TAs recognized for excellent teaching
 Thomas A. Brandner
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For performance that went above and beyond their job title, eight teaching assistants were honored this month with 1999 Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Graduate students were nominated by their departments and evaluated by a faculty committee, chaired by Associate Dean Judith Kornblatt. Each winner received a $1,000 award.
“We look at a number of criteria some of which were innovation and mostly initiative-people who would take the initiative to do different projects to improve their teaching, help the class in ways that might not have been in mind- as well as leadership and mentoring other TAs,” Kornblatt says. Also considered were the variety of teaching skills, and the written comments and numerical scores from undergraduates’ evaluations, she says.
This year’s recipients are: Thomas A. Brandner, a dissertator in botany, who has taught four courses and created new assignments, exercises and a course Web page for his students. His adviser, professor Timothy Allen, says: “There is no room to be better than Tom Brandner.”
Jonathan Ward Chipman, a Ph.D. student in environmental monitoring, who comes from a family of teachers. After tackling five courses at UW–Madison as a TA, he is known for his passion and ability for teaching.
Robert F. Darcy, an English dissertator, who made students sad to leave his sections at the end of each semester, according to their evaluations. Teaching such classes as “Revolution, Rebellion and Restraint,” Darcy received a rating of Excellent+ in more than one semester from his adviser, professor Susanne Wofford.
James Franciscus Gilhooly, a zoology dissertator, who used his teaching experiences to contribute to the department’s planning for new lab facilities. He has taught more than 850 students over six semesters and is a volunteer in community outreach for biology education.
Pilar Gonzalez-Doupe, a doctoral student in counseling psychology, who also volunteers in community outreach education. As a TA, she did an impressive job co-teaching with a professor as a model for co-leading counseling groups.
David T. Kung, a mathematics dissertator, who won his department’s teaching award in 1997 and was a Letters and Science Teaching Fellow in 1998. Kung was praised for mentoring other TAs, receiving a grant to design a Web page for sample math exams, and for organizing “Sidewalk Math” on the Van Vleck plaza.
Buffy Smith, a dissertator in sociology where she also won the 1998 departmental teaching award, creates an inclusive classroom environment even in sensitive classes, such as “Race and Ethnic Relations.” She is so beloved by her students that they “talk about her as if she were a member of their family,” says her adviser, professor Gary Sandefur.
Fernando Tejedo-Herrero, a doctoral student in Spanish and Portuguese, who is used as a model for new TAs in the department, according to Sarah Fritz, director of basic language. One student notes: “His enthusiasm is contagious, which is very important at 7:45 a.m.”