Tag Archives: University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Awards

UF Graduate Student Teaching Award winners 2023-2024

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University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Awards winners for 2023-2024. Photo by Brianne Lehan

Congratulations to the University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners for 2023-2024.

Graduate student teachers were nominated during fall and spring semesters by their departments or colleges. The nominees’ teaching and their teaching portfolios were evaluated by the Graduate Student Teaching Awards Committee.

The top 20 students were selected for the award and were recognized at the Graduate Student Awards Ceremony.

  • Faith Baringer (Art and Art History)
  • James Boothroyd (Entomology and Nematology)
  • Nader Dagher (Public Relations)
  • Matthew Dallas (Mathematics)
  • Sam Dillon (Physics)
  • Garrett Ellward (Microbiology and Cell Science)
  • Mohammad Hasan (Microbiology and Cell Science)
  • Christos Litos (Physics)
  • Lillian Martinez (English)
  • Shelby Mikkelson (Sociology and Criminology & Law)
  • Claudia Mitchell (English)
  • Tiffany Pennamon (English)
  • Loida Rosado Del Rio (Physics)
  • Bhavna Sharma (Sociology and Criminology & Law)
  • William Sims (Computer and Information Science and Engineering)
  • Frank Solis (Classics)
  • Alina Sunoo (Theatre and Dance)
  • Shanna Thompson (Music)
  • Hannah Treadway (Spanish and Portuguese Studies)
  • Ivonne Zelaya (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)
Calvin A. VanderWerf Award Winners
  • Joseph Angelillo (History)
  • María Mecías (Spanish and Portuguese Studies)

The members of the Graduate Student Awards Selection Committee for 2023-2024 are: Lynn Sollenberger (Chair), Sharon DiFino, Julie Dodd, Ifigeneia Giannadaki, Paula Golombek, Valeria Kleiman, Sujata Krishna, Linda Lombardino, Jon Reiskind, Henri Van Rinsvelt, Grady Roberts and Bradley Walters. Lorna Dishman, executive assistant in the Graduate School, provides administrative support for the committee.

I’m honored to serve on the committee and have the opportunity to recognize outstanding graduate student teachers. In our committee meetings, we discuss the best teaching practices and innovative class design that we’ve observed.

Thanks to Dean Nicole Stedman and the UF Graduate School for their support of excellence in teaching for graduate students. The award ceremony was part of UF’s Graduate Student Appreciation Week, held each year during the first week of April.

University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award Winners for 2022-2023

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UF Graduate Student Teaching Award winners with Dean Nicole Stedman
University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners with Dean Nicole Stedman at the Graduate School Awards Ceremony. Brianne Lehan Photography

Congratulations to the 2022-2023 University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners. The winners were recognized at the Graduate School Awards & Recognition Ceremony.

Rebecca Austin-Datta – Public Health and Health Professions
Hannah Brown – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Anusha Chadhary – Liberal Arts and sciences
Khari Clemmons – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Rayven Crisafulli – Health and Human Performance
Caleb Davis – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Alex Garcia – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Kenesma John Meenan – Agricultural and Life Sciences
Chelsea Moss – Journalism and Communications
Heather Nesbitt – Agricultural and Life Sciences
Jack Orces – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Joshua Pace – Arts
Michael Scofield – Education
Schuyler Strum – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Brendan Sweeney – Arts
Holly Tumblin – Arts

Calvin A. VanderWerf Awardees
Maria Munoz – Liberal Arts and Sciences
Thomas Vazquez – Arts

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Teaching: suggestions, advice and mentoring

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For faculty the time between semesters includes reflecting on the previous semester, developing and revising courses, and adopting a few teaching resolutions.

Over the years, I have spent many hours during the breaks between terms updating class plans for the next term. I often read books, articles and blog posts related to teaching for inspiration and strategies.

So I read Shayla Love’s New York Times article on seeking and assessing advice — ”How Should You Be? Try Taking Suggestions” — with interest to see how her insights could apply to teachers.

Love’s article included her research on the origin of the suggestion box and interviews with five university faculty who study different aspects of advice – from communication science to workplace psychology.

One of the people Love interviewed was University of Chicago philosopher Dr. Agnes Callard. Dr. Callard discussed the differences between instructions, suggestions, advice, and mentorship. And all of these apply to reflecting on and improving your teaching.

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Creating your teaching philosophy

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What is the value of writing a teaching philosophy? And why is a teaching philosophy required in most faculty job applications and teaching award nominations?

Even experienced teachers say that writing a teaching philosophy can be difficult. Writing a teaching philosophy would be more challenging for graduate students, most of whom have been teaching for only a year or two. So why are teaching philosophies a required part of one’s teaching career?

During my faculty career at the University of Florida, I was fortunate to teach a pedagogy course for graduate students in the College of Journalism and Communications. I really enjoyed working with the graduate students to help them develop and expand their teaching competencies and their outlook on teaching and learning.

As a major assignment for the course, the students developed a teaching portfolio to be used in applying for faculty positions. The portfolio included their created instructional materials, a syllabus, and a teaching philosophy.

As a current member of UF’s Graduate Student Teaching Awards Committee, I’m reading some very effective teaching philosophies that are part of their nomination portfolios.

Writing a teaching philosophy can help you look at the big picture

Developing a teaching philosophy can help determine how you view your students, structure your course, and present as a teacher.

Let me share a few examples from some of the candidates (and some winners) for the Graduate Student Teaching Award.

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University of Florida Graduate Student Teacher Award winners for 2021-2022

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UF Graduate Student Teaching award winners2021-2022
Graduate Student Teaching Award winners and members of the Selection Committee. Photo by Eric Zamora

Congratulations to the 19 graduate students who were selected as the University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners for 2021-2022.

Award Winners

Pearis Bellamy – Psychology
Recep Celebi – Mathematics
Savannah Gramze – Astronomy
Joseph Hoft – Sociology and Criminology
Haley Johnson – Theatre and Dance
Lindsay Lloveras – Psychology
Nicolas Macaluso – Chemical Engineering
Ioannis Michaloliakos – Physics
Cristovão Nwachukwu – English
Emily Pappo – Natural Resources and Environment
Anthony Smith – Classics
Ar’Darius Stewart – Theatre and Dance
Nathaniel Strauss – Physics
Nieves Villaseñor III – Music
Anita Walsh – Economics
Lauren Weisberg  – Teaching and Learning
LingQin Xue – Physics

Calvin A. VanderWerf Winners

Leandra Merz – Geography
Hank Samuels – Teaching and Learning

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University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners 2020-2021

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Congratulations to the 20 University of Florida graduate students who received Graduate Student Teaching Awards for 2020-2021.

Here is the list of the award winners, including the top two who received the Calvin A. VanderWerf Award.

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Teach with Zoom breakout rooms

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Zoom breakout rooms are a teaching tool being used more frequently as universities invest in the application and as instructors become more familiar in setting up and using the breakout rooms.

Zoom image

Having students work in breakout rooms can provide a change of pace in class and enable more students to engage actively in class.

As a member of the University of Florida’s Graduate Student Teaching Awards Committee, I have observed graduate students utilizing Zoom breakout rooms in a wide range of subject areas. Whereas instructors typically only make brief visits to breakout rooms during class, I have been able to observe the full time students are in a breakout room.

Based on my observations, I’m offering a few suggestions for using Zoom breakout rooms.

Develop an effective breakout room assignment.

Creating a good breakout room assignment is like creating a good small group discussion activity for face-to-face classes. Consider what a small group discussion will accomplish in a more productive way than a full-class discussion.

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University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winners

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Congratulations to the 20 graduate students selected as the University of Florida Graduate Student Teaching Award winnners for 2019-2020.

The graduate students were nominated by their departments and were evaluated by the Graduate Student Teaching Awards Committee.

Each student submitted a teaching portfolio, including teaching philosophy and teaching evaluations, and was observed by two members of the committee.

2019-2020 Winners

  • Akieba Allen – Theatre and Dance
  • Richard Brust – History
  • Tara Mercurio Counts – Family, Youth and Community Sciences
  • Lisa Emerson – Microbiology and Cell Science
  • Kaitlyn Erhardt – Psychology
  • Melissa Fenton – Family, Youth and Community Sciences
  • Scarlett Godinez – Chemistry
  • Ethan Kutlu – Linguistics
  • Joana Guerrero-Rodriguez – Spanish & Portuguese Studies
  • Keifer MacDonald – Theatre and Dance
  • Alicia McGrew – Natural Resources and Environment
  • Victoria McNeil – Psychology
  • Caroline Parks – Geography
  • Anthony Pastore – Chemistry
  • Moinul Rahat – Physics
  • Gerald Robinson – Applied Physiology and Kinesiology
  • John Streese – Mathematics
  • Ashley Watts – Mathematics

The top two graduate students received the Calvin A. VanderWerf Award:

  • Dina Benbrahim – Art and Art History
  • Kendall Craig – Chemistry

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Professional development for graduate teaching assistants

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Falcon Restrepo-Ramos and EUS/SPN 4930 students

Falcon Restrepo-Ramos (front row in Gator blue shirt) with his students at the Student Symposium of Language policies in the multilingual European landscape (EUS/SPN 4930), Spring 2019.

by Falcon Restrepo-Ramos
Hispanic Linguistics, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies
University of Florida

Years in grad school might seem like a tremendous endeavor for anyone pursuing a graduate degree. Such experience entails years of courses, research, coffee, and, in my case and many others, teaching.

Precisely, the figure of graduate teaching assistant (GTA) in one of the biggest state universities in the country (Go Gators!) not only carries a great deal of work but also memorable moments and many opportunities for innovative teaching and professional development.

Aside from the many different responsibilities of GTAs, which at times feels overwhelming, there are also grants, awards, programs and funding support that can make the University of Florida GTA experience professionally rewarding.

Here I would like to list two main lines of teaching and professional development that helped me maximize my GTA experience at UF. As you will see below, this list follows incremental steps towards a set of goals.

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Effective teaching strategies demonstrated by top graduate student teachers

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by Julie Dodd

Falcon Restrepo-Ramos receives the Calvin A. VanderWerf Award from Dean of the Graduate School Henry Frierson and Dr. Constance Shehan, chair of the selection committee. The VanderWerf Award is given to the top of the teaching award winners. Morgan Yacoe also received the VanderWerf Award. Photo by Julie Dodd

Promoting student involvement.

Connecting learning to important issues.

Assigning meaningful projects.

Establishing a supportive learning climate.

These were some of the effective teaching strategies employed by the graduate students who were selected to receive the University of Florida’s Graduate Student Teacher Awards for 2019.

As a member of the faculty committee that observes the graduate students nominated for this award, I could feel the energy of those really engaging instructors when I visited their classes. I admired the graduate students’ course design and class planning to create such good learning experiences for their students.

Structuring class activities to get students involved

In the classes I observed that were taught by award-winning graduate students, their students were actively involved. Here are three examples I observed.

The winners of the University of Florida’s Graduate Student Teaching Awards for 2019 and members of the selection committee. Photo by Eric Zamora

In a physiology lab, the students worked in teams to review the results of the physiology lab they had conducted independently online.

Talking with classmates in a small group helped them answer some of their own questions about the lab and prepared them to share their experiences and the questions they still had with the class. In addition, after talking in small groups, the students were more confident in speaking in class.

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