Date: May 27, 2013
Two recent Chemistry graduates were featured in a School of Arts and Sciences article for their work in a program that allows upper-class chemistry majors the opportunity to serve as undergraduate teaching assistants.
Throughout the past year, senior undergraduates Emily Buginsky of Clifton and Tamr Atieh of Holmdel served as teaching assistants for the Introduction to Chemistry Experimentation course, a lab course that provides freshman science students with hands-on lessons, affirming the fundamental concepts of chemistry taught in first-year courses. While the course itself is taught by a professor, the teaching assistants serve in an invaluable role as leader of the lab sessions. Each week, the teaching assistant administers a quiz on the week's material, gives a 10-minute lecture and overview of the week's experiment, and interacts with the students whenever help is needed. These interactions often come in the form of a one-on-one conversation, in which the teaching assistant is able give personal instruction to the student.
The two were able to gain this experience through an experimental new program that trains upper-class chemistry majors to serve as undergraduate teaching assistants. The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology started the teaching assistant program several years ago, seeking to offer its highest-achieving students more responsibility, and provide an extra layer of instructional support for the mostly first- and second-year students taking the lab.
Read more about their experiences and how it shaped their future goals at the School of Arts and Sciences website.
