Hot professor of the week: Steven Branstetter

Penn State has a huge campus, and we obviously already knew that there are a ton of hot students walking across Old Main every day, but we don’t always take the time to appreciate the attractive professors we tune out/drool over in lecture every week.

Even though classes for next semester have already been picked, it wouldn’t hurt to head over to RateMyProfessors.com because who knows, one of your profs just might have a red hot chili pepper included on their profile.

Steven Branstetter not only has a chili pepper next to his name, but also a 5.0 overall rating. If you’re in the BBH program, you’re mostly definitely going to need to switch into his class over sylly week. Easy on the eyes and a painless class – what more could you want?

We asked Branstetter a few questions to help get to know him just a little better.

First, the basics: What do you teach and how long have you been at Penn State?

I am an Associate Professor in Biobehavioral Health. I teach Health Promotion and Research Methods/Statistics. I have been at Penn State since 2009.

Do you read your ratings on “Rate My Professors” and do they have any influence on how you teach?

I looked on Rate My Professors a few times many years ago; however, that was shortly after I got to PSU and there were no ratings. I hadn’t really checked since then. Naturally, we all pay more attention to the SRTE – but I know a couple of faculty members who teach the large lecture courses who check RateMyProfessor more regularly.

Did you already know about the pepper before this?

I had no idea what the pepper meant. Initially, I thought it might refer to a popular class.

How do you feel knowing your students have rated you as ‘hot?’

I can only assume someone else also misunderstood the purpose of the pepper!

Has a student ever hit on you?

Not really. I’m kind of oblivious to that sort of thing anyway.

Are you single or married? How does your partner feel about all of this?

I am married with three kids. It’s hard to tell exactly what my wife thinks; she wouldn’t stop laughing.

When you were in school, do you think you would have taken a class based on a ‘pepper’ rating?

There was a time when that would have been the only criteria…

What is your ideal date in downtown State College?

Being boring academic-types – with kids – our ideal date night is a (non-animated) movie, dinner and hanging out at a bookstore drinking coffee.

If you had to choose your own hot professor, who would it be?

My wife, Kristi, is an instructor in the Hospitality Management Department – she would definetly be my hot professor!

Are you going to put this achievement on the top of your resumé?

Of course, anyone can publish a few manuscripts! (HA!)

If you weren’t a professor, what would you be?

I was a professional musician when I was an undergraduate – playing in rock bands and touring the midwest to pay for school. I took a few years off school to tour. I went back to school when I could barely afford peanut butter and jelly. I assume if I didn’t become a professor, I’d be the old guy playing “Free Bird” and the local bar.

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Can someone please tell him we’d love to see his band at the Phyrst?

@MegsyBologna