Congratulations to Alex Yu for receiving the Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award for TA Excellence, an award that recognizes teaching assistants who make outstanding contributions to student education in the Department of Psychology. Alex Yu is a PhD student in Neuroscience at Dr. Catharine Rankin’s Behavioural Neurogenetics Lab. He completed his undergraduate in BSc Psychology at UBC, and believes that having already been a student at this institution and taking the same classes is a big asset to his teaching assistant experience.
“It makes me better able to know and understand our students’ needs, expectations, and difficulties. I try my best to help students achieve their learning outcomes.”
Alex enjoyed it when students came to him for help, and when they were able to comprehend the course material and do well in their quizzes. However, he found that the most rewarding part was being able to instill the desire to learn for his students.
“The most rewarding part of being a teaching assistant for me is that I could inspire students to become interested in the knowledge they want to learn. Because I believe the best teacher is one’s very own curiosity and motivation.”
Alex adds, “Courses offered in the Department of Psychology are highly demanding and challenging, and our students are brilliant and hardworking. Working closely with students, I have also learned a great deal from them. Their enthusiasm and determination always reminds me that I am doing a meaningful job as a teaching assistant.”
The Demetri Papageorgis Teaching Assistant Award is an internal award, established in 2001 in honour of Dr. Demetri Papageorgis. Papageorgis was a dedicated UBC Psychology faculty member who passed away in 1999. The award celebrates the passion for teaching demonstrated by Dr. Papageorgis and current teaching assistants who are following suit.
Please join us in congratulating Alex Yu on this achievement!
