RateMyProfessors.com recently announced its list of the best professors in the country, and it includes a familiar Cal State Long Beach name.
Rate My Professors’ annual “Best Professors” list ranked psychology professor James Amirkhan ninth among millions of college professors.
“I am proud that I got CSULB mentioned among the Top 10 because I think the quality of teaching here is amazingly good and amazingly underappreciated,” Amirkhan said. “But, I also feel embarrassed because I know colleagues who put effort in their teaching and who have better ratings.”
Only professors with 30 ratings or more were included. Amirkhan has approximately 123 ratings.
Carlo DiMarco, vice president of university relations for mtvU — which owns and operates Rate My Professors — said in a press release that each year the Web site shines a light on the work taking place at institutions across the country, and that these lists are significant because they directly reflect the voices of students on campus.
“He understands how students learn and tailor his teaching to his students,” one student wrote about Amirkhan on the Web site. “It’s like comedy hour. … You forget that you’re actually learning.”
This feeling was echoed throughout the numerous pages of comments.
“He can cater to every student’s learning style(s), and his sarcastic humor and charm make class fun,” another student commented.
Amirkhan came to CSULB in 1984 on a two-year contract as a lecturer but, as he explained, CSULB was good to him and he was able to make his way onto the tenure track.
“I really like it here,” Amirkhan said. “I like the diversity of backgrounds and opinions; the student’s questions and comments always make class interesting for me.”
Also ranked by Rate My Professors are universities with the “highest ranked faculty” and the Top 25 “Hottest Professors,” which CSULB wasn’t a part of.
“Would you rather be told that you’re smart or that you’re beautiful?” Amirkhan said. “I guess it is nice to be appreciated for my humor and teaching style, but I always wonder what it would be like to be hot.”