Author Archives: Laura Zirbel

My Summer with iClickers

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Laura Zirbel

I am not an all technology all the time kind of girl. I don’t believe in calculators on exams, or being in contact with my students via email 24 hours a day. But I LOVE iClickers. IClickers are a student … Continue reading →

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All the Benefits of a Grad Seminar!

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Laura Zirbel

You could also call this article “Why I love the Grad Topology Seminar.” At UCSB we have had a Grad Topology Seminar since the 70’s. It’s run by graduate students, and only graduate students and postdocs attend. We spend the fall … Continue reading →

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Productive Procrastination: The Importance of Having Several Projects

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Laura Zirbel

At one point or another, something in your research will stall. Or it be proven useless, incorrect, or already shown in paper X. Co-authors and journals will take months to get back to you. Or your numerical simulation will take … Continue reading →

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Things You Should Do Before Your Last Year

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Laura Zirbel

I’ve started to worry about applying for jobs and finishing my dissertation, even though two years seems like a lot of time. But in a year from now, one short little year, I will be applying for jobs. Watching those … Continue reading →

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Disaster Strikes

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Laura Zirbel

So my trusty MacBook has been on the way out for a week or so. While on vacation, I got the modern equivalent of a sad mac face, the question mark of doom.

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