Current instructor

Ellen Zweibel

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.00/5 from 1 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

PHYS109 · course not matched
Quality 2/5Difficulty 3/5
Ellen doesn't know how to teach. She is very knowledgeable in the field of physics, but I wouldn't have known it by attending her lectures alone. She attempts to provide demos that never work out correctly, and she doesn't check to see if students have questions. When she does try to answer student questions, she usually ends up confusing the class
Rate My Professors ↗

Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Ellen Zweibel

ASTRON 199 is an introductory directed study allowing students to conduct mentored independent research arranged with faculty.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=1 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

ASTRON 699 is a directed study course for junior and senior students to conduct independent projects arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

ASTRON 990 is a research and thesis course providing advanced mentored reading and research opportunities for graduate students.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

PHYSICS 406 covers special topics in physics at the advanced undergraduate level.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited sample

PHYSICS 682 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing Physics Honors in the Major.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample
PHYSICS 990

Research

1–12 credits

PHYSICS 990 is a research course where students conduct supervised research projects with individual faculty members.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

No recorded grade history

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026ASTRON 199Directed Study
Fall 2026ASTRON 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026ASTRON 699Directed Study
Fall 2026ASTRON 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2026PHYSICS 406Special Topics in Physics
Fall 2026PHYSICS 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026PHYSICS 682Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026PHYSICS 990Research

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_d578df90e3c96f783c76bf3f",
  "source": "enrollment",
  "source_instructor_id": "egzweibel",
  "identity_basis": "netid",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "Ellen Zweibel",
  "email": "ZWEIBEL@ASTRO.WISC.EDU",
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 1,
    "quality": 2,
    "difficulty": 3,
    "quality_count": 1,
    "difficulty_count": 1,
    "profile_id": "rmp:1444172",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1444172",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:41:19.234620+00:00",
    "courses": {},
    "bayesian_quality": 3.580653127187234,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "current": true,
  "courses": [
    {
      "course_uid": "course_61fdd69da02a25c9e043807a",
      "course_id": "ASTRON 699",
      "title": "DIRECTED STUDY",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 6,
      "gpa": 3.875
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_6bdb43fa4ad7d835066b602c",
      "course_id": "PHYSICS 990",
      "title": "RESEARCH",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 12,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_b697367e100481a7cec9163f",
      "course_id": "PHYSICS 406",
      "title": "SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSICS",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 4,
      "gpa": 3.613
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_bf60eeaf8405d6fec7ab9391",
      "course_id": "PHYSICS 681",
      "title": "SENIOR HONORS THESIS",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_c54ed008ad2f762dd2c76f55",
      "course_id": "ASTRON 199",
      "title": "DIRECTED STUDY",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": 4
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_d3e2f848a723a87cce472f57",
      "course_id": "ASTRON 681",
      "title": "SENIOR HONORS THESIS",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_e19d71d263531331e5fe2734",
      "course_id": "ASTRON 990",
      "title": "RESEARCH AND THESIS",
      "credits_min": 1,
      "credits_max": 12,
      "gpa": null
    },
    {
      "course_uid": "course_ef30c98738891e8e37379887",
      "course_id": "PHYSICS 682",
      "title": "SENIOR HONORS THESIS",
      "credits_min": 3,
      "credits_max": 3,
      "gpa": 3.5
    }
  ],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/ELLEN_ZWEIBEL"
}