Music as a social mediator was really interesting. Ingrid was very friendly, nice, and helpful in not only the class material but the overall college experience. She was always willing to meet with students outside of class for papers or assignments. We only had a group project and a paper so it was pretty easy. And I think most peopls got As.

Great teacher. Really nice and cool. Easy to relate to. Makes class fun and interesting. Uses lots of different types of media to teach and keep it interesting. Talks a lot about South Africa. She cares about you and how you're doing. Highly suggest her

Really really nice. Cares about you and the material. The readings are short and selective. If you work hard and contribute in class, you'll do well.

She is inspiring, definitely suggest you to take her class.

Ingrid will go down as one of the highest quality professors, and people, I met in my time at Duke. I learned more in this course about life and interacting with others than in any other classroom experience. She is always very respectful of all viewpoints in the class and constantly opens the floor for interactive discussion on all topics.

Professor Byerly is one of the most engaging professors at Duke. I took two of her classes and she always had something new to teach everyday. She made class fun and exciting and made me want to research and learn more. She was always helpful and always had great advice!

She is very engaging, very enthusiastic about the course and supportive of the students. She cares about the students and try to accommodate problems. The class was slightly disorganized but workload is manageable and grading is generous. The focus is highly on African music, which startled me at first, but it was overall a good experience.

Byerly is an engaging teacher that challenged students to research a community of their choosing. Quite the opposite from typical seminar professors who seem to be unable to let go of their leash of authority, Byerly fostered classroom methods of self-accountability. This inspired students to take ownership in their academic work. Awesome class!

Dr. Byerly's methods course is so rewarding. While she certainly provides a great deal of guidance in her lessons, she leaves students a lot of room to think and work independently. I learned so much from her,beyond what applies in the classroom. She really opens up a new way of seeing the world. MUST take her course!!!

Professor Byerly is fantastic. Her fieldwork methods class is a very do-it-yourself based project where you are given a lot of freedom to create your own project and research what interests you. It really teaches you the methods of the field, and lets you learn through difficulties and successes, always with constructive criticism and great advice.

Professor Byerly was simply awesome. She is passionate on her subject. And the subject itself is different from rather dry subjects in courses offered in college. She is helpful and encouraging. It is truly a fun class to take!

Great Professor. Really helped with fieldwork, with explaining how to do everything, with advice on improving methods.

Class is fluid, organic & natural and classes are often just an hour of discussion (sitting around & chatting about the most fabulous things). There is no set syllabus, which some students might find hard to wrap their heads around, but I personally loved it. IngyB is easy to talk to; she always has time (and often food) & the best example stories

This class was amazing! Prof. Byerly really cares about her students, and allows them to be free thinkers. She is really helpful throughout the process of completing the project. She is ALWAYS there if you need her input or assistance. I definitely recommend this class. One of the BEST PROFESSORS AT DUKE!!!

LOVED going to this class. Professor Byerly is incredibly captivating, caring, and unconventional. Great class discussions. She gives you the freedom and tools to devise a great fieldwork project of your own choosing! I'm taking another class with her in the fall and can't wait!!

Professor Byerly is one of my favorite professors at Duke. This is one class in which I learned while having a blast. It was awesome! She brings in her own experiences and anecdotes which are soo interesting. This was a very engaging class. She's amazing! Take the class. You'll love it.

This class was one of my favorite classes. I learned so much about how music could be used in different ways. I was surprised at what I learned and even more surprised at how well read Prof. Byerly was. She's an easy professor if you are attentive and express interest in the class. Take this class. It is relaxing and stimulating at the same time.

Ingrid was the perfect prof for a fieldwork methods course. The guidlelines for our semester-long project were broad, leaving us students a bit uneasy about grades. BUT inevitably it allowed us the freedom to do our work freely/without limitations, giving us a real, enriching experience in the field and making us better anthropologists! She rocks!

Prof Byerly is one of the most fantastic teachers at Duke! She is accommodating to any situation, extremely encouraging, and ALWAYS willing to help. Her syllabus allows you to truly earn the grade you deserve, and though this was difficult to initially get used to, this way of teaching turned out to be super rewarding! I recommend her to everyone!

Amazing professor. The class was very much based around discussion and conversation, and Professor Byerly has the rare ability to show students the world from multiple perspectives. A thoroughly interesting and eye-opening adventure.

I took Professor Byerly's Fieldwork Methods class and thought that she was a really great professor. As a CulAnth major she was the kind of laid back professor that encourages you to explore what you enjoy that makes me love my choice if major. I would really encourage taking this class with her:-)

Professor Byerly was one of the best professors I've ever had. Beyond the stimulating class structure, she is one of the most fascinating people to listen to and makes class at 8:30 am not only bearable but captivating. Any Duke student should jump at the chance to take a course with her.

This class was truly one of the highlights of my freshman year. By creating a classroom environment focused on learning instead of grades, she enables students to be open to adopting new ways of thinking about and listening to music and conceptualizing protest movements, and also endows them with many useful academic skills. Take a class with her!!

This class was well worth the 830 start time. The open discussion provided a great environment for intellectual stimulation and the knowledge I gained goes far behind the title of the class. I highly recommend this class to all freshmen and Professor Byerly as an instructor for any other class.

Professor Byerly is all about excitement. You can see it in her eyes! One can't help but want to learn and be around her. I can't imagine a more perfect individual for the role of facilitating such a challenging task as writing a senior thesis.

Amazing teacher. The way she structures her class is how every teacher should and her stories are so interesting. Highly recommended!

Mrs. Byerly is by far one of the best professors I have ever had. I was on the Semester at Sea program with her and took an ethnomusicology course. Learning about the music of each port was super interesting, especially when we applied it in person. Class had great structure, and Byerly is the most engaging, funny, interesting prof you'll ever have

Professor Byerly is an amazing teacher. Keeps class very interesting and encourages students to broaden their horizons. Take a class with Her!

I audited her Global Music class on Semester at Sea summer 2011. Ingrid fully engages her audience. She encourages independent thinking and self exploration. She made every student feel that their contribution was welcome. We learned the course material joyfully and she imparted much wisdom to all of us about life and joy.

Mrs Byerly is the most amazing professor. Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and you learn something unexpected in every class! She has rekindled my love for learning, and I recommend taking one of her classes whenever wherever, they are so worth it!

Ingrid Byerly is by far one of the most fascinating professors I've ever had. The work load isn't overwhelming, and the work she has you do is extremely interesting. She can relate to anything, as she has had so many experiences in her life that are unlike what you have heard before.You honestly need to take a course with her if you have the option

This professor is awesome! Enjoyed her class so much and would take it again if I could.

Such a great professor! Take her class

Professor Byerly is amazing. Best professor I have ever had at Duke. She allows you to pursue any topic of your choosing and is fully interested in every person's project. She was also extremely helpful when I met with her outside of class. She pays attention to attendance, but class is so enjoyable that you will want to be there.

I've never met a professor more enthusiastic about their course. Ingrid really cared about making this class an enjoyable life experience for us, rather than something to just simply get through with a good grade.

Great teacher! She is very knowledgeable on the subject and loves to discuss and answer questions. Very friendly and laid back.

Professor Byerly is extremely passionate about music and culture, and her lectures are never boring. Her classes are always exciting and she allows us to be creative in accomplishing tasks. Our projects were always fun to do because of the independence she gave. One of my favorite classes

Professor Byerly was a great professor who truly is passionate about what she teaches. Sometimes she may seem unstructured, but overall her curriculum was engaging and not difficult.

I took Ingrid's "Breaking Sound Barriers" FOCUS class and it is absolutely the best class I have ever taken. I love music, but her class opened me up to so more much than that. Ingrid is wise above all, and her perspective from living in South Africa is incredible. We have watched incredible films as well. The easiness of the class is a plus.

By far the best prof I had at Duke. Took her class freshman year. Really teaches students to think for themselves and how to integrate their passions with their studies/career goals. Knows a lot about music, if you take her class you will forever listen differently. She knows Dave Matthews. Take any and every class she teaches.

She is an AMAZING professor who is super passionate about her field. You can learn way more than cultural anthropology from her. She is also a very nice and approachable person. It is relatively easy to get a good grade and the workload is totally manageable. I would definitely recommend her taking her class!

Professor Byerly was THE best professor on SAS. She makes each class fun & different. She doesn't want students memorizing definitions so there's not much textbook use. She's about listening and interpreting music in your own way. She's enthusiastic and extremely knowledgable about the subject. TAKE HER CLASS! She's the best teacher I'll ever have!

Prof Byerly was easily my favorite teacher in college. She was very knowledgable and passionate about her teaching. She made class interesting and fun. Rather than just keeping to a textbook, we explored different ways to interpret class material and be engaged inside the classroom and out. I loved her class and her teaching style!

Prof. Byerly's actual interest in the material made the class worth attending. Her humor (and not mention accent!) always kept attention in lectures.

Professor Byerly was by far the most incredible professor I've ever had in my life. Her class was interesting, hands-on, and truly meaningful. Professor Byerly's passion for her work and her students is evident in every lecture, and this class would benefit any student (regardless of their knowledge of/experience with any type of music).

I took this course on Semester at Sea and nominated Byerly for best professor, as she had the most significant impact on the ways in which I take in my surroundings, especially aurally.

From her class, public speaking, I have not only learned many empirical knowledge and skills, but also got confidence. I also found that she is so professional in encouraging students to realize their strengths and weaknesses. I am certain that her class makes me to be better than before. I really appreciate her teaching.

Ingrid is one of the most interesting, charismatic, and genuinely down to earth professors I have gotten to know here at Duke. She is willing to help you when you demand it, and will unilaterally work with you to ensure that you meet your goals. I am immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her and wish her great success.

Took this class while at Semester at Sea and Prof. Byerly was amazing! I was not a big music person, but she taught me so much throughout the semester and made me love the culture of music. She makes her class just difficult enough. Not too hard that you'll be bored, but not impossible or difficult to receive an A at all. Amazing and funny Prof.

Her class was intellectually pleasant by making me think outside the box. Also, she was excellent in encouraging students to participate positively.

Helped me get through my first semester! Took Music as a Mirror and loved it despite knowing very little about music. Professor Byerly is a sweetheart and is very invested in your success. It was very refreshing compared to other lecture classes where I felt like simply a face in the room. Plus, no tests and no essays. However, very educational.

I love Ingrid! She makes class entertaining which can be hard in a 2.5 hour class that starts at 6:15pm. She definitely helped with my public speaking skills. If you show up and participate, you'll be fine. Not much out of class work until it comes to the final project. I would definitely take another class with her!

Amazing teacher with great experiences to share! She makes the transition to college level classes a lot smoother due to the fact that she really cares for each one of her students, no matter what kind of learning experience you had before.

In the first few classes, you might not think you're learning anything but you definitely are. Prof. Byerly is not only one of the most amazing professors, she's one of the most amazing people I've every had the privilege of knowing. She is so positive and inspirational it would be a shame to go through life not knowing her.

Took her "Advocacy for Change" as a FOCUS class. She's a great professor. She really cares about your experience in her class. She knows a lot about public speaking and has amazing global experiences.

She was honestly the most incredible professor I had Freshman year. She inspires you to think about certain topics far differently then you ever would. She also allowed me to grown in confidence far more. I can not express how much I loved this class enough.

I took this class to challenge myself in terms of Public Speaking and it was worth the it. Prof. Byerly makes the class such a wonderful experience that every moment in the class in full of fun. I highly recommend this class to everyone.

Professor Byerly is one the most enthusiastic, warmest people I have ever met. She makes lectures endlessly enjoyable and teaches you a lot about public speaking and life.

Professor Byerly was probably the most engaging lecturer I had at Duke. She's not just an amazing professor but an amazing person, giving great feedback, fantastic advice, and amusing thoughts. If you will, imagine weekly lectures as engaging and as invigorating as a TED Talks with as many takeaways and that's this class.

Participation based class

She was amazing! This is an awesome class to take. Everybody should take this class. Mrs. Byerly gives great feedback and helps you be the best public speaker you can be.

Professor Byerly is one of the best teachers I have ever had. She has had amazing life experiences that make the class so interesting, and we do a wide variety of things in this class that improve your overall skills for college. She is so kind, and also very funny. I highly recommend this course, or any class with her!

Most fun I had have with Professor Byerly's public speaking course. You will leave with confidence and a bunch of amazing stories. Recommend everyone take this class before graduating.

Dr. Byerly is incredible. Her class will challenge and help you grow, which will be super apparent at the end of the semester. She truly cares about her students and will share all her wisdom and experience. By far my favorite class and favorite professor at Duke.

You really didn't have to do anything for this class except the final project. It taught me less about the finesse of public speaking and more how to speak on the fly, which is useful I guess. Super easy class.

This was the best class I have ever taken, and Ingrid Byerly is the best teacher I have ever had.

Professor Byerly is the most engaging and inspiring professor I've ever had at Duke. She was able to create such a comfortable class environment--which was incredibly necessary in a public speaking class. Her assignments were actually enjoyable and I looked forward going to class every week.

I absolutely loved this class. Professor Byerly is one of the best professors I've ever had at Duke. She makes you want to go to class and as long as you show up and do the work that she expects, you will do well in the class. You'll find that you want to do well in the class just for your own benefit and not for the grade. She is amazing!

As a second semester senior, I can say that Professor Byerly's public speaking class was easily the best class I have taken at Duke. I LOOKED FORWARD to class every Thursday. I learned about public speaking but I also learned even more about "life advice/lessons." This is a MUST. If you graduate from Duke without taking her class, you'll miss out!

Professor Byerly is awesome. She assigns a decent amount of reading but when you do the reading and other assigned homework is up to you - it's very flexible. This class is also good for someone who is terrified of public speaking - most of us (including myself) were to some extent. Great class.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves music and would like a low key class and does not mind little class structure.

Professor Byerly is fantastic. Her public speaking class is one of the most practical classes out there, and she assigns very valuable exercises to help you improve. She gives a lot of feedback and is so sweet all the time. I would highly recommend taking any of her classes.

This is an amazing class. Treat it as a chance to experiment. If you're new to public speaking or aren't very confident in your ability, this will come easy. If you're already a good public speaker, learn from the different styles everyone else brings to the table. Your grade is mostly based on your portfolio, so put some effort into it.

Professor Byerly's freshman seminar is the type of course where you get out what you put in. The workload is small, but class discussions are enjoyable if you participate. Byerly really just wants you to show some effort and try to engage with the material. Class is not very structured and sometimes a bit slow, but overall pretty chill.

Professor Byerly is a true educator. She really cares about her students and expects them to reciprocate her effort with their own. On the last day of class, she handed out a letter detailing why she doesn't give many As so make sure that you really work for it. Overall incredible experience.

Easily one of the best professors I've had at Duke. Would strongly recommend. You get what you put into the class and most of your grade is based on the portfolio and your participation in lectures.

A fantastic professor who provides a lot of great feedback and insight. She created a wonderful learning environment where students supported each other and where we learned a lot from our classmates. She's encouraging and caring - two qualities that made her public speaking class so enjoyable. Her constructive criticism has improved my confidence!

Professor Byerly is truly one of a kind. She has a wealth of knowledge from her experiences around the globe that she readily shares. I learned more about life from her than any other professor. She has a passion for teaching, public speaking and music, all of which shine through in her genial personality. I would take her class 100x over. Love her

One of the best class I have taken at Duke. Transformative experience. If I only take away one thing from my four years this class would be it. Take it!

Theres a reason that prof Byerlys classes are impossible to get in to. Shes the best professor at Duke and its literally not even close. She is brilliant, and you will walk out of class every week feeling like you accomplished something. Take this class, take this class, take. this. class.

As a graduating senior, I was lucky enough to snag the coveted 20th and final spot in Prof. Byerly's Spring 2019 Public Speaking class. Safe to say that I hit the jackpot. Truly one of the rare courses that visibly and tangibly evokes the best in each student in a way that no textbook or exam can. You'll walk out a better speaker, a better person.

I took her Music class on semester at sea - such an amazing teacher and I learned so much. I highly recommend taking any of her classes, great teacher and a great person.

I had professor Byerly for a Music course I took on a study abroad program, Semester at Sea. Professory Byerly is likely to be in the top 5 professors I have ever had. The genuine respect and care she has for her students shines through, and the way she teaches is perfectly enthusiastic for the classroom. 10/10: would take any class of hers.

I took this professor on Semester at Sea and she made my voyage incredible. Her lectures are engaging and interesting and are paired with relevant class discussion to enhance the class materials. It also helps that Dr. Byerly is quite hilarious and passionate. I 100% recommend taking her course.

Ingrid Byerly is the best teacher Ive ever had at Duke University. Im so incredibly grateful that I managed to get off the waitlist for her public speaking course. Shes an amazing soul who makes learning fun again. Pro tip: If you have the chance, take the Spring Breakthrough course with Ingrid as well. Its now one of my favorite memories.

This is the best class I've taken at Duke, and its all because of Professor Byerly. She only gives assignments that are applicable to real life (ex: introducing someone at an event, presenting information in a board meeting, ted talks, and even eulogies). The class bonds so well, so you have to be open to sharing personal stories. 10/10.

Dr. Byerly is a Duke legend. While the course is called Public Speaking, that is only the beginning of what you learn. The course forces you out of your comfort zone and gives you moments of deep reflection and introspection. This is the perfect course for seniors about to leave Duke and begin a new phase of life.

I took this professor on Semester at Sea. I learned things I did not realize I was unaware of. She was a great teacher and I could tell from how she talked about her teaching at Duke. Definitely would recommend taking this professor.

If you are looking for a sign to take this class: here it is. Simply the best class I've ever taken at Duke. This class makes the tuition worth it. Totally changed my life. Professor Byerly has a grasp on the world like no one I've ever met.

After trying trying for 3 times, I am very grateful that I was able to finally enroll in this class during my final semester at Duke. I learned much more than just specific techniques on public speaking - I discovered interesting things about myself as a person, and I managed to take away invaluable advice on how to approach life after graduation.

Professor Byerly was wonderful and I learned so much from public speaking. She was always willing to meet offline to practice, which was much appreciated. I loved the open and welcoming environment of the class and I can't wait to implement the skills I learned!

Professor Byerly is amazing and her class was one of the best I've taken at Duke. If you are a senior looking for a class to end your career at Duke with, you should really consider taking this one with Professor Byerly. You'll learn so much and be inspired

Amazing class. Can't say enough great things about Prof. Byerly. Even over Zoom, the skills learned really enhanced my Public Speaking ability. It's a challenging class, but you get so much out of it. 10/10.

Dr. Byerly gives really clear & tangible advice, whether it's about posture when speaking or how to take notes. The class is not what you might normally expect but she'll walk you through it. She WILL push you out of your comfort zone but you will come out a better and more mature person. I can't exaggerate the growth I experienced with her.

This was absolutely my favorite class at Duke! Professor Byerly not only teaches us how to speak but creates a community within the class. I learned how to listen to the people around me, got inspired by their stories, and truly made meaningful friendships. Taking this class before graduating is a must!!!

Professor Byerly was a great professor and I was glad to have her be one of my first classes at Duke. In the public speaking course I started out nervous but I learned a lot about myself and my classmates along the way. Make sure to put in the work and show up to class and you should do well.

There were moments in the class when I disagreed with Professor Byerly's remarks and methods, but her feedback is thorough, tough, and public, and it helped me develop as a speaker and a person. If you are afraid of that type of environment, you should be the one taking this class. It was easily one of my favorite classes during my time here.

Do not take this class if you're ONLY interested in improving public speaking. Even though it helps with that, Prof. Byerly gives students valuable tools for their academic life at Duke and beyond. With the fantastic community she fosters in the classroom, this class offers lots of opportunities to grow as a student.

I absolutely loved Professor Byerly and wish that I could take her class all over again. I have never learned so much from a course. She is absolutely hilarious and cares a great deal about her students, so lecture is always a joy. Her class was a comfortable space for honest feedback and experimentation, and you will learn so much about yourself.

Byerly's class is very intimidating if you do not have experience in public speaking. I always got anxiety walking into her class because I knew I would have to present a speech, whether I was prepared or not. She is very charismatic and her lectures are soley story-telling. The TedX was very stressful but taught me how to public speak.

Uses a blunt tough-love approach to feedback, incl. mid-speech interruptions. Although there were tears in the 1st week, we all grew exponentially. Once you accept her bizarre method of instruction, she's a hilarious person who cultivates an ideal environment for skill development. Light workload: 3-4 hours of assignments&presentation prep / week.

As someone without a public speaking background, I found this class super intimidating esp because your classmates come from varying levels of experience and Dr Byerly doesn't sugarcoat at all. BUT, you will learn A LOT from her, the speaking exercises & from your classmates. She is great- inspirational and funny, and truly cares about her students

Dr. Byerly is hilarious and personable, though her tough-love approach can be startling at first. Slightly intimidating at first (especially for inexperienced speakers), but Byerly genuinely cares about students' growth and success. Graded based on effort and class contribution – not speeches. I wish that everyone at Duke had to take this class.

Professor Byerly's class was a transformative experience. Her teaching style and feedback pushed me to grow as a speaker and person. While workload is manageable, getting an A requires going the extra mile. Unstuckstudy was a helpful study tool.

Thoroughly enjoyed. Not helpful for basically any major, but a “life skills” class that you'll be glad you took.

Byerly's class is very engaging and thorough in terms of public speaking. She also manages to make it a 'life skills' class which is useful for professional and personal goals.

In Dr. Byerly's Public Speaking class, you get to present a different piece or kind of speech every single class and receive feedbacks. She builds a very welcoming and intimate environment for her students, and we are truly inspired and learned a lot from each other. Workload is very manageable if you don't procrastinate.

Beneficial course to strengthen communication skills, not major specific. Workload is manageable when prepared ahead of time. Confidence with public speaking will make assignment preparation more natural. Expect honest critiques of work than will improve speaking confidence and skill if you consider them with an open mind. Would take again!

Byerly is a character. Bad: inaccessible out of class, picks favorites, abrasive, unclear grader. Good: knowledgeable, funny, cares about students, provides feedback, unique teaching. She is a tough critic, which is GOOD for a public speaking class! You'll be ok if you can take the heat. Everyone gets an A - student speeches absorb most class time.

Great exposure to public speaking. Dr. Byerly is very personable and funny, but can be a little intimidating at first. Has clear favorites, but doesn't treat anyone badly. You don't always get direct, immediate feedback. Overall chill workload outside of class and fun class to take.