One of the major advantages of attending one of the most populated schools in the US is that they have the funds to keep some big names around. Last semester I had a class called History of Physics and Astronomy that was taught by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Steven Weinberg. He actually wasn't that captivating a teacher, but he really knew his stuff! It's great to read a reference about him in the article of a national magazine and then see him on campus the next day...