Geomaterials is a very difficult class and the labs are unnecessarily long, however, Matt is the hardest professor to teach this class. He tests you every week on chemical formulas (not that bad but he pulls formulas from week 1 in week 8), the labs are so long and the TAs grade very hard, and the midterm was 5 pages of free response! AVOID

Matt Rioux is one of Earth Science's real gems. He is so caring and in the field he really wants you to learn and helps along the way. (He even climbed behind me as we scaled a mountain to make me feel safe). You learn so much from him and he really cares about his job and students. Also, he climbs mountains like no other, in Matt we trust.

Matt is the most caring professor I've ever had the pleasure of learning from. He knows when the class isn't understanding a concept and is willing to re-explain until we get it. His exams are fair and he is willing to answer all of your questions during the lecture and if not, then after class. ALL Earth Science students love Matt!!!

Really nice & you can tell how interested he is in the subject matter! Engaging lectures & really wants to help you out if you just ask. Tests are based more on lectures than on textbook.

Matt is one of the kindest professors Ive had. He is genuinely a good person and a concise, effective, clear lecturer. He cares deeply about his students success and will go out of his way to help you. The class is intense and requires 10-15+ hours/week outside of class time to complete the labs. Prep for late nights hanging with your microscope

Matt is an amazing teacher that wants his students to pass. He goes above and beyond to help everyone understand what is a tough subject that requires many hours of outside work to finish. Matt has even come in on the weekends to work on his own projects but stopped to help student. I wish he taught more classes.

Matt is a fantastic lecturer. He clearly states what theory hed like you to know and is extremely helpful when it comes to identifying minerals. His labs are time consuming but straightforward. Be prepared to work hard outside of class. Hes also incredibly kind- I had a serious family issue keep me from completing a lab and he was very generous.

Great guy! Really knowledgeable and wants students to understand, but also understands not everyone is a geology major. Mandatory field trip to the mountains--turned out to be really interesting and helped with material. Walks around asking for questions before exams. Very clear about what's expected. Wish he taught more classes in Earth dept!!