Whether it's his laid-back teaching style or the quirky jokes he interjects into his lectures, Tech students who voted in our poll decided Brian Etheridge, an assistant professor of history, is their favorite professor.

Etheridge has worked hard to make his history classes not his students' nap time by lecturing in a relaxed, conversational manner and has integrated message board-style discussions on Blackboard to help students apply the material learned in class.

"I don't think students like him because he's an easy teacher," John Lary, Etheridge's teaching assistant and a graduate student of history, said. "His class is easy because he's a good teacher. Students can approach him and even if you don't do well in the class, you still learn a lot from him."