Big name faculty

[alrightok]

How much should I take into account "celebrity" faculty at a department I'm considering? If they seem to be doing zero grad student co-authorship, minimal teaching, and little to no advising. Is there some other benefit to being in a department with them? Or should I just assess the department as if they're not there?

[terefere]

If they do not engage in any way with students, there is little benefit, but not none, because there are always some spillovers, for instance the funding they may have. . Best to ask current students about it.

[Tumiaeve]

I went to an undergrad institution that had two celebrity professors in the Political Science department and two in the Poli Econ department. You had to take an application to take a class with them, they never gave letters of recommendation, they had hard to reach offices on obscure areas of the campus, and they were Professors of Practice or Emeritus so they never took in graduate students as RAs or TAs. I mean, it helped make the program one of the top ranked in the country, and honestly having their names on my transcript is kind of nice, but I can honestly say it has not helped with my educational experience any more than an equally capable non celebrity Professor has.