Teaching assistants awarded for excellence

Three Ph.D. students were awarded the Best TA Award for their hard work and dedication as teaching assistants in Engineering Analysis 2 during the 2023 winter quarter.  

Engineering Analysis 2 (EA2) is one of four gen ed classes all undergraduate students are required to take, depending on their major.  

Yifan Yang, one of the awarded TAs, considered the opportunity to be a teaching assistant a good chance to serve undergraduate students.  

“This award means a lot to me because it shows that my efforts to support and help students have been recognized,” Yang said. “It gives me confidence and motivates me to continue working hard in my future work of teaching.” 

Jing Yu, also a recipient of the award, feels that teaching is an integral part of the Ph.D. journey.  

“The word 'Doctor' comes from the Latin verb docere, which means to teach,” Yu said. “So, during my journey of pursuing a Ph.D. degree, I believe that learning how to teach is as important as doing research. Being a TA has been an amazing experience because I enjoy helping students learn and grow, and I have learned a lot from my students, too.” 

“This award gives me confidence and motivates me to continue working hard in my future work of teaching,” Yu said.  

Shupeng Li, the final recipient, felt that the TA position would be an excellent way to challenge himself to become a better public speaker.  

"I am also very willing to teach undergraduates, not only the knowledge itself, but the way of thinking and understanding,” Li said. “This award is a great recognition of my efforts, gives me lots of confidence to speak and express myself and encourages me to devote more to education in the future.”