The CSB TA Teaching Excellence Award recognizes the significant role of teaching assistants in the Department of Cell and Systems Biology and their key contributions to the learning experience of students. Selection is based on demonstrated excellence in teaching through innovation, enthusiasm, organization and effective communication.
TAs are nominated by their students; this year’s recipients are very grateful for the support from students in their courses.
For Koji Hartley, it was his first time TAing BIO130. “Having enthusiastic students made TAing for the first time a fun learning experience for me. As someone who wants to pursue teaching in the future, I am so grateful for this acknowledgement.”
Madison Fedele notes that “One of the most rewarding parts of teaching BIO130 was getting to support students as they developed confidence in the lab and connected course concepts to hands-on experiments. I really valued creating a welcoming and supportive learning environment. Being acknowledged by the students makes the experience especially meaningful.”
Tara McDonnell revealed that “Its always a pleasure to TA CSB349. Even after several years, my students never cease to impress me with their perspectives and ideas throughout the course.”
For Brittany Dugan, this was her final year as a TA “This award means so much to me! I have TAed CSB325 for my whole PhD, and I am so honoured by this acknowledgement in my final year. I’m really grateful that my love for this course could shine through, and so happy that it resonated with my students. You’re all the best! Thank you for believing in me. I’m so glad I could leave an impact on you all.”
Congratulations to these accomplished educators!