Land and Food Systems Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
In 2014-15, the Faculty of Land and Food Systems created the LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. The award includes a certificate and $1,000. Successful candidates will have met the same criteria used for UBC’s Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, that result in a high level of respect from undergraduate students and academic or course supervisors. This new award will allow LFS to annually recognize and acknowledge excellence in service as a teaching assistant.
List of Land Food Systems Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Winners:
- LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2020-2021
Amelie Huiying Zhang, winner of the 2020-2021 LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award!
Congratulations to Amelie Huiying Zhang, MSc student in Food Science.
The LFS TA Award Adjudication Committee received a total of six nominations. These six outstanding teaching assistants supported a couple dozens of courses in the Programs of Applied Biology, Food, Nutrition, and Health, in the Core Series, and courses outside of LFS, and enhanced learning for hundreds of students in LFS and across campus. They also demonstrated their educational leadership in serving on a wide range of events in the Faculty, bringing us all together as a vibrant research and learning community, both before and during the pandemic.
With average adjudication scores fell within 5% of each of the nominees, the Adjudication Committee selected one single recipient:
Amelie Huiying Zhang, Master of Science student in Food Science, was recognized for her efforts in creating connections with students and her diverse contributions to many teaching and learning initiatives in LFS.
- LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2018-2019
Katie Koralesky, winner of the 2018-2019 LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award!
Congratulations to Katie Koralesky, PhD student in Applied Animal Biology.
After reviewing the submissions the award committee had the difficult decision of choosing a single best candidate for the award. After individual ranking followed by deliberation the committee decided that Katie Koralesky is the recipient of the 2018-2019 LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Katherine Koralesky is a Ph.D. candidate in the Animal Welfare program. Her broad range of experiences as a Teaching Assistant and her devotion and commitment to teaching made her an ideal candidate for the award.
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- LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2016-2017
Carrie James has been selected as the winner of the LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for 2016-17!
Congratulations to Carrie James, MSc student in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems.
Carrie was selected from a pool of six highly-qualified applicants. Carrie has extensive experience as a graduate teaching assistant focusing broadly on food security issues. In addition to positive feedback from students, course instructors commented on her “excellence in her role as a TA through being reliable, approachable, patient, and dedicated”.
In addition, Carrie has been an LFS TA Training Coordinator for the last two years.
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- LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2014-2015
Sara Moukarzel Receives LFS Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Congratulations to Sara Moukarzel, PhD candidate in Human Nutrition, on receiving the LFS Grad Student Teaching Award. This new award was created to recognize and acknowledge excellence in service as a teaching assistant and includes a certificate and $1,000.
Sara is certainly a deserving recipient. She has diverse TA experience and has helped to educate almost a thousand LFS students, accumulating approximately 850 hours as a TA over 10 assignments. Sara began her program in January 2012 and in addition to her TA duties, she has also been LFS TA Training Program Coordinator, adjudicator at the UBC Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference, and assisted with the piloting of the LFS TA evaluation process launched in June 2014.
Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards
In recognition of the valuable role that teaching assistants play in our undergraduate programs, the university annually awards teaching prizes to sixteen UBC Teaching Assistants. The prize includes a certificate and $1,000. Successful candidates will have met criteria that result in a high level of respect from undergraduate students and academic or course supervisors. The Faculty of Land and Food Systems is assigned one Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award biennially (every second year).
The awards, given annually since 1996 / 1997, send the important message to students (both undergraduate and graduate) that UBC values teaching.
List of LFS Killam Graduate Teaching Award Winners
- Killam Graduate Teaching Award for 2017-2018
PhD student Christine Sumner wins Killam Graduate Teaching Award
Congratulations to Applied Animal Biology PhD student Christine Sumner on winning the 2017/18 Killam Graduate Teaching Award!
“Christine Sumner has always been inspired by animals. While her doctoral research at UBC examines calf welfare on dairy farms in the Lower Mainland, more broadly, her interests surround the integral part humans play in animal management.
“A lot of people have this romanticized perception of farming, but it is a fully functioning business,” she said. “There is a motivation from the farmers to have a healthy, robust cow.”
Sumner’s research also includes the veterinarians working with dairy herds. Many vets are becoming more proactive when it comes to maintaining the health and wellbeing of their animal clients.
“Vets become a trusted adviser for the farmers,” she said, “and there are increasing societal pressures to maintain and improve animal welfare.”
Sumner collaborated on a benchmarking study that looks at the metrics of raising healthy calves. Many farmers saw an improvement in their calves’ health immediately by adding one additional feeding, she said.
While working on her Certificate in Advanced Teaching and Learning at CTLT, Sumner recognized that much of her research included the core elements of teaching. Receiving the Killam Award for her work in the classroom was humbling, she said.
“It’s very nice to get out of your bubble and engage in collaborative learning,” she said. “I was inspired a lot by my cohort, so I owe a lot to them.”
- Killam Graduate Teaching Award for 2015-2016
PhD student Theresa Schroder wins Killam Graduate Teaching Award
Congratulations to Human Nutrition PhD student Theresa Schroder on winning the 2015/16 Killam Graduate Teaching Award!
UBC annually awards the Killam Graduate Teaching Award to sixteen Teaching Assistants in recognition of the valuable role that they play in our undergraduate programs. The prize includes both a certificate and $1,000 and is given to TAs who have achieved a high level of respect from both undergraduate students and academic or course supervisors.
In addition to Theresa’s contribution as an LFS Teaching Assistant, she has also been invaluable as an LFS TA Training Coordinator for the last couple of years.
Congratulations to Theresa and all of this year’s winners!
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