Teaching

Classes were interesting. powerpoint handouts were helpful. i really liked the project – i learned a ton and it was much more valuable than having a final exam. i enjoyed the real-world exposure and getting feedback from professionals in the field.
Professor Zekkos is obviously very serious about teaching and very passionate about this subject. That made this class so much more enjoyable. On top of that, he is probably one of the most approachable professors I have ever had. Thanks for the semester, Professor!
Absolutely enjoy Prof. Zekkos’ method of teaching. I use his method as a ruler to judge other professors teaching methods. He makes it easy to learn and understand the core concepts of a class. I especially enjoy that the homeworks are based on real world problems instead of just textbook problems.

“I like the applicability of this course. I really enjoyed the way this taught and I feel like I am leaving this course with a strong improvement on my engineering skills pertaining to a field I am pursuing.”
“Excellent course!!! I found each and every lecture absolutely fascinating! I never enjoyed a class at UM as much as I did this one. Professor Zekkos was an excellent instructor. Always well prepared for class and answered all questions. The homework was for the most part reasonable difficulty. However I wish the homeworks were more design-orientated. For instance, given these parameters, design an landfill containment system etc. That would probably be my largest “issue” with the class, which isn’t really much of an issue. Once again, this was a great class – thank you for everything professor!”

“Professor Zekkos’ enthusiasm for the subject matter was often contagious. He is a great professor who cares about making sure his students truly grasp the importance of geotechnical engineering.”
“I loved having Professor Zekkos as an instructor. I usually have trouble staying awake in early classes, but had no problem paying attention in 345. His enthusiasm made me interested in geotech and I learned a lot from his class.”
“Professor Zekkos, I really liked your emphasis on thinking beyond just getting a good grade in class, and focusing on becoming a better engineer.”
“Lectures were very good. I’m sure I’ll never meet another person that likes geotech more than Prof. Zekkos. It’s nice to learn from people who love to teach their subject.”
“Very well taught so that the book wasn’t really even needed!”
“The instruction for this course has been excellent. I am learning a great deal. Professor Zekkos has done an amazing job teaching the material to our class. He is very inspirational and he is an excellent role model.”
“I really enjoyed how most everything we learned was related back to the real world and our engineering judgement. It is nice to know that we really are being prepared for the real world and not just taking classes to pass them and get good grades. The examples done in class were very helpful, and I really liked seeing pictures and receiving emails from you about Geotech happenings recently. It helped to spark my interest outside of the classroom.”

“This was a great course. I feel like I have gained alot of knowledge from it. The instructor did an excellent job and I admire his passion for the course content and for teaching. His teaching style was very practice-oriented and I feel that this was very beneficial to the students. I also greatly appreciate the instructor’s willingness to help students outside of class with not only the course content, but more importantly career goals. I feel that the instructor has made a great impression on me and that I will benefit from this course and the instructor’s advice for years to come.I have no suggestions for improvement. Perhaps, however it would have been nice if the semester project were assigned a little bit earlier in the semester to allow students to think about it as they learn the course material.”