

#### profile id

rmp:372904

#### source url

<https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904>

#### match basis

exact\_name

#### observed at

2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00

#### courses

##### course 7b4cbf5757ef927ab26fc1e9

###### review count

7

###### quality

3.57

###### difficulty

3.14

###### quality count

7

###### difficulty count

7

##### course d71a484263615168a18b0177

###### review count

2

###### quality

3

###### difficulty

4

###### quality count

2

###### difficulty count

2

#### bayesian quality

3.064984144085579

#### prior mean

3.6596857835465957

#### prior weight

20

### current

false

### courses

None recorded.

### revision

e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349

### instructor url

/instructors/THOMAS\_PURNELL--instructor\_2b1635a98764e06cbfb7d6ab

## history

None recorded.

## timeline

None recorded.

## term

1272

## courses

None recorded.

## reviews

### items

```json
[
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyNjc5NTg3",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG214",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2026-03-09 13:57:59 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Overall the class went well, but it took a lot of extra work; the lectures weren't very helpful because he often ended up on tangents and examples used in class weren't relevant to the exams or HW assignments. Discussion was where the majority of learning happened.",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 3,
    "difficulty_rating": 3
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyNDg4OTk0",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG214",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2026-01-13 17:28:46 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Not good. Lecture attendance was mandatory but never really relevant to what our assignments and tests were on, forcing me have to teach practically everything to myself. Lectures were a big waste of time and almost always boring as a result. The TA, Joe Moran, was fantastic, though!",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 1,
    "difficulty_rating": 4
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyNDM0Njg1",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG214",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2026-01-04 18:38:04 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Do not take this class. Lectures are mandatory, but are unhelpful and rarely relate to course material. Homework is confusing and graded harshly, even though key concepts are barely explained in lecture. Prof makes simple concepts sound complicated. Had to teach myself most of the content. ",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 1,
    "difficulty_rating": 4
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQxNjg2ODg0",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG709LING510",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2025-10-04 03:12:54 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Tom is great! He knows a lot and is excited to reach and learn. I wish I could take more courses with him!",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 3
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQxMjk0NDAy",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG319",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2025-05-15 17:45:53 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "The whole class was very dense and complicated at times. He would brush over certain things that are harder to grasp, but also hold onto concepts throughout the entire semester even when they didn't connect to new learnings (like assessments on old material that wasn't elaborated too specifically).",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 3,
    "difficulty_rating": 3
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:02:02.584851+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQwODYzNTU4",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:372904",
    "instructor_name": "Thomas Purnell",
    "course_label": "ENG319",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2025-04-03 04:12:21 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Overall, not a bad course for a 3 week, 3 credit winter break class. All of the lectures are pre-recorded, but there is A LOT of material to cover. Some of the grading guidelines were a little fuzzy, but I enjoyed the material. If you're considering the class, try to find it outside of a condensed timeline!",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/372904",
    "quality_rating": 3,
    "difficulty_rating": 4
  }
]
```

### total

61

### page

1

### courses

| course\_uid                      | course\_id |
| -------------------------------- | ---------- |
| course\_d71a484263615168a18b0177 | ENGL 315   |
| course\_7b4cbf5757ef927ab26fc1e9 | ENGL 319   |

### matched

true

## social Image

false