Five graduate students receive AAE Quarter Time Teaching Assistant Awards
Five graduate students received AAE Quarter Time Teaching Assistant Awards, recognizing their outstanding service as a teaching assistant in the School.
Divya Bhargava, Akshay Deshpande, Georgios Georgalis, Jooyoung Lee and Xuan Wang were selected by AAE’s graduate committee, led by Aeronautics and Astronautics Associate Head for Graduate Education Weinong Chen, the Reilly Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics & Materials Engineering.
This is the first time the award was given. Each student received $2,000.
Divya Bhargava: “As a TA, I have always enjoyed working with students. I believe that they perform better in an organized environment, and I have always strived to achieve that. I am grateful to the department for recognizing my efforts and selecting me for this award.”
Akshay Deshpande: “It feels great to be recognized for being a TA, an experience which I very much enjoyed. As a grad student, I believe teaching tests your understanding of that particular subject, and indicates any gaps in knowledge after being questioned by your students. It is the best way to learn.”
Georgios Georgalis: “I am grateful that the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics recognized my hard work to assist our faculty and support the students, so they can gain the most out of their education. I always strive to connect with my students and provide genuine mentorship and guidance when needed. Both our undergraduate and graduate programs are of the highest caliber, and this is undoubtedly reflected in the quality of our teaching assistants. This recognition motivates me to continue serving our department to my best capability, and I am looking forward to being part of the next ‘leaps ahead’ for our school.”
Jooyoung Lee: “I am sincerely honored to receive the 2018 Quarter Time Teaching Assistant Award. I appreciate the support from the students and the professor in the AAE364 Control Systems Analysis course.”
Xuan Wang: “Firstly, I want to thank the department very much for choosing me as one of the winners of the TA award. The experience of being a teaching assistant is an important part of my Ph.D. career. Getting paid monthly for this position, I understand that I’m obligated to do all the things well, including grading exams, answering students’ questions and holding lab sessions. Except for the sense of responsibility, the students’ enthusiasm is another motivation, knowing that my work can greatly help them on the understanding of course contents. I never feel troublesome when students seek help, even during my private time. Finally, as I will be seeking an academic position after graduation, where teaching is considered as a significant capability, the AAE Quarter Time TA Award is absolutely a great approval and encouragement to my work on the teaching side.”