The Graduate Student Association would like to congratulate James O’Dea from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lily Wong from the Department of Comparative Literature, Mario Guerrero from the Department of Political Science and Brian Janssen from the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology as this year’s Graduate Student Association Outstanding Teaching Award recipients.  The selection committee carefully reviewed thirty-four outstanding nominees for the awards this year.  We were truly impressed with the service and commitment our graduate students have made to provide and improve undergraduate education here at UCSB.   We would like to congratulate all nominees and share a bit of information about this year’s recipients:

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James R O’Dea is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry who has served as an outstanding teaching assistant for many years. He is known to many as “Jimmy” and known to all as an outstanding educator.

His nomination and support letters describe his wide spectrum of approaches to the teaching of difficult subjects. His approach often includes a thoughtful website including video review sessions that powerfully support the course and learning objectives.

Examples of Jimmy’s teaching “include his use of photos from his home relating to a topic we were discussing, step by step videos, ball and stick models, and comprehensive slides to complement his class lecture.” according to one of his students.

A faculty nominator describes how O’Dea makes connections beyond the discipline. “He is able to engage students in the learning process through class participation, by applying learned concepts to everyday life, by adding interesting facts and demonstrations, by connecting the material to other fields of study (especially biology, materials and environmental studies), and by including current research.”

For his wide-ranging approach to teaching and his obvious good-chemistry with UCSB students and colleagues, Jimmy O’Dea is awarded a 2010 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award.

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Lily Wong is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature, with concentrations in English, East-Asian Studies, and Film and Media Studies. She has served as an outstanding teaching assistant for both the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of East-Asian Cultural Studies.

A faculty member in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies comments that “Lily is without question the single most outstanding graduate student I have had the pleasure of working with.”  She is knowledgeable, hard working, and able to connect with students. Another faculty member from East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies provides the following testament to Lily’s exemplary work as a teaching assistant: “It is simply that Lily is so talented, thorough, and effective in all aspects of her duties as a T.A. that we keep coming back to her, using departmental resources to support a student outside of our department, something that is increasingly rare on our campus.” One student comments
“she created a superior learning environment”, “encouraged us to think critically”, and “was willing to guide us individually through our essay as well.”

Lily’s teaching accomplishments in the Department of Comparative Literature are equally impressive.  Not only has she served as a teaching assistant for several courses, in the summer of 2009 Lily served as the teaching associate for Comparative Literature 31, Major Works of Asian Literatures. This course introduces the diverse literary traditions of Asia through a selection of readings. Data collected from the Evaluation System for Courses and Instruction clearly indicate Lily’s ability to communicate with clarity,
demonstrate exemplary organization skills, and engage students with her enthusiasm for teaching.

For her exceptional teaching, we congratulate Lily Wong as a recipient of a 2010 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award!

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For his exemplary work as a Teaching Assistant, we are pleased to announce that Mario Guerrero is a recipient of a 2010 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award. Mario is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science with emphases in American Politics and Methodology and expects to earn his degree this year.

Mario received high commendations from faculty members and students with whom he has worked. In addition to many notes about his great accessibility to students and dedication to teaching, he has gone “beyond the call of duty.” According to one professor, “Mario made videos of himself navigating the statistical software program used in the course for the students and uploaded them to the website he created just for my course. This was extraordinarily helpful to the students (and to me).”

A faculty member noted, “If [Mario] could find a way to contribute to the learning environment for students, he pursued it.” As one of his former students wrote, “What really makes Mario special is the personal connection that he seeks to develop with his students. Aside from aiding me in my classes to earn good grades, Mario has implanted a love of political science in me as well as igniting a passion to pursue my scholastic studies to the best of my ability. Mario has inspired me to add the political science major to my already taxing economic major because of his outstanding ability as an educator.”

Another faculty member summed it up nicely: “Mario is an excellent example of the kind of TA that graduate students should strive to be because of his dedication to facilitating success among his students while making progress in his own work and research.”

We commend and congratulate Mario Guerrero as a recipient of a 2010 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award!

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Brian Janssen began his Ph.D. research in 2004 with the Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, and has served as a teaching assistant on several occasions. In the fall quarter, Brian served as the teaching assistant for Developmental Biology. He managed five discussion sections; nearly all of them full. His reputation and rapport with students has generated a strong following that is clearly demonstrated in his letters of support.

A student comments “Brian was always prepared and professional.” Letters of recommendation further describe Brian’s “ability to engage the class, and adjust his technique to work with the individual needs of the group.” Brian is highly regarded as an accessible and enthusiastic teaching assistant, often going above and beyond to ensure the success of his students. One letter writer comments “of all the classes taken at UCSB, Brain’s discussion sections were some of the only ones where we felt out time was truly well spent.”

His faculty letter of support applauds his engagement with students. “Importantly, the rapport that Brian developed with the students was based on mutual respect – the students felt comfortable with Brian, but still challenged.”

Brian’s teaching philosophy highlights his ability to bridge theoretical and practical knowledge, encourage accessibility, engage students in the material, and foster discussion to build student confidence.

For his dedication to the success of his students, we congratulate Brian Janssen as a recipient of a 2010 GSA Excellence in Teaching Award!