Chen 2018 Top Teaching Assistant

The Graduate School has named Xiaoxue (Lisa) Chen, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, as a 2018 outstanding graduate teaching assistant (TA).

The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards recognize students nominated by faculty supervisors for their work as teaching assistants. The awards, presented at the doctoral and master’s levels, recognize outstanding and innovative teaching techniques. For 2018, there were 21 Graduate Teaching Assistant nominees.

As a Mechanical Engineering TA, Lisa Chen supported numerous laboratories in the department. “Lisa is the best teaching assistant I have ever had,” said Mechanical Engineering Professor Terry Xu. “With strong self-motivation, superior teaching skills, and outstanding student evaluations, she worked on every subtle detail of the teaching materials, revising labs, serving as lead lab TA, and training other TAs.”

Graduate Teaching Assistants play an important role, assisting department chairpersons, faculty members, and other professional staff by performing teaching or teaching-related duties, including teaching lower level courses, developing teaching materials, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers. Graduate students interested in obtaining a graduate research or teaching assistantship should contact their academic department directly. More information about administrative assistantship opportunities is available on the Graduate School’s Funding web pages.