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Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Joining my teaching team
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I appreciate your interest in becoming an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) for one of my courses—Computational Biology (BIOSC 1540) or Biochemistry (BIOSC 1000). Serving as a UTA is a rewarding opportunity to deepen your understanding of the material, strengthen your communication skills, and help support your peers in their learning journey.

If you want to join my teaching team, please complete the UTA application form. This form helps me get to know you better and assess whether the UTA role would be a good fit—especially if we haven’t worked together before.

The application includes questions about:

  • Your academic background and major;
  • The course and semester you’re applying for;
  • Your availability and credit preferences;
  • What you hope to gain from the UTA experience;
  • A brief description of your interests, goals, and working style.

You will also need to upload:

  • An unofficial transcript (PDF);
  • Your weekly availability and class schedule.

The role involves about 10 hours of work per week, which includes attending lectures, holding office hours, participating in TA meetings, and supporting students. UTAs enroll in 2 credits of BIOSC 1690 (1 credit = ~5 hours/week). If you anticipate a scheduling conflict, there’s space in the form to let me know—we may be able to work something out.

Who Should Apply?
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This role is open to students who have previously taken one of my courses (not necessarily with me as the instructor) and demonstrated a strong understanding of the material, professionalism, and a genuine interest in mentoring others. While prior teaching or tutoring experience is welcome, it is not required; what matters most to me is whether we would work well together as a team.

When to Apply?
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The UTA application is always open; however, I will not make any decisions for next semester until three weeks before the start of final exams in the current term. For example, if you are interested in being a UTA for the Fall 2025 semester, you should apply before April 10 (final exams start on April 24). You can still join the team if you apply after this time, but I cannot guarantee a spot will be available.

If I know you well from a previous course, this process may be more of a formality. For students I haven’t worked closely with, I may schedule a short meeting after reviewing your application.

Teaching team members
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  • Justine Denby for BIOSC 1540 (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2026)
  • César Guerra-Solano for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2025, Fall 2026)
  • Priyam Chauhan for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2025)
  • Jay Grimsdall for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2025)
  • Caelyn Peppler for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2025)
  • Mariska Goswami for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2025)
  • Rushali Patel for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2024, Spring 2025)
  • Reya Kundu for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2024, Fall 2024)
  • Gabe Medeiros for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2024)
  • James Liu for BIOSC 1540 (Spring 2024)