Gilroy is easily the best professor out of all three for Bio 151. This course is moderately difficult and memorization heavy on exams, but Gilroy makes the content engaging and easy to learn through his cheerful attitude and smiles. The labs required some outside class hours but the TAs are also helpful to guide you through completing lab reports!

Amazing professor, super engaging and brings great energy to the class- would definitely take again!

He's super passionate and easy to understand. Great guy. 153 is pretty much only graded on exams so make sure you do well

Dr. Gilroy presented comprehensible lectures and concise slides. The depth of the topics taught were perfect for an intro bio class. The hardest content was cellular respiration and photosynthesis. He was funny and my favorite professor of the three. His exam reflected his content fairly. He seems to genuinely care about plants and biology.

He is very passionate about plants and I think that is beautiful. He also has very long luxurious hair and I think that's great.

Gilroy was an amazing professor whose love and passion showed through in each lecture. He made it exciting to go to lecture each day. Expectations for what we needed to know and to what extent were very clearly laid out and he was exceptional at simplifying complex topics. You should absolutely jump for joy if you see Gilroy as your professor.

He was a very good lecturer who made class engaging and interesting. Overall, he was super funny, and I genuinely understood the material because of him. I did feel that his exam was not as representative of what we learned as I thought it would be.

Dr. Gilroy is amazing! He makes lectures genuinely fun to be in and he's very helpful if you have questions. You could tell that he was committed to making the class fun and not as stressful. Plus, the cute kittens!

Dr Gilroy was genuinely the highlight of Bio 151 for me. He was super funny which made the lectures engaging and you can tell he cares deeply for the students and the material. He is also British...always a plus.

Gilroy is incredible and brilliant. His lectures are incredibly engaging and he does a great job contextualizing the material. People like him restore my faith in the possibility of finding a job I truly enjoy. He is so enthusiastic and has an awesome accent!!

He's super nice and clearly likes what he teaches, but he doesn't always make sense during lecture and it can be hard to follow along with what he's saying. A lot of the stuff that was emphasized during lecture had like 3 related questions on the exam and then some of the stuff on the exam was barely taught.

Awesome lecturer

This man truly has my heart. He was SO engaging, his hair is voluptuous, and he's funny. It is clear he chose no struggles in life and because of such, he bestows his kindness, brightness, and intellect as his gift to the world. Truly a saint.

Very energetic

had a very creative way of explaining the content, which made the class engaging.

Love Dr gilroy

Dr.Gilroy has a charming british accent and he explains stuff really clearly. Bio151 ad 152 aren't really difficult so that helped too.

Dr. Gilroy made lectures so engaging! He taught with lots of enthusiasm.

Gilroy was easily the best 152 lecturer. He's hilarious and makes the lectures fun. I personally never went to office hours because he did such a good job explaining the content. In my opinion, plants was the easiest module for me, and I think Gilroy had a lot to do with that. Be warned, the class goes downhill after him.

Professor Gilroy is an amazing lecturer. You can clearly see that he loves what he is teaching. Highly recommend!

Gilroy was my favorite of the three Bio 152 Professors. His lectures were clear and concise and occasionally hilarious. The plants unit is the hardest of the three with all of the memorization involved, but you get a notecard that makes it a lot easier. Gilroy's passion for plants really rubs off on you, and I ended up enjoying lectures.

I LOVE this man. Dr. Gilroy is brilliant and made me excited to come to lecture, even though I didn't really care about plants. He is witty, good at explaining concepts, his slides are easy to follow, and overall is concise and effective at lecturing. He loves what he teaches and it's obvious when he lectures, which makes me want to love it too

Wasn't super into plant biology but he made it enjoyable and not too much of a pain! He's so wholesome, always tried to make our class laugh with his jokes :) Lab never aligned with his lectures, but had good discussion plans that helped!

You can tell he likes the material and makes lectures engaging and gets excited. A bit disorganized with lecture slides but overall good.

This guy loves his job, and you can feel it in his lectures. Is incredibly engaging and cares for his students. Wrote the textbook, so concepts are clearly defined. Encourages student engagement through Top Hat and class questions. Pre-exam review session was a blast. Taught the plant unit, arguably the hardest in BIO152, but handled it very well

Prof Gilroy is an engaging and entertaining lecturer. While the exams can be challenging, his clear guidance on what to focus on makes the class manageable. Using unstuck ai alongside the textbook helped me prepare effectively.

I enjoy his mannerisms and teaching style. His lectures are very engaging and he makes me appreciate biology.

He's a little too enthusiastic about biology. His lectures were maybe the most organized out of the intro bio teaching team so that was nice. His exam was pretty straightforward as well.

Dr. Gilroy was a very entertaining lecturer, especially with his fun accent, but I thought he was a little disorganized with his lecture slides. Doable but definitely had to put in more work than other units.

Prof. Gilroy was a very engaging lecturer and is clearly passionate and insanely smart. His section of the course wasn't my favorite, but that is just because of the content, not because of him. Bio 151 as a whole has many assignments but its bearable, I rarely read the textbook and still did fine.

Dr. Gilroy was one of my favorite professors at UW. He made somewhat difficult content interesting and easy to understand. If you understand the terms and LLOs you'll do great in his section of bio 151. He shows he cares about student success and is very available to answer any questions you have.

awesome and enthusiastic professor! You can tell that he enjoys what he does and loves biology. He also does a great job of understanding difficult biological concepts.

Dr. Gilroy obviously has a passion for the material he teaches and he does so in an almost manically enthusiastic way which cements concepts into student memory effectively. The textbook is written by him personally so lectures correlate with it directly. Also, inspiring guy with an extensive research career and work at NASA.

Dr. Gilroy clearly has a great passion for plants and plant biology, and this is evident in the enthusiasm he displays in lectures. There were a few occasions when he was a bit unclear, but this was rare. If you complete the reading and pay attention in the lecture, you should do very well. If you do happen to have questions, he is quite helpful.

Simon is a very entertaining professor who really wants you to understand plants. Some of his quizzes were a bit hard, but the exam was extremely fair and you can tell he cares about his students.

Very enthusiastic about the subject matter he teaches in 152 and lecture slides have everything you need on them which is very helpful with review. Cares a lot about students and super funny!

Dr. Gilroy is very funny and enthusiastic about plants. Every lecture was entertaining, and sometimes his jokes helped me remember things on the quizzes and exams. Some his explanations could be clearer and his slides could use more detail, but overall I enjoyed his portion of the class.

Dr. Gilroy has such a passion for this concept that it is difficult to not enjoy his lectures. He gave an incredibly engaging lecture that was very informative.

Gilroy is the GOAT. Bio is split into 3 different units and for 151 he taught the 1st unit (cell biology). Not only is he a hilarious, very entertaining lecturer, but he has serious skill in teaching complicated concepts very simply (& memorably). I wish UW had a class just on Dr. Gilroy

Gilroy overall was an extremely funny and passionate person. His lectures were a bit scrambled, but most of the information came across. Although, his exam covered topics only briefly mentioned, so lecture attendance (in person or recorded) is imperative. His enthusiasm helped my personal learning/attention, though many felt differently.

While he's certainly a riot, I felt the exam was not strongly related to the learning objectives. I also suspect he made things more confusing than they needed to be. I think that if I got a do over with Prof Gilroy, I may do better on the exam, but I'm not sure. Went into the exam confident, walked out sad.

Simon is a great guy and absolutely hilarious. He is clearly very passionate about plants. I didn't love his lectures, though - his slides were very disorganized and didn't help me learn. He writes fair tests though.

Dr. Gilroy was an amazing lecturer and he explained the concepts about plants very clearly, he gave many useful metaphors that made the subject more tangible and he has a great sense of humor that made the class more engaging!

Professor Gilroy is actually so cool. I have never met anyone in my life as enthused about plants as he is, but honestly respect! His lectures are very engaging and I did not skip a single one because he made plants very interesting! Sad to be moving on to another lecturer, but I had a great experience in Bio 152 thus far with Prof. Gilroy!

BEST PROF EVER. TAKE THIS CLASS JUST FOR HIM AND HIS AWESOME SHIRTS, AMAZING HAIR, AND SWAG MUSTACHE

Prof Gilroy was awesome! He had the best lectures out of all Bio 151 lecturers, though I do suspect that he makes his slides slightly confusing just to make the material a bit harder. I LOVE his powerpoint pointers - easy to see both in person and online. He is GREAT in office hours, explains things well and with great detail.

Wow what an incredible professor. I took his Biology 151 and 152 sections. By far the most engaging lectures I've been in. He's very clear about the level he expects for exams, and rarely goes beyond that. For the amount of work I did, it goes more like a 4 credit class. Definitely wouldn't mind taking it again.

Awesome professor who's very engaging and makes lecture fun. Pretty clear about what to know for exams.

I really liked Simon! He was super clear on what we needed to know for exams and he was really great at explaining concepts and went over them multiple times to make sure we knew them. This may have been redundant for some, but it was mostly really helpful. He was also funny, which made lectures entertaining to watch.

BEST PROFESSOR EVER!! Super engaging in class and so easy to listen to. Made a topic that's been difficult for me in the past much easier to grasp and understand. Every lecture was enjoyable. Textbook was helpful but not really necessary to read (exams based off of lecture). Overall 10/10, would take again.

Simon Gilroy is one of the best lecturers I have had while here at UW. He is very passionate about what he is teaching and cares about his students. Best out of the 3 profs for 151. His exam was very reasonable, lectures covered everything to know. Hawaiian shirts + cat pictures were a fun bonus.

Do yourself a favor and take a class with Dr. Gilroy. His lectures were so entertaining and clear on content. He is so engaged with the students, and exams were beyond fair. The best 151 teacher out of the 3, and I would take another class of his in a heartbeat. Excited for him for 152.

Dr. Gilroy cares about biology and cares about you. His tests were easy and his lectures were fun to attend. My one thing about him is his lecture slides had very little content and were difficult to get course content out of when reviewing. He's funny, includes lots of cat photos, and wears Hawaiian shirts 24/7- take his class if you can!

Incredible lecturer. Keeps you engaged the entire time and makes what is a fairly difficult, content-heavy, class seem much easier and also more enjoyable. 11/10, loved him and would definitely take class from him again if ever given the chance!

Simon Gilroy made the plants module very fun. Super funny and interesting guy, and was able to break down larger ideas into smaller, more understandable pieces of material. The plants module does require a lot of memorization, but his lectures are engaging which helps.

Love him, best professor I've had. Great lectures- engaging and clear/concise.

Not easy, but not necessarily difficult as long as you put in the work and attend class. Such a great person and really engaging in lecture. All of his exams have been fair.

Gilroy is easily the best professor I have ever had at UW. He does a phenomenal job of explaining complex topics in terms that are more easily understandable and is always willing to answer any questions during or after lecture. I would take a million classes with him if I could. His hawaiian shirts actually made my day every single lecture.

Gilroy is so knowledgeable, interesting and an amazing lecturer. He made every student and question feel valued, and you didn't feel dumb for asking it. He's also very funny, loves his cats, and is available outside of class. Still is a challenging class but he wants students to succeed, and if you go to lecture and know the slides you're cruising.

Simon is fantastic. He was one of my lecturers for Bio151 and everybody loved him. Super funny guy and made lectures interesting. Lectures are recorded, in person, and on Zoom so you have so many options. Only reason I got a C was because I did not watch the lectures at all lol. He really is great and the nicest guy. Really passionate too

Gilroy is fantastic - I was sad when his section of 151 ended. He was effective and engaging, very clear about what we should know, and acknowledged when concepts were complicated (never makes you feel dumb for not understanding something)

absolutely love Simon, he is quite a gem to have as a teacher. He and the team work to make the exams manageable and you can tell he really enjoys teaching class. Love his presentations especially with all the kittens. He is the type of professor that makes going to class worth it.

A great man with even better hair. Very organized and clear cut with his lectures.

Dr. Gilroy is one of the best professors I've ever had! His lectures are so interesting that you want them to continue. He makes complex concepts easy and understandable, and his classes are never dull. He teaches one-third of the biology course, and I was sad when we changed professors. Go out of your way to have him!

Professor Gilroy really cared about students and made sure they understood content by dumbing it down and explaining the pure basics you need to know. His tests are taken right off of his slides and no textbook is required. If you go to class and go through the slides before the test you should be fine. He also put pictures of kittens on his slides

The exam content comes right from the lectures, which are entertaining and easy to follow. Simon is very fun and loves kittens. The textbook is not entirely required, but is supplemental to the lectures so if you want more detail and explanation get the book but if you can comprehend the lectures, you really can save the $100.

Simon is funny and his lectures kept me engaged, which is normally a huge challenge for me. The textbook I think is technically required but I haven't needed it once and I'm doing well in the class. He only lectured the first half of the semester and I'm disappointed to see him go. Definitely my favorite professor thus far.

Profesor Gilroy is a good professor. Its the class that sucks. This disorganized and little resource class is bound to set you up for failure. They dont want you to succeed. The amount of extra work that is not needed for most of the class in painful. Especially lab quizzes and some work that means nothing to the subject of the class

Dense content and confusing explanations. Difficult to follow what path the class was taking

We're only in the first few weeks of class, but this man has me on the edge of my seat during lectures. The material is made as interesting as can be, and has reminded me of why I love biology.

Dr. Gilroy is absolutely AMAZING and he really loves biology. I always HATED plant biology and would never take a botany class, but his lectures on plants were so engaging that I couldn't be bored. He's really great at explaining complicated concepts and uses metaphors all the time to ensure students are understanding everything. 100% recommend him

Gilroy is the man! He made plants super super interesting. The exam was straight out of our notes. Great way to start 152. He also loves Hawaiian shirts, cats and NASA. Explains things in a very simplistic way and is very energetic during lecture. Will definitely miss him.

This guy knows his plants. LAME, or that's what I thought. After BIO 152 with this guy, I literally started growing plants. His main goal throughout the class is to prove to you that plants are pretty cool and I would say he does an excellent job. I would love to have another class with him.

I suck at bio and found this class really hard, but Gilroy is really good at lecturing and dumbing down some complicated topics. He is super interesting and his tests are very fair. He posts lectures and doesn't require reading the book.

Dr. Gilroy is amazing. Hands down one of my favorite professors at UW. Really knows his stuff and simplifies it to a level that we can understand. Exams are super fair (literally everything is from the lecture slides.) Definitely go out of your way to have him as your professor. Also loves NASA. Very cool. Likes cats too.

Professor Gilroy is a wonderful professor you don't want to miss for BIO151/153. Not only does he given very entertaining lectures, but makes quizzes and tests based directly off the main topics of his course content. He does not require use of a textbook, and if you truly stay attentive during lectures the class will be go smoothly.

Lectures were amazing as Simon lives his job and wants you to be interested too. The quizzes and exams are right from lectures so you dont need to buy the book. Lab and discussion are a different story however. Just depends on who your TA is

This professor was AMAZING!! Hes so funny and genuinely cares about the class and its content. The tests are 100% based on lectures and the lectures are on line so you dont have to go. No surprises

Professor Gilroy was my favorite of the three Bio152 lecturers this semester. His lectures were engaging, easy to follow/understand, and taught me more than I ever expected to know about plants. I looked forward to attending class every day! He really knows his material and makes it fun to learn - would highly recommend taking a class with him.

He wears a Haiwian shirt EVERY DAY and never repeats one, and makes weird cat jokes lol. All of his exams are information that's directly from his lecture, and they use lecture capture, so you can watch from home. He also doesn't know how to work tophat so don't worry about attendance. I had him twice and both times were good experiences.

Love him! He makes lecture so entertaining and fun. He's a really good prof, he explains things clearly, and gets the message across, never a dull time with this prof. You can really tell that he's passionate about his teaching, which is great. Exams are okay, not too easy and not too difficult. Study and you'll pass. Everything's based on lecture

Simon Gilroy is clearly passionate about his work. His enthusiasm for plant turns a typically boring topic and makes it something that you enjoy following along. The tests were easy if you review lecture notes. The course made me purchase a textbook, but I never picked it up throughout the course. Choose Simon if you want a memorable course.

He's amazing, 10/10 would take another class taught by him

Lectures are not mandatory since all the lecture slides are posted online, but his lectures are actually enjoyable. Readings aren't mandatory but do help; otherwise, he does cover everything you need to know for the exam during lecture. Discussions have at least one pop quiz but are also very helpful for complex cycles and systems.

Simon is not only hilarious, but a wonderful professor who has a real passion for what he teaches. Pay attention in his lectures and attend the discussions and this class will not be a problem.

Gilroy is very passionate about plants and does a great job making them interesting for everyone. He also makes connections between plants and the other units for bio152 which makes things easier to remember and understand. He records lectures and posts notes, and practice exams are available. The exam was very fair.

Simon Gilroy is very passionate about teaching but seems to be more concerned about entertaining than focusing on the content. It would be less distracting and easier to learn if he spent more time going over course concepts than making jokes about cats. Everything on the exam is covered in lecture, which is nice, but wording can be tricky.

Had Simon for 151/152. He only tests material from lecture. Super easy and he's a great lecturer!

I loved having Gilroy as a professor. Very engaged and entertaining. Some of his exam questions were tricky, but it helps to read the textbook. Overall, he made learning about plants actually fun.

Dr. Gilroy's lectures were sometimes unclear and the test was difficult. He often seems more focused on trying to be funny than actually explaining the concepts. Overall a nice guy but average as a professor.

No very clear on what will be tested. Tests veer from lecture material. Is not a very good lecturer although he tries to be funny or do things to maintain interest.

Professor Gilroy was one of the best prof's I've had at UW. He is very entertaining in class and his love for cats just makes him that much more interesting. His english accent helps as well which just compliments his long white hair and his combo of floral shirts with cargo shorts. Lectures could drag on but attending was always profitable.

SImon loves Biology and it shows in his lectures. Very talented teacher and he does awesome research too. Tests and quizzes are tough, but the material itself is pretty tough. Great professor to take even if you're not a bio major and just looking for some background. All test questions come from lectures so the textbook just helps explain things.

this guys awesome. he's the happiest man i've ever met and loves his work. soo passionate about teaching. exam questions come right from lecture (which are recorded online) so use the book to follow up on stuff you dont understand or read it before lecture. take good lecture notes and you'll be good for exams. class not curved though!!

Great teacher. He really knows his stuff and makes the lectures enjoyable. He talks fast but records the lecture and he always took time to answer all of my questions. The tests are tough and can be tricky but all of it comes from the lecture so study hard and you will get decent grades.

Great teacher and great guy. Lectures are enjoyable and informative and pretty much all exam questions come from the lectures. Exams are tricky but completely doable if you study. Textbook isn't really important and more as a study aid if you don't understand something from lecture. I completely recommend taking Simon for this class if you can

He sometimes has quite a bit to talk about in a lecture may move fairly quickly, but overall the course isn't too intense, and you learn a lot. He explains concepts very well, and is a fantastically entertaining lecturer.

Gilroy is hilarious and loves cats. Not necessary to go to lectures but pretty entertaining. Tests are manageable and love his accent!

Simon is the best! He's super enthusiastic and obviously incredibly knowledgable. He's a really approachable guy, as well. His tests are a little tricky, but not impossible, especially considering you get a half-sheet notecard. If you have to take 151, take it with Simon!l

Loved him. So funny and really knows what he is talking about. Makes the material much more enjoyable to listen to when he teaches it.