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TA/GA Awards

Group of TA/GAs socializing on a bench

The TA/GA Awards Program recognizes, promotes, and rewards the contributions that teaching and graduate assistants make to enhance the quality of the undergraduate student learning experiences at the university.

2023-24 Awards

Nominees must have worked as a teaching assistant or graduate teaching assistant (TA or GA) over the 2022/23 academic year. A person can receive this award only once throughout their time at the university. Candidates can be nominated or they may self-nominate.  

Note: Research Assistants (RAs) are not eligible.

As part of your nomination package, you will upload five documents in pdf format:

  • Letters of support: Letters of support should provide specific examples of why the nominee should be considered for the TA/GA Award
    • One letter of support from the Supervising Instructor (SI)
    • Two letters of support from students
  • Teaching philosophy (1-2 pages): The teaching philosophy should demonstrate evidence of reflection on one’s practices and highlight ways in which the nominee addresses the award criteria.
  • Supporting materials (maximum of 3 pages): It is essential to provide meaningful captions or descriptive information for all supporting materials, describing how the evidence demonstrates that the nominee meets the criteria for the award.

Nominations must be submitted through the University Award Nomination Portal.

Note: “Supervising Instructor” (SI) is a Faculty member, Instructor, School Director, Department Chair, or Learning Support Coordinator who is responsible for supervising the Assistant in the TA/GA role.

Teaching Excellence as a TA/GA

The nomination must include evidence of outstanding teaching. Outstanding teaching integrates best practices in instruction and assessment, demonstrates the effectiveness of teaching strategies, and provides evidence of student engagement. The nomination package should demonstrate how the nominee has embodied teaching excellence through:

  1. Applying effective teaching strategies;
  2. Providing effective feedback to improve the quality of undergraduate education;
  3. Incorporating equity, diversity and inclusion in teaching;
  4. Enhancing the student learning experience.

In nominating or applying for this award, consider that teaching excellence as a TA/GA can be demonstrated by an outstanding record of undergraduate teaching, including one or more of the following:

  • Effectiveness of teaching strategies in the classroom, studio, or laboratory;
  • Evidence of student engagement and improvement;
  • Evidence of innovative approaches to TA/GA work;
  • Enthusiasm for teaching, use of best practices, and diverse teaching methods;
  • Ability to support and mentor students with their professional development goals;
  • Development and implementation of creative teaching approaches, including the planning and delivery of labs or tutorials;
  • Evidence of transformative influence on the student learning experience;
  • Evidence that the nominee’s practice fits within their teaching philosophy.

Evidence in support of the criteria may include some of the following examples:

  • Description of specific teaching strategies that were developed to improve student learning, including their planning, development, and delivery;
  • Examples of impact on student learning (e.g. improved exam performance, pass rates, writing improvement, etc.)
  • Descriptions of the development of innovative teaching materials;
  • Examples of ongoing commitments to teaching through professional development (such as the Graduate Teaching Development Program (GTDP) and TA/GA Workshops);
  • Specific examples where the nominee’s teaching style, innovative teaching strategies, etc., had an impact on students’ learning;
  • Any additional evidence addressing TA/GA teaching excellence.

The Centre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching will award up to five prizes of $500 each to TA/GAs.

The Selection Committee will be composed of Toronto Metropolitan faculty members, current Graduate Students, and staff at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.

Note: the Awards program has no connection to the official hiring process for TA/GAs at Ryerson.

The nomination package must be submitted to the University Award Nomination Panel by 11:59 p.m. on May 31st, 2024.

  • Nominations accepted for Spring/Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, or full-year contracts.
  • Tip: Applicants may find compiling their packages closer to the end date of their TA/GA contracts beneficial given that they will be contacting faculty and students for letters of support.
  • All submissions are included in the same adjudication process that takes place in spring/summer.
  • Incomplete or late applications will not be considered for this award.

The nomination portal is now open. Please submit your nomination package as soon as it is ready.

Previous Award Recipients

  • Sepideh Faghihi, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Aerospace Engineering
  • Jocelyne Mendez-Guzman, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biology
  • Junyeong Kim, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
  • Tasala Tahir, The Creative School, Department of Journalism
  • Luzalen Marcos, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering
  • Bahareh Chaichypour, Biomedical Physics, Faculty of Science
  • Michelle Dang, Molecular Science, Faculty of Science
  • Melissa Iazzi, Molecular Science, Faculty of Science
  • Azadeh Monzavi, Communication and Culture, The Creative School
  • Alexandra Uhrig, Psychology, Faculty of Arts

We awarded six TA/GA Awards this year due to the outstanding efforts of TA/GAs in their roles during a challenging academic year in the pandemic. 

  • Somayeh Norouzi Ghazbi, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Gabriella Mankovskii, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
  • Bhaswati Mazumder, Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
  • Alessia Pasqualitto, Faculty of Community Services, Department of Early Childhood Studies
  • Nicole Wilson, Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics and its Applications
  • Lucy Wowk, Faculty of Communication and Design, Department of Creative Industries
  • Parky Lau, Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology
  • Ali Merkhish, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • Jessica Pimienta, Faculty of Community Services, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing 
  • Sadia Rahmani, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biology
  • Saunak Shukla, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • Alexandra Marquis, Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology
  • Yasmine Megahed, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Civil Engineering
  • Daniel Moghbel, Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics
  • Seyed-Youns Sadat-Nejad, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Saba Zafar, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biology 
  • Jennifer Tsai Chang, Faculty of Community Services, School of Nutrition
  • Mona Elmosallamy, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Civil Engineering
  • Christina Mutschler, Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology
  • Sarah Nicholson, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
  • David Tenty, Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science
  • Bonnie Armstrong, Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology
  • Christine Bell, Faculty of Arts, Department of Philosophy
  • Gerald Mak, Ted Rogers School of Management, School of Information Technology Management
  • Parisa Naraei, Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science
  • Noura Sinno, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Department of Civil Engineering
  • Dante Camarena, Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science
  • Runa Das, Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology
  • Natalie Morning, Student Learning Support, Student Affairs
  • Alevtina Naumova, Digital Media Zone (DMZ)
  • Muhammad Yousaf, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biology

Contact 

taga@torontomu.ca