The 2021-2022 Dean’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant Prize for the best performance by a BSD graduate student who is TAing in fulfillment of the Divisional Teaching Requirement was awarded to both Amruta Nayak and Rob Rodriguez, both from the graduate program in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Amruta Nayak is a fifth-year student in the program in Cell and Molecular Biology. She receives the prize in recognition of her teaching assistantship in MGCB 31700, Cell Biology II, in Winter 2022. Comments from both faculty and her students reflected that she went over and beyond the normal teaching assistant duties, showing a devotion to her students that was truly exceptional. One student commented “Amruta has a really good sense of humor. I truly believe that humor is often an overlooked quality, but humor is so important in establishing a comfortable teaching environment that is conducive to learning. Amruta’s humor helped lighten the mood, break the ice, and made me feel more connected to a class of graduate students … Also, I suspect that Amruta was a big part of what held the entire class together, including the parts she was not explicitly in charge of. She is always on our side and she truly is deserving of the best in life.” Another student commented “Amruta created a very comfortable environment for discussions and was able to keep interest high throughout the quarter. She was also able to explain material in a manner which was helpful for both undergraduate and graduate students.” Finally, from a third student, “She made discussion sections fun and helped us with our proposal presentations in a fun and constructive way.”