Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Teaching Excellence
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GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE
NU Learning and Teaching Committee (NU LTC) annually recognizes outstanding university teaching performed by faculty, teaching fellows, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants.
The Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Teaching Excellence was established in 2021 in addition to the existing eight nominations (Innovative Teaching, Integrating Research and Teaching – The Sofiya An Award, Inclusive Teaching,
Academic Integrity – The Kehinde Award, Internationalization, Leadership in Teaching, Sharing NU Experience, and Master Teacher). The Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Teaching Excellence is open only to NU GTAs.
TIMELINE
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Late March
NU LTC Chair calls for nomination
REVIEW
till May 15
Review of nominations by School LTC Submission
of recommendations to the NU LTC Chair
DECISION RELEASE
Late May
Release of NU LTC decisions on winners
and notification of winners to the Schools
AWARD
Late September
Awarding the winners: Awarding the certificates
to winners by NU leadership
POST-AWARD ACTIVITIES
October - November
Master classes: Showcasing of aspects of
teaching to the NU Community
WINNER OF THE YEAR
NU STUDENTS WITH TEACHING AWARD IN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP NOMINATION
  • Aliya Assubayeva
    PhD in Public Policy
    Graduate School of Public Policy

    2021 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Zulya Kavashev
    PhD in Education
    Graduate School of Education

    2022 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Zhandos Salpynov
    PhD candidate
    School of Medicine

    2023 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
  • Nikolay Mikhailov
    PhD candidate
    School of Sciences and Humanities

    2024 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
Tell about your GTA experience
Zulyar Kavashev
Winner of 2022 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
'Being a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) during a PhD program can provide an enriching experience. GTAs can consistently develop their teaching, leadership, and communication skills and build a profound understanding of the subject matter. One of the useful advantages of being a GTA is the possibility of receiving mentorship from experienced faculty members at NU. That said, GTAs receive valuable support and guidance to refine teaching strategies and build rapport with both undergraduate and graduate students.
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Zhandos Salpynov
Winner of 2023 GTA Award for Teaching Excellence
'I am a PhD student in Global Health from the School of Medicine. At NU, I served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for the course "Biostatistical Modeling and Sampling" at the School of Medicine and for Biology 101 at the School of Sciences and Humanities. As a GTA, my primary responsibility was to assist in teaching and support student learning. This included taking students’ attendance, assessing written assignments, proctoring mid-term and final exams, uploading exam questions to Moodle, and giving lectures to students.
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