Frank Popper
- School: Rutgers - State University of New Jersey
- Location: New Brunswick, NJ
- Department: Social Science
- 4.2Overall Quality
- 4.4Helpfulness
- 4.0Clarity
- 3.3Easiness
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Env306
One of the most interesting classes at Princeton, I will definitely consider taking his class again in the fall!
PLAN511
Professor Popper is fun and engaging. Many of his papers and ideas have been influential in the planning field. He brings a lot of creativity and a unique perspective to the classroom.
Land44
Nothing to write here that hasn't been commented on before... not even the Wallace Shawn comparison, which is all the more endearing on Frank than on Vizzini himself. Fabulous professor. Knows so much and shares it willingly. Can not recommend his class[es] highly enough, can not wait to take the next one!
Plng510
Knowledgeable, fun, unique - not a typical professor. Professor Popper is definitely a character, and I mean that in the best way possible. If you are weary of academia, take a class with him - he will lift your spirits.
ENV305
Great teacher, very knowledgeable, but DEFINITELY need more student participation during the seminar. They tended to teach it like a lecture, and had a tendency to interrupt students. Great lecturers, but I was expecting a seminar.
SenSem
Great Prof! He gives you the freedom to write without restrictions, other professors usually have strict guidelines and rules. Take time out to speak to him about class-he dedicates time to all students and is very open-minded. Very accomplished prof, and knows what he is talking about. He is hilarious too!
AmReg1
Engaging and approachable. Gives helpful input on papers and is very flexible about deadlines.
ENV351
The land use seminar was very informative and fun. My only complaint is that the lectures were quite disorganized. Other than that, Frank is extremely approachable and open minded.
LandUse
Great Teacher, very enjoyable and fun, really expands your thinking. Just know how to write and REALLY well! Highly recommend this class and any other he might be associated with :)
LandUse
You will do fine if you write properly. If you can sustain an argument in your paper, regardless if you're right or wrong, or if you even like the subject, then you have nothing to worry about. He's pretty approachable; don't be intimidated when he says "I will mark off for bad writing"etc. His lectures might seem off topic, but it actually isn't.
ENV306
Very interesting professor, but the assigned readings didn't seem essential to doing well in the class.
ENV306
ENV 306 with Frank and Deborah Popper was wonderful. Husband-wife dynamic was very neat, and worked very well. Great team.
ENV306
Frank (and deborah) Popper are excellent professors with interesting experience in the environmental world beyond academia. Take their classes.
PLAN655
Excellent course, but hard to characterize. Popper's a fascinating guy, and quite skilled at leading a seminar discussion, although due to the small size of the course and other factors most of the discussion was student-led. I definitely recommend any course with Popper.
HRegi264
Frank Popper is great. Super funny, interesting,and insightful. His Honors seminar is one of the best classes I've taken. Thumbs up!
HRegi264
Popper always responds to student questions with helpful answers. Regionalism topics were interesting and relevant. If you are interested in policy, definitely a good course to take!
ENV306
Great class and great professor. He could easily talk for the entire three-hour seminar, on an enormous range of topics, and still keep me interested the entire time.
ENV306
Professor was amusing and extremely interested in the subject. His enthusiasm is rarely matched by professors. He rarely used the texts, and reading assigned was a lot but all of it was not necessary to complete. You never knew what to expect with the lecture as Popper commonly distracted himself and would spend a majority of the class on tangents.
histENV
Princeton version. Loved the subject before the class, but still learned a lot. Reading load heavy. Very flexible on exam/paper topics to suit student interests! Class was 3 hour seminar, but never boring. Though intro level, content was expansive and in-depth. Taking another class with Popper soon, mostly because he is teaching it.
ENV306
Great Professor. Lectures were somewhat tangential, but the course was interesting, informative, and well taught. I highly recommend anyone take this course.
ENV300
This dude is super easy. He frequently cancels class and it doesn't matter if you go anyway because what he talks about is unrelated to the essays and so is the text book. He just has you write essays about random stuff
ENV305
Very knowledgeable about the subject. Provides great guidance on the final research paper. Does he frequently digress? Certainly. But the digressions are almost always interesting and great for building general knowledge on the subject. If nothing else, they're entertaining. And so is he, which makes him that much easier to learn from.
URBAN101
Popper is intelligent, worldly famous, educated and experienced- he is no joke. With insight and clear sense of humor he opens the historical context and meaning of the long, complex hitory of public planning. He makes you you read, write and report back in class. You must be intereted in learning and motivated. He is great to have on your resume.
ENV305
Fun guy who likes the subject. Isn't afraid to go on a tangent... I mean a really long tangent that can take a long time. Somehow the tangents are always fun though and sort of relate to the subject matter; maybe that doesn't make them tangents. Did I use the word tangent too many times in one post?
PLAN501
He makes you think about topics and issues well beyond the titled subject matter of the course. I loved that! A true mind expanding experience. Woah man! Almost like that. Doesn't hurt either that he's also a down to earth nice guy to boot.
HIST501
This class was by far the most fun and entertaining out of any class I've taken at Bloustein. He's dramatic, highly intelligent and witty and goes off topic when needed. He also provokes students on purpose to get them to speak by saying really outrageous comments. I highly recommend taking a class with him!
THESIinde
FRANK ROCKS! He's a guy with a heart the size of the Great Plains and an intellect to match. Superb teacher for everyone from undergrads to PhD candidates. You can spend days enjoying his collection of buffalo memorabilia and cartoons.
urban900
Professor Popper is a very engaging scholar. This was a seminar class and dialoguing with him was really delightful. Absolutely one of the best professors ever had. A little too much "Buffalo" however.
Hist501
I learned a great deal of knowledge in Prof. Popper's class. He is the best in teaching the history and theory of planning. In addtion, he has a good sense of humor and his class is entertaining.
MCRP501
Very busy guy, but if you go to his office hours or talk with him outside class, he is one of the more helpful and brilliant professors you'll come across.
UPPD525
Professor Popper holds the inate ability to lecture without formal notes or presentation slides. It is very difficult to find professors who are as knowledgeable as this one, especially considering his commitment/interest in whether or not the course materials are relevant in "the real world". Every student should take at least one class with him
ENV305
Full of verve. Discursive, but if you keep up with the tangents, none of what he says is rambling. A rewarding experience if you have some background in the field; if not, you might get lost and frustrated. Do the readings carefully: Popper isn't bound to the text, so the discussion won't just be the author's main point.
AMSTH7
Very nice professor, EXTREMELY helpful. Projects were fun, class was enjoyable. Learned a lot. We sat outside for class on a few nice days.
PPP317
Very nice, very reasonable. He makes the material interesting, and if you take him in a small class, he really provides a lot of help. Exams are take-home, and although they can be a bit too vague, you are forced to learn more through research. Excellent class and great teacher.
AUDIT001
Dr. Popper has been extreemly helpful, and has provided me alot of encouragement as I pursue a project that has consumed me for many years. There is no doubt that he has a passion for his work and his students. I hope to continue to work with him in the future. Recommended. Two thumbs up. Way up!
GEOG606
Frank has a unique teaching style! If you’re prepared to adapt you can learn a lot, but it won’t be anything like you expected. The readings were just the starting point for discussions that could go anywhere. Frank is amazingly knowledgeable on a wide range of topics. Very open to student’s views. One of the nicest professors you will ever meet!
env305
If want try to get at the central truths of society by discussion of the history of American development, Frank Popper is your man. A great conversationalist with a good sense of humor, Frank will discuss any related topic at length--regardless of how theoretical it is--and throw relevant and insightful papers and examples back at you.
AmSt300
He was a great professor who taught unconventionally. He would go off topic often but this would encourage debate. Graded papers tough but very fair. Reading was minimal b/c discussions were key. Before and after class, he was very helpful and insightful. Clear, consise and great sensor of humor. Not like other RU prof - that's a good thing.
HonorSECT
Typical quasi-American hero. Frank has saved my life (honors thesis) because he sees potential in students when the political mess in women's studies departments seeks to ruin their lives. One of the five nicest and most helpful professors at this university!
HT501
Popper hangs his professional hat on the popularity of his Buffalo Commons idea which he admits was a fluke. Class discussions are pointless, he doesn't cover the syllabus material, and he loves to hear himself talk. But he does give feedback on a one-on-one level if requested. Also, very slow to grade papers!
AMER420
He's a damn good professor and a damn good guy. His style is conversationalist, and he tends to explore tangents at length. He's helpful, encouraging, informative (the amount of info the man carries w/ him is astonishing). Beware: if you're not interested, he'll bore the pants off you, and you'll loathe even his rather easy writing assignments
UP525
Frank is hilarious and a great conversationalist. Be sure to ask him about his opinion of Victor Davis Hanson's intellectual contribution to the national public dialogue.
PLANP500
Frank Popper makes you glad you decided to study planning. He delights in examining the challenges and writes eloquently while making it seem quite normal - he engages students and is engaging. His commitment to the Buffalo Commons concept is nothing short of miraculous; to get decision-makers in the midwest to listed to an easterner? Unheardof!
PPP317
Popper is a great professor, but you need to take him in a smaller class to get to know him. He relates to students well and will talk about anything interesting that the class wants to talk about. He also will disect your papers well and provide constructive criticism to make you a better writer.
Hist501
Popper has the ability to generate sincere interest in subject matter among his students, even if his students are not entirely in their element (like myself). He definately fosters independent thinking by throwing out some controversial ideas, and isn't that the point?
ENV305
With a voice eerily reminiscent of an intellectualized Wallace Shawn, Frank Popper discusses a topic of land-use planning with a broader base of knowledge than any professor I have had. He embodies a unique fusion of historian, economist,and social scientist, all the while maintaining a subtler appreciation for aestheticism . Don't miss out.
UplSECT
In addition to teaching students to challenge conventional wisdom, Frank Popper challenges conventional wisdom. A great guy and his lectures are worth every dollar of tuition.
PP317
Easily one of the best professors I've ever had. You may not get an A, but you will learn a lot, and Prof. Popper is a fair grader. If you put in the work, you will do fine.
PLAN525
Popper was an engaged and exciting prof. He knew his stuff but gave us room to figure out our own ideas. Great class!
UPL501
Brilliant with a big heart. He'll discuss anything with you--from big ideas to writing-style minutiae to what to eat for lunch. And Frank is totally sustainable—he walks to work! If the weather is bad, though, he may hit you up for a ride home. Think of it as extended office hours.
UPL501
Brilliant with a big heart. He'll discuss anything with you--from big ideas to writing-style minutiae to what to eat for lunch. And Frank is totally sustainable—he walks to work! If the weather is bad, though, he may hit you up for a ride home. Think of it as extended office hours.
ENV305
You can tell he's really passionate about his field, and that passion transfers easily to his students, especially in a small seminar-style class. Even though we would often go off on tangents for maybe an hour at a time, he always had well-though out arguments and you can tell he had a wealth of experience to draw from. Nice guy,cool antler hat!
UPP970
Professor Popper is one of the most brilliant and interesting people I have ever met, but he is equally cynical about higher education and the outputs of research universities. His ideas and insights are both inspirational and mind numbing.
UPL501
Professor Popper is an eccentric and engaging individual. He always fostered interesting discussions in class. He was always available for questions about assignments, but lagged a little when grading.
UP612
Popper is a wonderful professor. His love of ideas comes through in all lectures. I can listen to him for hours. He broadly interprets what is urban planing and his class covers diverse subjects such as geography and American studies. Popper is also cool in an old-style Bohemian way. Its not his style that out there, but his thinking.
PLNG501
Popper teaches urban planners, but he doesn't like urban planners. Popper teaches in NJ, but doesn't like NJ. Popper's research interest is the Great Plains, but he doesn't seem to like people in the Great Plains. See a pattern here?
UP501
Like a really smart kid, full of disrespect but really just wants to be appreciated. Most in his element when railing against something or someone. First professor who made me feel like I'm in grad school. Totally entertaining.
HT501
Popper is a great professor, but to truly get good feedback from him you really need to meet with him one-on-one. Take advantage of his office hours.
Hlth101
He is a nice professor and knows what he is talking about. He could be boring at times, but tries his best not to loose the student during the lectures. What was a great help, his readings were posted on Sakai and were available throughout the semester.
INtroPph
Popper was mildly amusing, that is when he was there. The class started off with some interesting lectures and then all of a sudden dissolved into guest speakers and pointless exercises conducted by the TA. Take home exams were nice and they were only on seperate readings not the course material. Not bad to take for a pre-req but otherwise waste
intro urb
stud
popper is a boring guy, only go for attendence and then leave bc he WILL bore you to death!!!! p.s. he is def not hot.
intro urb
stud
you will fall asleep during his lectures. he is a nice guy though, and notes were posted online. good class, interesting material but i suggest coffee (even though it's at 4:30)
intro urb
stud
smart guy. i loved his lectures, he wung all of them and never studdard, knows his material, ask him to tell you the story about how he bankrupted NYC and when he visited the slums of Brazil. the guys been around the world and knows everything about everthing, ask him anything i dare you!!
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