Credit: George Foulsham, UCSB Office of Public Affairs and Communications

This is it – Election Day 2012. Grad students, with all of the important races, measures, and propositions on the ballot, it’s critical that you make your voice heard. If you haven’t already voted, go out and do so. Polls close at 8 p.m.

Credit: Patricia MarroquinTo reward you for doing your civic duty, some retailers and businesses are offering freebies and discounts today.

We hear that the Coral Tree Cafe will give you a free cookie for displaying your “I Voted” sticker.

Here are a few other freebies we found out about:

Zipcar is holding “Zip to the Polls” – half off the use of all Zipcars today, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Goleta-based Citrix is encouraging businesses to drive voter turnout by promoting flexible work options for employees. So it’s offering free downloads of GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC.

Some Starbucks are offering free tall coffees. Einstein Bagels will give you a free bagel and schmear if you show your vote sticker. The nearest location is in Ventura, unfortunately.

Although this promotion is now closed, JetBlue’s Election Protection 2012 poll asked people to cast their votes for their presidential candidate. If their candidate loses, they will be entered for a chance to win a free flight out of the country with JetBlue.

For more freebies, visit these sites:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/election-day-2012-discounts-and-freebies/

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/02/election-day-freebies-starbucks-krispy-kreme-chick-fil-a-and/

http://www.examiner.com/article/election-day-2012-freebies-and-deals-free-starbucks-blockbuster-and-more

From left, Tomas Carrasco, Jose Anguiano Cortez, and Jessie Turner are acknowledged at Graduate Division Commencement in June 2012. Credit: Patricia MarroquinOne by one, UCSB alum Tomas Avila Carrasco is ticking the boxes on his checklist of dreams and goals. Several months ago, Tomas made history when he and fellow UCSB students Jessie Turner and José G. Anguiano Cortez became the first grad students in the world to earn Ph.D.s in Chicana(o) Studies. This distinction helped him reach another milestone: a full-time tenure track position as an American Ethnic Studies Professor, at Santa Barbara City College. And now Dr. Tomas Carrasco, who is also an actor and co-founder of the comedy troupe Chicano Secret Service, can add yet another title to his resume: Online Political Commentator for CNN.

How did Tomas, who was born and raised in Oxnard, get from Ph.D. to CNN? His journey from one acronym to the next involved an old friend of Tomas’: actor-comedian-film producer John Leguizamo, Tomas told the GradPost in a telephone interview recently. Tomas and Leguizamo became friends in the mid-1990s when both appeared in a short-lived Latino-oriented comedy-variety TV show on Fox, “House of Buggin’.” They remained friends, and the two men reconnected a few years ago when Leguizamo came to UC Santa Barbara to perform at Campbell Hall.

At that time, Tomas told Leguizamo about his dreams to be a full-time ethnic studies professor and a political commentator. “I think America needs a smart Latino commentator talking about the demographic revolution,” Tomas said he told the actor. Leguizamo agreed that it was a great idea.

Fast forward to this past summer, when Tomas made history with his Chicano Studies Ph.D., then accepted an offer to teach at Santa Barbara City College. Tomas shot an email to his friend Leguizamo, titling it: “Dr. Tomas ‘I Want What I Want’ Carrasco.” In Tomas’ email, he sought advice from Leguizamo on how he could get into “the national conversation as an intellectual and a commentator” for a news network. Leguizamo asked Tomas to meet him at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, where they discussed strategies for achieving his dream.

Leguizamo put Tomas in touch with a senior editor at CNN. The editor was impressed with Tomas’ credentials and ideas for opinion pieces spanning topics in mass media, immigration, and pop culture. Since the editor was looking for new, fresh voices, he thought Tomas would be a perfect fit.

Dr. Tomas Carrasco with his doctoral co-chair, Dr. George Lipsitz.Tomas, who expects his first article to appear within a month, describes the type of writing he will do as factual and very positive. He wants to help “change the image of Latinos and Latinas in America” to show that “we’re an economic pillar and that we contribute immensely to this economy.” Subjects he will explore include the demographic revolution involving Latinos and Asian Americans; the reasons Latino cultures (Cuban, Mexican, Chicano, Puerto Rican, etc.) affiliate themselves with certain political parties and candidates to “let America know that we are very diverse among the Latino community”; and the inequitable distribution of tax dollars to prisons versus education. Since Tomas will be doing his own research and prefers quality over quantity, he expects to write an article once every two to three months.

Tomas points to his Ph.D. in Chicana(o) Studies as a big factor in getting the CNN job. Having that degree “goes along with my pitch that I’m cutting edge – academically, intellectually, and culturally,” he said.

He also praises the mentors and faculty he worked with in his Ph.D. program at UCSB. Among those he thanks are Maria Herrera Sobek, Mario Garcia, George Lipsitz (“a humble man and one of the most well-known and respected scholars in the U.S.”) and Aida Hurtado (who as Luis Leal Endowed Chair of the Chicana(o) Studies Department “has created a very positive and nurturing intellectual community”).

Dr. Tomas Carrasco jokes with students in his Racism in America class at Santa Barbara City College. Credit: Michael Clark, The ChannelsTomas said he finds a similar “positive student culture” and vibrant energy at his new place of employment, Santa Barbara City College. At City College, Tomas teaches four classes: two classes of Racism in America and two classes of Chicano Studies.

He enjoys teaching his Chicano Studies class, using the landmark book “Occupied America, A History of Chicanos,” by Rodolfo “Rudy” Acuna. Tomas intertwines media, local Santa Barbara history, and national politics. He said the beauty of teaching Chicano Studies is that he not only teaches history, but “we teach students to read the world, to become global citizens” by analyzing race, class, and gender. “I learned that at UCSB in the Ph.D. program,” Tomas said.

Both the Racism in America and Chicano Studies classes are “hard topics,” Tomas said. So he uses some of his acting and performing skills along with satire to liven it up. At the same time his students are laughing, they are learning theories and analysis. He also teaches respect. “It’s not about agreeing or disagreeing; it’s about dialogue, about talking about issues in a very respectful context,” Tomas said.

One of the next goals Tomas has set for himself is to parlay his online commentator role into an on-air commentator job, in which he would be called upon as an expert on immigration, media, and other issues.

Through his teaching, mentoring, writing, performing, and commentating, Tomas said he wants to show that “it’s not bad to be different.” This multitalented scholar is an example of just that.

For more articles about Tomas Carrasco, read:

UCSB Makes History With World’s First Chicano Studies Ph.D.s:
http://gradpost.ucsb.edu/headlines/2012/8/3/ucsb-makes-history-with-worlds-first-chicano-studies-phds.html

Chicano Studies Professor Hired by CNN:
http://www.thechannels.org/features/2012/10/19/chicano-studies-professor-hired-by-cnn/

Fear of a Brown Planet. Satire is the weapon of choice for the Chicano Secret Service:
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/05.04.00/csecretservice-0018.html

PROFILE TOMAS CARRASCO : Homeboy Debut. The satirist leads Chicano Secret Service in its guerrilla attacks on racism, politics, social stereotypes – and Oxnard:
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-16/news/vl-792_1_chicano-secret-service

Madness Is Their Cure: The comedy trio Chicano Secret Service zeroes in on political and cultural targets – ‘we're not apologizing for who we are':
http://articles.latimes.com/1993-02-28/entertainment/ca-7_1_chicano-secret-service

UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang issued the following note and passed along a message from University of California President Mark G. Yudof:

Dear members of our UC Santa Barbara community:
 
I am writing to share with you a letter from President Yudof and my fellow chancellors expressing our gratitude for the passage of Proposition 30 and all the hard work that went into the campaign, especially by our students.
 
We are tremendously encouraged by the support of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who together make possible the contributions UC Santa Barbara and our sister institutions make to society. Our campuses do not just provide a world-class education to our students, but also make significant contributions through the research we conduct, the arts and culture we foster and encourage, the discoveries and breakthroughs we produce, and the jobs we create.
 
I look forward to continuing our work together to fulfill the promise of this great University.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor

A mentor’s roles are many: advisor, listener, teacher, supporter, guide, motivator, counselor, peer, and even learner. In our interviews with UCSB grad student mentors and some of their mentees, several common themes emerged. Communication and trust are critical. Mentoring should not be done for selfish reasons. Learning goes both ways. And the rewards of a good mentor-mentee relationship are great – for all involved.

In Part 1 of our two-part series on Peer Mentoring, we talked with two grad student mentors, Sameh Helmy and Peter Burks; and a mentee, Carmen Segura. In this article, we interviewed UCSB grad student mentor Hannah Goodwin (Film & Media Studies) and her mentee, Briana McKoy; and grad mentor Lauren Winczewski (Psychological & Brain Sciences) and her mentee, Amber Massey. Read on.…

HANNAH GOODWIN AND HER MENTEE, BRIANA MCKOY

Hannah Goodwin is a second-year M.A./Ph.D. student pursuing Film & Media Studies at UCSB. Briana McKoy, a senior at Eastern Michigan University, was one of the scholars participating over the past summer in the Academic Research Consortium/Sally Casanova Scholars program (see our ARC/Sally Casanova article published in early October.). The program brought together 17 talented and motivated undergrads from across the country to do eight weeks of scholarly research under the mentorship of UCSB faculty members and grad students.

Hannah GoodwinHannah said she was asked to serve as a grad student mentor to Briana along with fellow graduate student Diana Pozo by Dr. Anna Everett, Professor of Film & Media Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, and Acting Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Academic Policy. Diana’s and Hannah’s “interests were similar enough to Briana’s that Professor Everett thought we would be a good match,” Hannah said.

“Briana was working on a paper and presentation about the representation of blackness on television historically and today,” said Hannah. “I met with her to help her find academic sources to inform her work, and to help her shape the paper and presentation.”

The mentor-mentee relationship between the two women was a compatible one.

“Hannah was a great mentor because she met me right where I was at,” said Briana, who is pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Communication and Electronic Media & Film with a minor in Marketing. “She made sure that I felt comfortable with the different research tools available at UCSB and was always more than happy to provide a listening ear when I needed to sort my thoughts ‘out loud.’”

Briana McKoyHannah’s style was “very down to earth,” said Briana, who added that they often met during Hannah’s office hours, “usually over lunch, in a very casual manner.” Hannah also met with her mentee several times outside of the office environment, Briana said, “to make sure that I was adjusting to the new environment well.”

Added Briana: “She treated me as one of her peers and I appreciated that. I can definitely say that I found a friend in her.”

Hannah too enjoyed their meetings. “Briana was consistently extremely bright and self-motivated, and working with her was always a pleasure. She had so many ideas, so there was never a shortage of material to work with or topics to discuss. I always looked forward to our meetings, as it was exciting to hear about the progress she had made since the last time I had seen her.”

Mentors and mentees we interviewed confirmed that both the undergrad and the grad student can benefit from a successful pairing.

Briana McKoy presents her research, "Black Comedy and the Weight of Misrepresentation: The Exaggeration of Black Life." Credit: Patricia Marroquin“I learned at least as much from Briana as she learned from me,” grad student mentor Hannah said. “Being a mentor exposes you to different areas of research, and gives you the opportunity to work closely one-on-one with a highly motivated student who is doing work she or he has sought out independently. Seeing your mentee's ideas solidify into excellent academic work is naturally very rewarding.”

Hannah’s advice to grad student mentors? “Be committed and available, and listen more than you talk. These students are really bright, and don’t need to be taught so much as guided.”

Back in Michigan, Briana reflected on what the program did for her. “I left understanding the importance of mentorship and possibly even more importantly the power in networking with other graduate students,” she said. “It's interesting how sidebar conversations with your peers can spark inspiration for new paths of research in your studies. I was fortunate enough to have two grad mentors whose projects were in some way relatable to mine. I loved picking their brains and listening to them share why they were so passionate about what they do. All in all, the mentorship was a learning experience for both of us. It's always interesting to meet new people and share culture.”

LAUREN WINCZEWSKI AND HER MENTEE, AMBER MASSEY

Lauren Winczewski’s interest in mentoring goes back to her days as an undergraduate.

“I have had a passion for mentoring since my earliest research experiences as an undergraduate,” said Lauren, a 2nd-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at UCSB. Lauren is studying normative processes in close relationships under the more general heading of Social Psychology. “During my sophomore year, I worked closely with a graduate student at DePaul University in Chicago. He was interested in the qualities that make for stable, successful mentoring relationships in student affairs and campus programs, and I played a pretty key role in helping him put together his dissertation project on the subject,” she said. “My work with him inspired my application to the McNair Scholars Program, and I was happy to apply my research in a practical way. Incoming undergraduates sought my guidance and were exceedingly appreciative that I always made myself available when they needed help or advice. In the year between my undergraduate and graduate studies, DePaul hired me to continue this work as Program Coordinator for the McNair Program. The work (both administrative and on individual projects with the students) was very rewarding.”

Amber Massey, left, and her UCSB grad student mentor, Lauren WinczewskiLauren’s work with Amber Massey, one of the scholars in the ARC/Sally Casanova summer program, came about when Lauren’s advisor, Dr. Nancy Collins, told her about an ARC Scholar who specifically requested to work in the department’s lab.

“My advisor was familiar with my personal and professional interest in mentoring and thought I'd be a good candidate to serve as a graduate student mentor for Amber,” Lauren said.

Amber is a senior working on her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a Biology minor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.

In the ARC program, Amber was interested in researching and making a presentation on attachment style differences in stress hormones and support behavior among romantic couples. Her presentation used data from Lauren’s lab, which had already collected related data. Lauren said she helped Amber analyze some of the data for her presentation and advised her throughout the process.

“Both Dr. Collins and Lauren were remarkably patient with my progress and in thoroughly answering any questions I had,” said Amber, “which was key as I had never truly delved into close relationships research.”

For both mentor and mentee, the manner in which they work together is important. “I learned so much about the style of mentor-mentee relationship that allows me to flourish,” said mentee Amber. “Thanks to both of these amazing ladies, I feel better prepared to determine and seek out a proper ‘fit’ with a faculty mentor, graduate fellows, and a ‘me-friendly environment’ in my future graduate program.”

Lauren called Amber “a great mentee, in large part because of her intrinsic motivation and eagerness to learn new things. I think we both learned a lot from each other.”

As other mentors we interviewed told us, open communication, trust, and clear expectations are key factors in a successful mentor-mentee relationship.

“In my experience, there are oftentimes issues of trust,” grad student mentor Lauren said. “You can see how it could be very damaging for the mentor/mentee relationship when a mentee blatantly ignores critical edits that a mentor makes. This sort of behavior might suggest that the mentee thinks the mentor is not to be trusted. As well, mentors could do or say things that lead mentees to believe the mentor does not trust them. This is just as problematic and likely inhibits confidence and professional growth. In these instances, I have found it useful to make mentees aware of the situation and stimulate conversation about it. Otherwise, these sorts of issues very easily get brushed under the rug, so to speak, and resentment grows. It's better to avoid going down that road. Mentors and mentees alike should ultimately feel comfortable having open, constructive discussions.”

Amber appreciated that openness. Lauren, she said, “was absolutely amazing in making sure there was clarity in our communications and throughout the development of our project. She was always willing to take however much time was necessary to make sure that we were on the same page, regardless of how quickly, or slowly, I was learning. She is a caring, patient, intelligent person with an excellent sense of humor, and she made even the most tedious tasks somehow entertaining!”

In addition to making expectations clear with the mentee from the start, mentor Lauren also finds it useful to get to know a little bit about mentees’ goals. “Why did they apply to work with you? What are they looking for out of the experience? What are their larger goals/aspirations? These are just some of the questions that help highlight how to be the most effective mentor to that particular mentee, such that you can plan accordingly and help facilitate learning goals.”

Lauren cautions against mentoring primarily for your own gain. “I would not advise taking on a student because you need to add a member to your research army. The relationship has to be a mutually beneficial one, and the dynamic becomes very different if mentees believe that you only hired them because you needed something done. Thus, I believe a good mentor is one who mentors for the intrinsic interest in mentoring for the sake of mentoring, not because they need a line on their CV.”

Saying she left “feeling empowered and supported by my new UCSB family,” mentee Amber is grateful for the “amazing opportunity” to participate in the ARC program. “I was welcomed into the Collins Close Relationships Lab with open arms, and I instantly felt at home. The importance of your environment (and how that will ultimately affect your productivity) is definitely a big message I brought home. I've actually changed many of the graduate programs and faculty members I was planning on applying to based almost entirely on the discovery that the right environment with the right guidance is exponentially more important to me than simply the reputation of the school, faculty, etc.”

Working with Lauren through the program also resulted in an unexpected benefit for Amber.

“Before my sophomore year of college,” Amber said, “I never once imagined I could become a graduate student. I think programs like the UCSB Academic Research Consortium are unequivocally important in the lives of those who are seeking every opportunity to make their flawed past a sparkling future. Every person instrumental to my experience in the ARC program made me feel like I was worthy and capable of greatness.”  She added that programs such as ARC and the McNair Scholars Program “are the sole reason I have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to even apply to graduate programs, much less as a competitive applicant!”

For mentor Lauren, one simple gesture made a huge impact.

“Believe it or not, one of the most rewarding parts of this particular experience was the message I received from Amber, out of the blue, after the program had ended. She had returned home to Texas by this point and had been there for several weeks. She simply wanted to say hello and profusely thanked me for working so closely with her. Her outreach showed me that my willingness to work with her and our experiences together made a lasting impression; she exhibited greater confidence in her future endeavors and made it clear to me that I truly helped her work closer to her professional goals ... and that felt nice.”

For more information on mentoring, read a few previous GradPost articles:

Peer Mentoring: Grad Students Discuss the Challenges and Rewards (Part 1)

Navigating Your Relationship With a Faculty Advisor: Advice From Dr. Catherine Murphy

17 ARC/Sally Casanova Scholars Participate in a Successful 8-Week Summer Program

Paying It Forward as a Graduate Student Mentor

Get Experience Mentoring as a Graduate Student

Maree Jaramillo, Laura Zirbel, Arielle Leitner, and Kathleen Grace Kennedy

Like many Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) departments across the country, the math department at UCSB consists of a majority of men, both in the faculty and student population. In order to promote a more supportive and inclusive environment for the women in the department, two graduate students, Brie Feingold and Alethea Barbaro, created the Hypatian Seminars in 2004. The GradPost recently spoke with Arielle Leitner, Kathleen Grace Kennedy, Laura Zirbel, and Maree Jaramillo, some of the current and former graduate student organizers, to learn more about the current state of the seminars.

The Hypatian Seminars are named for Hypatia, a Greek mathematician credited as one of the first female mathematicians to make considerable contributions to the field. According to the group, these weekly seminars “explore the contributions of underrepresented groups to the field of mathematics and to provide a forum to discuss the additional challenges they face in academia.”  

Currently, the weekly seminars feature a mix of more traditional academic talks and professional development topics. Grace and Laura recently conducted a successful workshop about building an academic website and Arielle and Maree organized a mentoring program for new graduate students in the department. While the seminars are aimed at women, they are open to everyone and usually have a balanced mix of men and women in attendance.

They also extend their support to undergraduate students by serving as role models and mentors. In October, a group of eleven graduate and undergraduate students from the department attended a women in mathematics conference. Undergraduates are also welcome at the weekly seminars and the group held a workshop about applying to graduate school earlier in the quarter.

In addition to cultivating a supportive environment in the department, participating in and organizing the seminars also provides valuable professional experience. “My experience with the seminars will make me more competitive in the job market,” said Laura, who is currently applying for jobs. “I want to do something similar wherever I end up.”

Graduate students can check out Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), Science and Industry Exchange for Women (SciiX), Women in Computer Science, and Women in Physics for supportive groups in other disciplines. For students interested in starting similar groups, Grace recommends recruiting a group to help organize events so all of the work is not left to one person and offering a variety of activities like professional development workshops, coffee groups, and round table discussions. Arielle, who made a pumpkin cheesecake for a recent meeting, also suggests providing snacks for attendees.

The seminar meets weekly on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in South Hall 6635. Refer to the schedule for upcoming topics.

Want to learn more about Hypatia, the group’s namesake? Check out Agora, a recent film starring Rachel Weisz as the historic mathematician, which the group screened at an event in 2010.

Jane Close Conoley, dean of UCSB's Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, has been selected to serve as acting chancellor of UC Riverside. The following is an announcement by UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang, and a link to the full announcement in a PDF release:

November 20, 2012

TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing with mixed emotions to share with you the attached press release regarding President Yudof's announcement that Dean Jane Close Conoley of our Gevirtz Graduate School of Education has been recommended, pending approval by the UC Board of Regents, as the acting chancellor of UC Riverside, beginning December 31, 2012, while the Riverside campus conducts a national search for their next chancellor. This interim appointment is expected to be effective until their new chancellor is in place.

We will miss Dean Conoley's leadership and service on our campus during this transition period, but we are enormously pleased that she is able to help our sister campus by providing interim leadership at such a critical time.

Dr. Conoley's record of accomplishment during her past seven years as dean of our Gevirtz School is extraordinary, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions. I am pleased that upon completion of her mission at the Riverside campus, Dean Conoley will come back to UC Santa Barbara with new insights and perspectives that will benefit our campus and our GGSE.

I will conduct a very thorough and quick campus consultation process, in discussion with Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, to identify and recruit an acting dean to fulfill the role vacated by Dean Conoley during her leave of absence.

I hope you will join me in extending to Jane our best wishes for a very successful and enjoyable acting chancellorship at UC Riverside. We look forward to her return to our campus community with even broader and deeper experience that will enrich her continued leadership as dean of our Gevirtz School.

Sincerely,

Henry T. Yang
Chancellor

Read the full UCOP press release about Jane Close Conoley's appointment.

You gave thanks on Thanksgiving Day, and snagged some deals for yourselves on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Well today, grad students, is your opportunity to give. It’s Giving Tuesday, a nationwide event whose organizers point out that while Black Friday and Cyber Monday were good for the economy, “Giving Tuesday” is “good for the soul.”

UCSB Academic Peer Torrey Trust created a holiday card and attached it to a stuffed bear at Corwin Pavilion on Tuesday. The bears will be given to local children for the holidays. The effort was organized by the UCSB Bookstore and the Professional Women's Association. Credit: Patricia Marroquin On this “opening day,” so to speak, of the giving season, why not perform an act or two of giving? We asked UCSB community members for some ideas and thoughts about the day, and here’s what they said:

From George Thurlow, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Affairs:

"I would say there are two favorite causes for the Alumni Affairs office at this time: our Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to our best and most deserving undergraduates, and the Associated Students Food Bank."

The AS Food Bank has launched its holiday drive, which runs through Dec. 19. Find out how you can help on its webpage.

From Dr. Don Lubach, Associate Dean of Students and Advisor to the Graduate Students Association:

“Graduate students in the Graduate Students Association have jumped in to support their fellow grads via their childcare grant fund and emergency grant fund. Additionally, they have been supporting the AS Food Bank with their time and some financial support. I appreciate that our 3,000 grad students are showing leadership when it comes to giving.”

The A.S. Program Board and the UCen hosted Winter Wonderland Indoor Ice Skating on Tuesday at Corwin Pavilion. The event was free for all students and faculty, but canned good donations were accepted for the A.S. Food Bank. Credit: Patricia Marroquin

Need  more ideas? You’ll find dozens of suggestions in a scroller on Giving Tuesday’s webpage, from United Way donations and holiday gift drives to cancer awareness fundraising and Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. You may also view the video below, “Giving Tuesday Get Out the Give.”  

Of course, the giving spirit is not just limited to one day, but can be practiced 24/7, 365 days of the year. Happy giving season, grads!

A panel of experienced TAs answers questions at the TA Orientation in Campbell Hall. The TAs are, from left: Lauren Horn Griffin, Religious Studies; Kimberly See, Chemistry; Arielle Leitner, Mathematics; Abigail Dowling, History; Nathan Emery, Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; and Scott Dirkse, Music. Photos by Patricia Marroquin

A recent orientation sought to expel "fear and loathing" from the classrooms of new UCSB Teaching Assistants. Through entertaining and informative presentations, workshops, and panel sessions, the 419 students learned about expectations, responsibilities, and the many resources available to help them succeed in their roles.

Dr. Roger Freedman gives the keynote address, "Fear and Loathing in the Classroom," in Campbell Hall.Attendance at the campuswide TA Orientation – co-sponsored by UCSB Graduate Division and Instructional Development – was required for all first-time TAs, graduate student readers, and undergraduate readers who will be hired during the 2012-13 academic year. After a General Session that included a welcome by Dr. Lisa Berry, Instructional Consultant in Instructional Development, students selected two workshops from among 16 sessions designed to engage students with or without prior university teaching experience.

The half-day program got off to an entertaining start with a keynote address by Dr. Roger Freedman. Dr. Berry called Dr. Freedman a “dedicated and passionate professor” who has taught in both the Physics Department and College of Creative Studies here for more than 30 years. Raising the bar in teaching, she said, he has pioneered interactive instructional approaches such as student response systems and the flipped lecture. He also has a commercial pilot’s license, has officiated as minister for a number of grad student weddings, and has had a supervillain inspired by him appear in comic books.

Speaking on “Fear and Loathing in the Classroom,” Dr. Freedman addressed and dispelled several myths about TAships. 

Dr. Freedman explained that since “fear is something that’s usually associated with the unknown,” new TAs may harbor apprehension about their role. A general fear for most new TAs, he said, is that it’s going to interfere with their studies. In fact, he said, TAing is an excellent way “to understand the basics of your subject.” He added that there’s “no better way to understand those basics than to be able to explain it to someone such as a student in simple terms without using any of the jargon with which your field is guaranteed to be burdened.” So rather than hindering graduate studies, he said, TAing will actually help a grad student.

Dr. Freedman said an associated fear is that a TAship, which may range from 10 to 20 hours a week, will take up too much time. It’s up to TAs, he said, to manage their time so that TAing won’t interfere with their studies. Work the required hours, and no more, he advises. “It’s easy to spend all your time trying to make your presentation better, a little fancier, but if you get to that point, you get beyond the point of diminishing returns.”

Another lurking “terror,” Dr. Freedman said, is “stage fright,” which he called a “perfectly natural” feeling.  The professor himself said that when he was a new TA, his nerves caused his hand to vibrate so much “I could generate electricity.”

The best thing for TAs to do, he advised, is to admit to their students that they are new and nervous and to bear with them. Then make sure to “hydrate occasionally” during class.

Dr. Roger Freedman demonstrates his eyeglasses technique.And what if students ask questions the TA can’t answer? Dr. Freedman demonstrated a technique he has used. If you wear glasses, he said, take them off and look for smears, clean them off, hold them up, put them back on, turn back to the student and say: “That’s an excellent question.” It’s “wonderful theater,” Dr. Freedman said, but won’t work if you wear contacts. Seriously, he advised the TAs not to fake an answer. Instead, tell the students that you will find the answer and get back to them.

Finally, another concern that can cause “fear and loathing” in the classroom is the feeling that the TAs’ students won’t like them. TAs, he said, sometimes think students are looking for an entertainer, but that’s not usually the case. Dr. Freedman said students are looking for a teaching assistant who knows the material, is prepared, and can help them understand the subject. They want someone who is willing to spend the time with them in class and during office hours to make sure that happens. If a TA adheres to those principles, they are bound to be liked by their students, he added.

Dr. Freedman said his message to new TAs is simple: Yes, there are some scary things about TAing, “but you can deal with them.” And don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Read more…

In the “Legal Responsibilities of TAs” portion of the General Session, new TAs heard from Ko Kashiwazaki, Assistant Director of Judicial Affairs, who spoke about academic integrity and the role of the TA.

Ko KashiwazakiKashiwazaki said that every member of the UCSB community, whether a TA or not, has a responsibility to uphold academic integrity.

Students, he said, are expected to refrain from cheating; refuse to help others to cheat; and let people know if they are aware of cheating. TAs, he said, are required to let the Office of Judicial Affairs know if they discover or are made aware of cheating anyplace. Violations can be reported at http://judicialaffairs.sa.ucsb.edu/, he said.

While there is no foolproof way to eliminate cheating, Kashiwazaki said, there are actions that can be taken. From day one, be explicit on the expectations, such as how sources should be cited and how information can be shared if working in groups. To make sure there is no confusion, state the expectations in the section syllabus.  Also, he advised, get to know the students. The better the TA knows them, the better they will be able to sense if students are struggling. He added that TAs should familiarize themselves with resources for referral, such as Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS).

Sexual harassment prevention was the topic addressed by Carol Sauceda, Senior Sexual Harassment Prevention and Diversity Education Analyst. Sauceda explained that a TA is not mandated to report any sexual harassment they hear about from a student. However, if the TA tells a faculty member, a supervisor, or her office, action must be taken because they are all mandated reporters.

She called it “risky behavior” to get involved with a student because of the imbalance of power. Even if the relationship starts off as consensual, if it turns sour the situation can get tricky. Avoid those situations, she advised.

Sauceda said it’s important to set a tone of respect. Taking an online sexual harassment prevention training program would also help, she added. When in doubt, she concluded, seek advice from the experts in her Equal Opportunity & Sexual Harassment/Title IX Compliance office.

Speaking about distressed students and counseling services was Angela Andrade, Associate Dean of Students, and Dr. Jeanne Stanford, Director of Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS).

“More than ever, mental health is just as important as physical health. We need to take care of ourselves and of each other,” Andrade said. “In your  new role as a TA, you will no doubt come in contact with a student or students in distress this year. We know that you are in a unique position to be one of the first to notice that something isn’t right with a student.”

Dr. Jeanne StanfordCAPS has created a campus protocol, or “safety net,” she said, and TAs play a vital role in it. “Is there danger to self or others?” That's the question that should be addressed. The campus protocol has a “decision tree” that can help TAs figure out what actions they should take to respond to distressed students.

Dr. Stanford wanted the new TAs to focus on themselves in their graduate student roles, asking them to repeat: “It’s all about me! It’s all about me!” She told the grad students that the top three problems grad students have are related to depression, anxiety, and stress. There are many resources available, Dr. Stanford said, including stress management programs, massage chair services, and after-hours counseling help.

Above all, she said, don’t forget to care for yourself. “Work hard, have fun, and do try to have some balance in your life,” she said. “Life begins now, and not after you graduate.”

The audience of new UCSB TAs had a chance to ask questions of a panel of experienced TAs.

The General Session ended with a helpful question-and-answer period with a panel of experienced TAs. The TAs who participated are: Lauren Horn Griffin, Religious Studies; Kimberly See, Chemistry; Arielle Leitner, Mathematics; Abigail Dowling, History; Nathan Emery, Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; and Scott Dirkse, Music.

The following are some topics addressed by the experienced TAs:

What is one thing you wished you had known before TAing for the first time?

One TA said she wished she had understood more clearly her role as a TA, that she was a facilitator of discussion and not a second lecturer. Another student said she wished she had known about “crashing” and how to handle it. “Crashing” is when a student who wasn’t able to register for a class shows up for it anyway, hoping the TA will let them stay.

How do you deal with “crashers”?

Follow your department’s policy if it has one. For example, History allows its majors in first, followed by minors, and then other students if there is space. For the Math Department, the TA has no power to allow crashers.

How do you get non-chemistry students interested in chemistry?

Though it may take a bit more work on your part, you do it by relating the labs to real-world examples. Make it relevant and useful to them.

How should I deal with Facebook friending?

One TA said he waits until the quarter is over and he no longer has any control over the student or grading. The consensus was not to become Facebook friends with any students you are TAing.

What do you do if you are scheduled to TA a class that you never had as an undergraduate, so you don’t have that much knowledge of the subject?

The TAs said to relax because this is a common occurrence. Remember that you have at least a couple of years of experience over your students. Have faith in yourself, prepare well, and remember that you do have the skills to learn the material you will be teaching.

What do you do if a student asks for extra time on an exam because he or she has a disability?

After the General Session, new TAs took a breakfast break outside Campbell Hall before heading to their workshops.The TAs said that the student should have a letter of accommodation from Disability Students Program Services. The letters go to the TA’s professor. Proctors can be used for the exam so that the TA need not be present.

What do you do about cellphone and Internet use during class?

Establish your own policy and state it in writing in your syllabus. Depending on the class, cellphone use may be allowed because, for example, the student can use the cellphone camera to take photos of organisms in the lab, or Internet/phone use may be allowed in the lab during down times.

In conclusion of the opening Campbell Hall session, Dr. Berry pointed out the wealth of resources and services available through her; fellow Instructional Consultant Dr. Kim DeBacco; and others in Instructional Development.  She called Instructional Development “a one-stop shop whose sole purpose is to support instructors and TAs for all things related to teaching.” Some of those resources include design of teaching materials; Media Services classroom support; videotaping services; and instructional consultation.

Teaching Assistant Sean Maloney addresses the new TAs.In the latter part of the Orientation day, new TAs attended two sessions of their choosing, many taught by current TAs. Topics included: Tips for Leading Discussions; International TAs: What to Expect; Grading Student Writing; and Teaching to Diverse Learning Styles.

In “The First Day of Class: Strategies to Set Yourself Up for Success,” Computer Science Lead TA Sean Maloney told the new TAs about the importance of communicating rules and policy right from the start.

This is important, he said, because “it gives you a position to fall back on when a student comes to you later and starts complaining or asking for extensions or things like that.” In order to receive a favorable review from your students, Maloney said, “you have to manage the expectations of your students and your professor.” The students must believe that you are fair, he said, and you can do that by telling them what the rules are during the first week.

Other keys to set yourself up for success, Maloney said, include meeting with your professor beforehand to make sure you are on the same page; be prepared, which will increase your confidence and calm your nerves; and introduce yourself to your students on the first day.

Maloney used a fun and interactive approach to presenting his session’s material. He involved the new TAs in a “Family Feud” game. Two teams at a time came up to try to answer the most questions. In the process, the new TAs learned such things as what they should do to prepare before the first day of class/lab (for example, write a syllabus, meet with your professor, find the building/room, and get the key); and what they should do during the first day of class/lab (introduce yourself, pass out the syllabus, establish rules, and teach something).

New TAs in Sean Maloney's "The First Day of Class" workshop play a "Family Feud" game to learn strategies for success.

In the opening session earlier that day, Dr. Berry told the new TAs: “One of the best ways that we can improve our teaching is simply by talking with each other.” The goal of the orientation, she said, was to help them become more prepared. It appeared to be “Mission: Accomplished.”

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Graduate Student Peers, Graduate Division staff, and many other guest contributors, the UCSB GradPost has been going strong for two years. Over this time we have posted over 1,000 articles, tips, funding opportunities, jobs, events, and more. To highlight some of our most useful resources, we will be featuring the best GradPost articles from a number of categories in the upcoming weeks.

Today, we bring you some essentials for getting the most out of graduate school:

• Building a Personal Learning Network: RSS Readers (1/16/12): Use an RSS reader to keep up to date with the latest in your field
• Building a Personal Learning Network: Twitter (1/30/12): Start using Twitter to network with others in your discipline
• Torrey's Tech Talk: Collaborating in an Online World (2/15/12): Some online tools to facilitate collaboration
• 5 Ways Grad Students Can Use Social Media (2/27/12): Use social media like Twitter and LinkedIn for networking, job search, and more
• The Good, The Bad, and The First Year in Graduate School (9/11/12): Words of advice from current graduate students on surviving the first year
• Setting and Adhering to Deadlines (9/12/12): Some time management tips to tackle all of your projects

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we post more invaluable resources for writing, funding, teaching, presentations, the job search, networking, and wellness.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Graduate Student Peers, Graduate Division staff, and many other guest contributors, the UCSB GradPost has been going strong for two years. Over this time we have posted over 1,000 articles, tips, funding opportunities, jobs, events, and more. To highlight some of our most useful resources, we will be featuring the best GradPost articles from a number of categories in the upcoming weeks.

Today, we bring you some essentials for networking:

• The Keys to Successful Networking (1/23/12): Networking basics and concrete advice including an interactive slideshow
• Networking for Introverts (2/17/12): Useful networking resources especially for introverts
• Networking 101: Sustaining a Conversation (2/27/12): Some tips for keeping a conversation going
• Earning a Doctorate of Charm in One Day (3/21/12): Etiquette tips from MIT's Charm School
• Connect with Graduate Students Worldwide (4/4/12): Great blogs, forums, Facebook groups, and Twitter accounts to follow to connect with other grad students
• Getting a Job 2.0: Branding, Digital Reputation, and Social Media (5/14/12): How to use social media sites like LinkedIn to establish your online presence and network with professional colleagues
• Networking for Grad Students: Business Cards (10/10/12): Get your own business cards printed

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we post more invaluable resources for writing, funding, teaching, presentations, the job search, mentoring, and wellness.

Steven PokornowskiSteven Pokornowski is a mentor, a TA, and a leader on the English Department’s Council of Graduate Students. Before attending graduate school, he had, as he describes it, “a very eclectic work history,” including an “odd constellation of jobs” such as a bookshelver, a heavy machine operator, a radio advertisement editor, a theater usher, and a video game tester. This enthusiastic 5th-year English Ph.D. student can now add another twinkling title to that constellation: Funding Peer Advisor for the Graduate Division based at the Graduate Student Resource Center. 

Steven, who grew up on the southeast side of Chicago, earned Bachelors of Arts and Sciences in English and Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Arts in English at UCSB. Steven’s emphasis in the English Department is 20th Century and Contemporary British and American Literature and Culture.

His Ph.D. research includes a focus on zombies. Yes, zombies. Says Steven: “I’ve become absolutely invested in critiquing the politics of the zombie, as a fraught, problematic figure.”

The GradPost caught up with Steven, who found time in his busy schedule to share what grad student life has been like for him, what he does for fun, advice he would give to grad students, his goals for the future, and why he’s got that fascination with zombies. Read on. …

Tell us a little about your research.

I focus on how infection and immunity, and terror and security are represented in 20th Century and Contemporary Literature and Film. Or as I like to tell people, I work on the politics of contagion and control in Modernism and Zombies.

What has graduate student life been like for you?

It’s been a TON of really exciting, really rewarding work, and I love it! I’ve met a lot of amazing people and learned a lot about myself, the world, and the profession. It’s been a great experience, although living in Santa Barbara on graduate student salary can be challenging.

What do you wish you had known before you started grad school?

I was extremely lucky to be very well prepared for grad school by Professor James Hansen at the University of Illinois. He walked me through the whole process and really did not pull any punches in outlining the possible roadblocks to funding, mentorship, progress, etc. What I do wish I had known is how important cultivating and maintaining an academic community is in academia.

What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?

I have a lot of different motivations. On the one hand, I want what many graduate students want: to make a notable and valuable contribution to the academic community, and expand and deepen knowledge. At the same time, I’m also motivated by my students, whose enthusiasm and interest make teaching fun and rewarding. Yet again, though, I’m motivated by my parents, who always encouraged me and gave me tons of advantages that they never had.

Who is your hero and why?

I don’t think I have a hero. There are a few figures in my life, and one in history, who work similarly for me, though. My academic mentors, my parents, and [novelist-playwright-poet] Samuel Beckett – an incongruous list that I hope would make them all a little happy.

What do you do to relax? What makes you happy?

To relax I spend time with my girlfriend and our awesome cats! I also really enjoy watching sitcoms; I’m a big fan of Parks and Rec, I still love Futurama, and lately I’ve been into The Mindy Show and The New Girl. Of course, I also love to watch … zombie movies!

Please tell us about your interest in zombies. How and why did you become interested in them?

I grew up with zombies, well not literally, but you know what I mean. In the early 1990s I started playing the Resident Evil video games as they came out. Around that time I also saw Night of the Living Dead for the first time. Little did I know at the time that these would be formative experiences for my academic career. I have a forthcoming publication on biopolitics and the logic of survival in Night of the Living Dead and The Walking Dead, and I will be presenting a paper focusing largely on the Resident Evil transmedia franchise at MLA. So, I’ve been interested in the zombie since I was old enough to run away from them in video games and be allowed to see blood and guts in TV and movies. I didn’t realize how interested I was in the figure of the zombie until well into my graduate studies, when my graduate advisor asked me what I was interested in other than the canonical modernist figures I had been studying. Unexpectedly, the first thing I blurted out was “I like zombies!?!” The realization changed my academic life, making me rethink my proposed project and rethink the figure of the zombie. I’ve become absolutely invested in critiquing the politics of the zombie, as a fraught, problematic figure of colonialism, empire, and slavery it seems crucial to think critically about how and why it has shambled its way into the popular imagination.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I’m an open book, but most people who aren’t close to me don’t realize that I am a very anxious person. I handle stress well, but boy does my girlfriend hear me complain about it!

What do you hope to be doing 5 or 10 years out of graduate school?

Five to 10 years down the road I hope to be an English professor, doing research and writing on literature and culture. I also hope to be as happy as I am now.

Do you have any advice for current grad students?

Absolutely.  Ask questions. Ask lots of questions. And be sure to go to conferences early and network — not even just for professionalization purposes, but just because you’ll learn so much more, and meet so many more amazing and intelligent people.

What do you hope to accomplish in your new role as Funding Peer Advisor?

As the new Funding Peer Advisor, I hope to keep grad students up to date about funding opportunities, to keep the Source up to date. I also hope to teach them how to find these funding opportunities on their own. A simple but challenging plan, I’m sure.

 Welcome, Steven, to Graduate Division and the Graduate Student Resource Center!

Yesterday I held a diversity forum at the GSA lounge where a group of students gathered to speak about the upcoming Campus Climate Survey with Ricardo Alcaino, Director for the Office of Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment/Title IX Compliance. Ricardo shared that the survey was created as a response to several incidents that occurred across the UC system, not just as UC Santa Barbara. In recent years UC students have been the victims of several acts of discrimination. Some of these acts include, but were not limited to, racial slurs written in graffiti, physical violence against students of color, women and the LGBTQI community, racialized theme parties, as well as a noose hanging from a library. As a result, the University of California, Office of the President (UCOP) decided to compile data on individual campus living, learning, and working atmospheres.

Ricardo Alcaino, Director for the Office of Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment/Title IX ComplianceThe students at yesterday's diversity forum were able to express some personal concerns or experiences to Ricardo as well as to each other. The good thing about the diversity forum was that students were able to interact with each other and share their experiences as well as their knowledge on campus policies and procedures. It was of great benefit that Ricardo was there because as the campus director and coordinator for Title IX he is very well informed on how to handle situations of sensitive nature. Additionally, as a member of the survey's Local Work Team, Ricardo has provided invaluable information towards the campus climate survey's creation, implementation, and analysis. As such, he was able to address many of the questions surrounding the survey layout and other specific areas of interest.

Below is a message from the local work team for UC Santa Barbara.

Answer the CALL!

UC Santa Barbara is participating in the University of California’s system-wide Campus Climate Survey from January 3 to 25, 2013. This survey collects important data on the institutional climate and general attitudes about the living, learning and working environments on our campus. Make your voice heard to improve the campus climate at UC Santa Barbara specifically, and throughout the entire University of California system.

The University of California recognizes that its diverse constituents have helped to make it a premier research and teaching institution, and it works diligently to enhance that diversity to better reflect society as a whole. Within UC graduate education, African Americans/Blacks are underrepresented. An average from 2007 to 2011 showed just 2.5% enrollment of African Americans in all UC academic doctoral programs. A UC initiative going into its second year seeks to tap the talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), forging relationships between these students and UC faculty during a summer of research and mentorship.

The UC-HBCU Initiative is a grant program that helps UC faculty strengthen research ties with HBCUs and exposes students to graduate education at a UC campus, which they might not otherwise have considered.

Now through Feb. 20, 2013, UC faculty members are invited to submit grant proposals. Faculty may visit the UC-HBCU Call for Proposals page for application instructions and forms, as well as deadlines and other important information.

"We know UC faculty understand the critical value of diversity, but we also know that resources to empower their desire to do things differently are very limited and in some fields virtually nonexistent," Pamela Jennings, Director of Graduate Studies at UC Office of the President, said in a UCOP press release. “These grants are aimed at helping change that.”

Summer 2012 was the first year UC’s Office of the President offered the grants, and UC Santa Barbara participated.

Dr. Patricia Marin, Associate Director of the UC Educational Evaluation Center (UCEC) at UCSB and Co-Investigator for the UC-HBCU Initiative, told the GradPost about UCSB’s involvement last year in the program.

“Our dean circulated the Request for Proposals from UCOP. Immediately I knew this was a great fit for our center – the UC Educational Evaluation Center.”  Dr. Marin coordinated the summer program on a day-to-day basis.

Dr. Marin called the first summer “fantastic.” Four students were selected with the center’s partners at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) (see UCEC's UC-HBCU Initiative/UCSB-FAMU Partnership page). The students admitted for summer 2012 were: Darrius Stanley, Adam Bailey, Lois Harmon, and Eugene Bellamy Jr.

UCSB summer 2012 scholars, from left: Darrius Stanley, Adam Bailey, Lois Harmon, and Eugene Bellamy Jr.

"At UCSB they received evaluation training from the UCEC, and participated in academic, professional/career, and social activities,” Dr. Marin told the GradPost.

One of the student participants, Lois Harmon, graduated from FAMU’s Elementary Education program, and in the fall of this year she entered UCSB to pursue a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Organizations.

Lois had this to say about her summer experience here: “My faculty and peer mentors were amazing people who helped me frame my research question and develop my study. Overall, participating in the Scholars Program was a life-changing experience for me. There was no better way for me to prepare for grad school and there is no better graduate school for me to attend. I am forever grateful to FAMU and UCSB for this opportunity of a lifetime!”

Dr. Jerry Gibson, Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering at UCSB, also participated in the inaugural program last summer. In a video by the UC Office of the President (view the video below), he said: “The Pathways UC-HBCU program was attractive to me because I understand the value in diversity in a university environment. We need to increase the diversity to add to the quality, both of the graduate program and to the quality of the experience in the research program.”

Dr. Marin praised the program. “The UC-HBCU Initiative is an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young scholars,” she said. “It's a lot of work, but incredibly rewarding. It's exciting to see UC actively working to address issues of diversity. The UCEC would be happy to partner with any new program at UCSB!”

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Graduate Student Peers, Graduate Division staff, and many other guest contributors, the UCSB GradPost has been going strong for two years. Over this time we have posted over 1,000 articles, tips, funding opportunities, jobs, events, and more. To highlight some of our most useful resources, we will be featuring the best GradPost articles from a number of categories in the upcoming weeks.

Today, we bring you some of our best tips and tools for giving presentations:

• How To Get Your Conference On (7/15/11): What to do to make the most of an academic conference
• How To Get Your Conference On Part II: Tech Style (8/2/11): Tech tips to improve the conference experience
• The Art of Presenting With PowerPoint (1/30/12): Some basic tips on improving your PowerPoint presentations
• Preparing for my 1st Conference Presentation (Part 1) and Preparing for my 1st Conference Presentation (Part 2) (4/19/12): Graduate peer advisor Mario Galicia shares his first conference presentation experience
• Preparing to Present at Conferences or Meetings (5/7/12): Some presentation advice shared by the Tufts GradMatters blog
• Presentation Skills: Overcoming Stage Fright (5/18/12): A handy checklist for dealing with presentation anxiety

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we post more invaluable resources for writing, funding, teaching, the job search, mentoring, and wellness. Read the rest of the Best of the Gradpost series.

This is a reminder that on January 3, UC Santa Barbara will launch the UC Campus Climate Study, “Answer the CALL (Campus Atmosphere for Living & Learning)!” The survey will end January 25, 2013.

The purpose of survey is to help the University of California establish healthy and inclusive policies and practices that benefit all members of our campus communities.  

Be sure to check your UCSB email for your survey invitation (if you forward your email, also check your spam folder, as well), beginning January 3 and continuing through January 25, 2013. All survey responses are strictly confidential.

To thank all members of the UC Santa Barbara community for participating in this survey, all participants will be entered to win a “Climate Survey Thank You” prize.

UC Systemwide incentives: There will be a random drawing among all participants in the survey. These prizes include:

• One $10,000 undergraduate scholarship
• Two $5,000 graduate/professional student stipends
• Two $5,000 faculty research grants
• Five $2,000 staff professional development grants

UC Santa Barbara incentives: There will be a random drawing among students, faculty and staff who complete the survey. Prizes will be awarded separately for each group (faculty group, student group, and staff group). Prizes in each group category include:

• One Grand Prize: $1,000
• One 1^st Prize: Apple iPad
• Three 2^nd Prizes: $500 each
• Ten 3^rd Prizes: $100 each

For detailed information about UC Santa Barbara’s participation in the survey, please go to: http://diversity.evc.ucsb.edu/CampusClimate. Feel free to contact Anna Everett, Acting Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Academic Policy, for additional information at campus.climate@evc.ucsb.edu.

• Adventures (and Advice) in Adjunct Work (9/9/10): Resources and advice for working as an adjunct professor
• Negotiating a Salary and Job Offer (2/6/12): How to negotiate a job offer
• UCSB Department Chairs Share Tips for Hiring Success (4/13/12), Advice from Department Chairs: The Ideal Faculty Candidate (4/20/12), Advice from Department Chairs: Preparing for the Job Talk (5/3/12): In this three-part series, UCSB department chairs share their advice for the faculty job search
• Making the Most of Your Graduate School Experience (4/20/12): Advice and resources for what to do now to secure a faculty job later
• Dr. Anne García-Romero Shares Job Search Tips for Faculty Positions (6/6/12): Job search advice from a UCSB alum
• Tips for the Academic Job Search (6/21/12): Advice for the academic job market from UCSB Materials professors
• Finding Academic Job Postings (11/9/12): Where to look for academic jobs online

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we post more invaluable resources for writing, funding, teaching, the industry job search, mentoring, and wellness. Read the rest of the Best of the Gradpost series.

On an early morning run around the campus lagoon, I spotted 18 Snowy Egrets and an abundance of other birds fishing for insects near the beach. I had to wait until I returned home to identify some of the other birds using Google image search. Searching "tall blue bird" and scrolling through hundreds of photos was not the easiest way to identify a Great Blue Heron.

Fortunately, UCSB graduate students have devised a solution with the Birdeez App. This app helps you instantly identify birds by selecting a few options (shape, size, color). Once you identify the bird, you can "spot it," which records the location so you can map out all of the birds you have seen. This app is only populated with birds from California, but the app developers have plans to expand it nationwide.

The app was designed by Jeff Simeon, who pursued his Master's Degree at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Patrick Toerner, a programmer, and Thomas Kuo, a Ph.D. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department.

The Birdeez app is currently available for free for iOS 5 or later. You can download the app here: Apple App Store.

If you are around campus on Wednesday, come celebrate the holidays with others in the UCSB community.

The Associated Students Food Bank is hosting a free Holiday Dinner on Wednesday, December 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the MultiCultural Center. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to bring friends and families.

To RSVP for the dinner, please email foodbank@as.ucsb.edu.

Staff or faculty members who are interested in contributing a side dish or entrée, or signing up as volunteers, are asked to contact Tuyen Nguyen at tuyenn@as.ucsb.edu.

In workshops she has conducted, UCSB Education Ph.D. student Torrey Trust talks about the importance of a stellar online presence, or “digital reputation.” Do a “vanity search” of your name, she advises, and see what shows up. If you don’t like what you find, it’s time to clean up that reputation, and in her seminars, Torrey tells you how to do that. But she says there are some things that simply cannot be erased from your digital profile, such as when you’re involved in a world news event. Torrey was thrust into such a situation in 2007.

If you Google “Torrey Trust,” on the first page of the results you’ll find this UC San Diego headline: “Newlywed Alums Aboard Ship That Sinks in Antarctica.” Yes, that was Torrey, who was on a honeymoon cruise with her husband Trevor Takayama when their ship hit an iceberg in the Antarctic. They huddled in a lifeboat in frigid waters for more than four hours before help arrived. Once on dry land in Chile, they were interviewed about their ordeal by Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America.”

Although Torrey hasn’t made the world news since then, her other activities and accomplishments are no less noteworthy. Among her many talents, Torrey is a surfer, a soccer player, a photographer, a blogger, an author, an environmentalist, and a teacher.

Torrey took some time for an interview with the GradPost. She shares what it’s like to have your father as your teacher; how she came to establish an eco-friendly surfing school; why she wants a particular T-shirt after she earns her Ph.D.; her advice for grad students; and why she’ll never own an ice cream shop.

Diane Sawyer of "Good Morning America" interviews Trevor Takayama and Torrey Trust in 2007.

Since we’re no “Good Morning America,” we can’t promise Torrey this post will land on Page One of a “Torrey Trust” Google search. But it is possible that if we get enough clicks, it could find its way to the front page. To make that a reality, read on and share this with your friends. …

Name, year in graduate school, discipline/emphasis, expected graduation date; other degrees

Torrey “Surf’s Up” Trust, http://www.torreytrust.com.

2nd Year in Grad School, Education (Teaching and Learning emphasis); Hopeful Graduation Date: June 2014. Other Degrees: M.A. in Educational Technology, San Diego State University. B.A. in Visual Arts: Media with Film Emphasis, UC San Diego.

Where did you grow up?

In the lovely surf town of Encinitas (San Diego), California.

Tell us a little about your research and how you came to choose the topic.

My research focuses on K-12 teachers’ use of professional learning networks to connect, collaborate, and learn with other educators from around the world. Professional learning networks (PLNs) are a combination of social media tools (i.e., Facebook, Edmodo, Twitter) and information aggregation tools (i.e., RSS readers and social bookmarking). PLNs help teachers overcome the feeling of isolation, the embarrassment from seeking help, and the idea that they have to reinvent the wheel any time they design a new lesson plan or activity. In Edmodo, for example, a teacher might post a request for solar system resources and will generally receive 5 to 15 responses with multiple resources (lesson ideas, online resources, learning activities) within 24 hours. Teachers can pool the collective knowledge from experts around the world to find the most effective solutions, resources, and best practices.

I first became interested in the idea of professional learning networks and online communities from my ED 210A: Advances in Learning Sciences course. I realized that I had been building one using Google Reader and Diigo since 2008, so I was familiar with the tools. The idea of PLNs was gaining popularity in the Education field, so I jumped on in and started my research by building an e-course to help teachers build their own PLNs: http://edpln.wikispaces.com.

What has graduate student life been like for you?

Graduate student life has been an incredible opportunity. I often think how lucky I am to have the opportunity to spend time engaging in conversations and thinking critically about the theory and practice that inform pedagogy and an understanding of how people learn.

Of course, not all of my time is spent trying to answer the world’s most pressing questions. I am part of 3 soccer teams and 2 softball teams. I work multiple jobs. And, my husband and I often spend our weekends exploring the local activities and outings.

What do you wish you had known before you started grad school?

Even though I should have taken a hint because Ph.D. stands for “doctor of philosophy,” I didn’t quite realize how much time would be spent philosophizing. Nothing is black and white. There really is no right answer. Learning is not about an individual soaking up information from an expert.

Culture, history, activity systems, prior knowledge, background experience, personal upbringing, and many other factors are at play as a student sits in a classroom. I never realized how much time I would spend thinking about thinking.

What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?

Being called “Dr. Trust.” I started a Ph.D. program so that when I graduate I can wear a “Trust me, I’m a doctor” shirt.

Seriously, though, I’m driven by the opportunity to improve education. I moved to Washington, D.C. in 2010 to pursue a career in K-12 education. I found a job at a turnaround school in Southeast D.C. as an instructional aide. I spent most of my time working with an adorable third-grade student with severe autism spectrum disorder, however I also had the opportunity to lead small group activities in both reading and math. Working in one of the lowest performing elementary schools in Washington, D.C., was an eye-opener. The teachers faced incredibly challenging obstacles and yet they stayed late at night and came into the schools on weekends to do their best to change the lives of their students. I want to find a way to help teachers excel. Showing teachers how to build a professional learning network is just one way to improve support and professional development opportunities for teachers. I will continue to search for more ways to support the individuals who spend countless hours being coaches, parents, counselors, nutritionists, and inspirations to the students in the classroom.

Who is your hero and why?

Torrey's father, Jerry Trust, on Earth Day 2009.I have two heroes: my mother [Beverly Trust] and father [Jerry Trust]. Before my mother passed away from breast cancer in 2003, she had worked as an elementary teacher and Science resource specialist for San Diego City Schools. She was truly passionate about education and improving the lives of her students. I want to continue her quest of making a difference through education.

My father was a high school science teacher for over 30 years. I was fortunate to have him as a teacher twice. His AP Environmental Science course took students on over 15 field trips around San Diego to explore different ecosystems (tide pools, whale watching, chapparral). In that class, we learned through inquiry and projects. His course and extreme love of the environment have inspired many students to pursue environmental science studies and jobs.

Name an accomplishment you are most proud of and why.

I started the first ever eco-friendly surfing school in the world, Surf eCo, in 2008. After witnessing the devastating effects of deforestation in Costa Rica, I told my husband that I wanted to find a way to raise money to save acres of rainforest. Having been a surf instructor at UC San Diego for multiple years, I decided to start a surf school. However, the school was very different than other surf schools – students learned to surf on eco-friendly biofoam surfboards, used bamboo towels, tested natural sunscreens, and waxed their boards with soy-based wax. I also spend the last 15 minutes of every lesson talking about human impact on the environment (deforestation, pollution, etc.) and how to take small steps to make a difference. Many repeat participants showed up to the second or third lesson with reusable bags/bottles and actively participated in the discussions about the environment. This school received a lot of media attention and was very popular. We raised enough money to save 72 acres of rainforest during the first summer. Unfortunately, the regulations in Encinitas banned surf schools from operating on weekends, which, since I also worked a full-time job, resulted in the closing of the school.

What do you do to relax? Any hobbies or favorite places? What makes you happy?

To relax, I nap. In fact, I usually write naptime into my schedule before any of my other commitments when planning out my week. This is a healthy way to reenergize and shut my mind off for a short period of time so I can go full speed when I wake up.

Torrey and her beloved chihuahua, Lily.For hobbies, I love to travel. I apply to present at conferences just so I can travel all over the country.

My husband and I have been to all 7 continents and to over 30 countries together. My favorite country is Costa Rica – rainforest, excellent surfing, and an active volcano that heats the hot springs – can’t beat that. The most beautiful place that I’ve been is Iguacu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.

What makes me happy – Chihuahuas, penguins, and Chihuahuas wearing penguin outfits. My husband and I traveled to Antarctica during our honeymoon just to see penguins.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you and/or something that most people don’t know about you?

1) My childhood dream was to own an ice cream shop. Since I now follow a vegan diet, that dream has a very slim chance of happening.

2) I wanted to name my chihuahua Cha-Chi, but since we got her from a rescue organization, she was already named (Lily).

What do you hope to be doing 5 or 10 years out of graduate school?

Teaching at a university, doing freelance instructional design for K-12 schools and businesses, conducting research, publishing my third book, and traveling around the world to present.

Do you have any advice for current grad students?

There are two essentials in grad school: relationships and resources. Connect with other graduate students, staff, and faculty. Seek out mentors. The more relationships you build, the more support you will have as you achieve your goals. Also, UCSB has a wealth of resources to offer – take advantage of them while you are a student. Most of them are free (i.e., counseling, career services, instructional development).

OK, really three things – don’t sweat the small things. Life is short.

What are your goals as Academic Peer Advisor in the Graduate Student Resource Center?

While my title is Academic Peer Advisor, my real goal is to help all students develop personally, professionally, and academically. I hope to achieve this goal by writing helpful articles on the GradPost and hosting workshops and office hours. I look forward to finding a way to get all grad students to subscribe to the GradPost so they can be informed about all of the amazing resources at UCSB.

Anything else you’d like to add?

To save teachers the time they would have to spend searching for online resources and figure out how to use technology tools, I built an education technology database that hosts over 2,000 links to websites, videos, and other helpful resources that teachers can use when integrating technology into their lesson plans. The resources are categorized by subject, grade level, and standard. The website has been viewed over 110,000 times by individuals from over 140 countries. Members of the database include superintendents, directors of technology, teachers, parents, students, and administrators from all over the world. Website: http://edutechdatabase.wikispaces.com.

Here are a few links you may come across when Googling “Torrey Trust”:

YouTube Video: Torrey Trust on UCSB’s Graduate Student Resource Center

“Honeymoon on Ice,” New York Times

Amazon.com Book: “Graduating With Confidence: A Guide to Making the Most of Your College Experience

Getting a Job 2.0: Branding, Digital Reputation, and Social Media

Managing Your Digital Reputation

UC San Diego Tritons Bio

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Graduate Student Peers, Graduate Division staff, and many other guest contributors, the UCSB GradPost has been going strong for two years. Over this time we have posted over 1,000 articles, tips, funding opportunities, jobs, events, and more. To highlight some of our most useful resources, we will be featuring the best GradPost articles from a number of categories in the upcoming weeks.

Today, we bring you resources for the non-academic job search:

• Negotiating a Salary and Job Offer (2/6/12): How to negotiate a job offer
• Job Searching with LinkedIn (3/19/12): Tips for using LinkedIn to network and find jobs
• Job Hunting: Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile (5/30/12): More advice on using LinkedIn for the job search
• Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Developing Winning Job Interview Skills (5/30/12): Some concrete tips and resources for the job interview
• Tips for the Industry Job Search (6/7/12): Advice from industry professionals about applying for industry jobs

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we post more invaluable resources for writing, funding, teaching, mentoring, and wellness. Read the rest of the Best of the Gradpost series.