The College recognizes four teaching assistants for their work in the classroom and lab with the 2020 Outstanding TA Award.
The College of Biological Sciences is proud to announce four recipients for its annual Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in 2020. The award is given to teaching assistants who have shown excellence in teaching or other forms of instruction that enhance the educational experience of students in the College. This year’s recipients are:
Annastacia Bennett
Graduate student in Plant and Microbial Biology
Teaching assistant in Biology 3004
“She was always willing to make time to answer our questions, and she always did her best to make the class as interesting as possible. She made sure that the materials we learned in this class were relevant to us later in our careers as students and as scientists….She made all of us in her class feel welcomed as new members of the scientific community.” - student nominator
Sravanai Buddhavarapu
CBS undergraduate
Teaching assistant in Biology 1012
“As a teaching assistant, she was always well prepared for class, providing visual presentations that made class fun and interesting – going above and beyond the minimum of making a presentation and demonstrating a lab. Sravani was always friendly and approachable, and when a student had a question, she was always able to answer it effectively and in a way that clearly answered the question.” - student nominator
Sarah Hammarlund
Graduate student in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Teaching assistant in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior 3409
“Sarah was a phenomenal TA. She earned the respect of her students, created a positive and supportive class environment, and explained difficult concepts with ease. She devised creative ways to communicate challenging concepts and consistently met students at their level of understanding.” - student nominator
Aman Imani
Graduate student in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Teaching assistant in Biochemistry 4351/5351
“He made himself accessible to students through his office hours and through email, and he was always approachable and willing to answer questions before and after lecture. Aman was a dedicated TA and went above and beyond to help the class prepare for projects, papers, and exams….Aman was an outstanding TA.” - student nominator