Lots of info given in class. somewhat difficult essay questions on test, but he is fair about the grade. Good looking! Good sense of humour.

very fair, and very helpful professors. Alot of material, and when i say alot, I don't mean a few here and there, ALOT, but if you study, then you will ace it. His grading scale is fair, and his essay q's are easy IF you study, NOT cramming!

He is the type of Professor that every **** man dreams of. He is so hot and very helpful. Take his class you get a lot out of it.

This guy is great. Funny and cares about the students. Yes, he is hard, but c'mon folks, this is college! Most of the people that **** either don't come to class or don't study. I wish more UTC prof's took as much interest in the students. But Study!

Great Prof!

Good professor. Grades fair. covers alot of material. will make decent grade if you study. if taken with lab, it will help your grade. plus he's hot and has a good sense of humor:)

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He is an awesome professor. He posts lecture notes online. The lectures are very interesting. Covers a lot of material, but it is up to date. He is great to the students. The class is easy if you just come to class and take notes. There is little work beyond tests. He is also nice to look at!

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Demanding, but a very interesting class.

Yeah, I agree with the person below, he is very inflexible. After my 7th grandmother died, he would'nt let me make up anymore assignments...get a life.

Great teacher but tough

Dr. Richards is REALLY cool. He's really funny. He also loves what he does and truly wants his students to understand the desperate state our environment is currently in. He's no poser. He's also really hot. His tests are hard, though. You might think you've got everything down, but his tests will make you think otherwise...

This is one of the most interesting classes I've had so far. It is important to attend class b/c there is a lot of material covered that is not in the book. Tests are challenging. Richards is engaging, funny, and likes to make you think. Great teacher. But DON'T BE LATE!

I really enjoyed the course. Richards is very interesting with his lectures giving many first hand stories. Although the test and be rather hard at times, he does prepare you quite well if you study. And he's pretty good about helping his students and giving them much needed extra credit. I strongly recommend the course.

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No excuse not to get an A in this class. He gives extra credit for simple things (going to meet him in his office, being on time, using recycled paper, etc.) You do have to attend class, though. Lots of things that are covered in class not in the book & then are extensively on the tests. He will answer your questions, is funny, & helpful.

Good guy, learned lots.

Great guy. Very easy. Study the notes online and the news of the day and the notes that he gives in class. not hard at all and very interesting. lots of extra credit too.

Great teacher. He made me want to learn about the enviroment, be more biofriendly and save energy. A great sense of humor helped to make the class interesting. Willing to help those who want it. If you study read the book and do extra credit and turn in all assignments with a good effort you can pass this class. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Great teacher. Knows and loves his subject and loves to share what he knows.wants to get to know the students. not bad to look at either!

Great guy, great class- would highly recommend.

A wealth of information. This guy knows his stuff and he expects you to know it too.

Wealth of information, the only problem is that he expects you to be that also. I have to say that I did learn a lot, but I studied a lot - especially for a 100 course!

I dont know what morons commented previously, but his class is amazing. i think science is the most boring subject in the world, and i LOVED his class. he's SO attractive and he has given us 50 bonus points so far for things like coming to class on time. Just pay attention and you'll do fine. notes online

In this class you learn a lot. If are one of the people that never go to class do sign up for his class...his lectures are good but his tests are hard to study for cause you cover so much and it does not follow the book. He does give out a lot of extra credit.

Dr. Richards class requires a lot of studying! To do well you must pay attention, attend class, take GOOD notes, and take advantage of the extra credit! If you do all these things, you will do just fine! Dr. Richards is very knowledgeable and a great lecturer. He wants you to know a lot about the environment because he cares. Take him!

He is a very good teacher but i was in a large class and it was hard to get teacher to student help

Dr richards is great! he really knows what he's talking about. DR in toxicology. He's really hott too! Very helpful. Attendance not mandatory but helpful. tests a little tricky but there's a LOT of extra credit. very cool and nice.

Prior to this class I had always dreaded any kind of science class. But Professor Richards taught in such a way that it completely changed my view of science, envirnmental at least. Take good notes, listen in class, and you should do well. He's very engaging.

I read all of the reviews below before I took the class. The good ones are right but so are the bad ones. He is very engaging, smart and yes hot. But he is also hard and you have to go to class even though he says you do not. If you want to learn something but maybe not do as well (B instead of A) take him. If you are looking for easy A, do not.

Took him for physiology in the summer. Too much material, but he does try to get you through it and help you. It is sooooo much material though. He's nice and will sit with you and explain it as much as you want, but who wants to spend all summer doing that (not bad to look at though).

Although he says you don't have to come I recommend that you don't miss. You are never actually sure what he will be teaching. Tests are tough but managable. He will tell you that information from a previous test will not be tested again but that is a huge lie. He will randomly have a one question pop quiz over the previous lecture.

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He is very tough, but I think he is fair. I did better than I thought I would do.

Very helpful if you want to be helped.

Hilarous guy his stories are the only thing that keep me interested

You can tell he REALLY cares about the environment. The problem is, he expects you to know this stuff as well as he does. I ended up actually likeing the class.

He is so into this stuff. It is interesting but hard. Don't take for easy A. He wants you to do well. Too well.

His tests are impossible. Pick the MOST right answer when theyre all pretty much the same? nothing is cut and dry in this class. I always thought that I was going to do good on his tests and bombed the majority.

There is NO NEED for the book--don't waste your money! Tests are based on lectures, which are mostly based on current events/environmental science issues. Tests are very difficult (obscure stuff barely mentioned in class will be on tests!) so take THOROUGH notes . Do ALL the extra credit, especially volunteering. Ask him for help, he will.

Dr. Richards is one of those rare, charismatic and engaging professors who seems to really care. He breaks down the concepts clearly and plainly and thrives off of class discussion. The only criticism I have are the overtly tricky tests, but he may curve to compensate. There are plenty of chances for extra credit, too. Best. professor. ever.

This guy is the TOPS. He wears the tighest jeans EVER! He dances around the class when he teaches like a rock star. Take this class if you want to learn about outdoor things and stuff.

He is the kind of teacher that doesn't try to impress you with his knowledge. He is very down to earth and makes class fun with his since of humor. Presented the material clearly, and only put material that he talked about in class on the test. Great teacher and guy!

Tests are very tricky and specific. Do not take this class if you looking for an easy A because you probably wont get it. He is a great teacher but this class isn't worth the effort needed for an A.

I took this guy for ESC 150 and became an ESC major because of that course. If you take his higher level stuff he will make you learn loads of material in short periods of time, give hard tests and severely stress you out for weeks. But it's ok, you'll learn a whole lot if you get through the course.

The guy is tough. But he shows you a lot of cool stuff you never thought about. I was nervous reading some of the comments here. He was a great surprise. Highly recommend him.

I never realized how important the environment is to our world. He really inspired me.

I loved Dr. Richards! He made me earn my grade and that's what made him a good teacher. He taught me personal responsibility and because of taking his class I thought of new, more efficient ways of studying. I would suggest anyone to take his class. Don't be scared to meet up with him, he's a real personable guy AFTER you get to know him a little.

Many people think his class is hard, but if you pay attention and take good notes it is not. You cannot just print his power points and expect an A. You have to take notes of what he says too. Study hard and you will do just fine. It is a very interesting class, and he cares a lot about it. He gives quizzes, and they help you learn. Not hard!

good teacher

Dr. Richards is one of the toughest teachers I have had in my undergrad. The key to succeeding in is class is just be a connoisseur of the material. Take good notes, read the text, supplement with relevant outsourced information. Don't expect him to be much help if you are a slacker. He is extremely brilliant and inspired me to work hard.

I completely disagree with most of these reviews. Richards class was my favorite this semester, and honestly kept me in college. He's very inspirational and funny in class. His tests ARE hard and you HAVE to take good notes. But as long as you study you'll at least make a B. Textbook isn't necessary. He answered all of my questions well.

I LOVED this toxicology class. Dr. Richards cared so much about his students, and I always felt respected when he spoke to us. I walked in not knowing what toxicology was, and I left with more knowledge gained than in any class Ive ever taken before.

The class was awesome and I learned a ton. The tests were pretty difficult but overall it was a great class, would take him again.

I took his Esc1500. His class is focused on 3 tests and the final, with weekly quizzes. You won't get any homework and he does have one extra credit assignment available. His class is focused half on the "News of the Day" and half on the actual textbook information. You don't NEED the textbook, but it is helpful. Some people like him, some don't.

This was the second time I took professor Richards. He wants his students to do well, but you MUST put in the effort. You have to take notes and study or you will not pass. The tests multiple choice, but you must know the material to do well. Process of elimination is not really an option. Taking someone else will be easier.

A lot of people will tell you that he is a bad professor, but those are mainly people who took his class thinking it would be an easy A. His test and quiz questions can be tricky but overall if you study and know the material, its pretty easy. He is a very smart man and sets his class up to be discussion based. Science majors: make him your friend!

He consistently offered to meet with students (virtually). This is how I went from a D to a B. Test averages never exceeded 76.7. He makes you work for it. His lectures are heavy with lots of detail. If he offers help, force yourself to go and ask questions. Quizlet will be your bff. Print off the lecture PPT & take notes on it. Review every day.

Okay look, Dr. Richards is extremely smart and is great at lecturing, and is also pretty accessible and was willing to meet with you. BUT, that class was the hardest thing I have ever taken, exams all write in, so you need to study and read everyday and PAY ATTENTION when he teaches. In order to get A's on the exams visit him & make study guides!

Professor Richards definitely has hard exams and quizzes so it's a class you have to work for. But I would really recommend taking his courses. He's super passionate about what he does, he wants to get to know his students, and he encourages discussion and interactive learning. I had to work really hard in his class but it was worth it!

I loved this class and the professor. If you are not into ESC I would not recommend taking Dr. Richards as he goes very in-depth and can be a harsh grader. If you want a great foundation for future ESC classes take his class. You will need to take lots of notes and be on time for the daily quizzes. Tests are a carbon copy of the quizzes.

Genuinely caring, encouraging prof. Intimidatingly smart guy, only uses it to your benefit. READ, show up, ask questions, go to his office hours, he'll be your best friend. Hard but straightforward class. Lectures are fast-paced and you'll want to write down his anecdotes- often on exams. Engage from the beginning. You want him on your side!