The University of Delaware will hold an orientation for incoming graduate teaching assistants (TAs) from 1-5 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Clayton Hall.

Attendance at the New Graduate TA Orientation is open to all new UD graduate TAs, and registration can be completed at this website.

First-time TAs are invited to come learn about expectations of UD students, effective teaching practices and available instructional resources. Teaching support units from across campus, including Academic Technology Services (ATS) and the UD Library, will also provide short presentations about their services and resources.

Attendees will also participate in peer mentoring and networking to ensure a smooth transition into their new roles. Sessions will be facilitated by UD Teaching Assistant Fellows, who are experienced TAs and graduate student instructors. In the past, the new TAs reported that they valued learning from experienced TAs and that they helped them to understand their roles and responsibilities while alleviating their fears.

TA Fellows will facilitate specialized training sessions, actively engage with new TAs during a question and answer time, share their personal experiences as TAs, provide direction and support, and offer department-specific tips and advice for the first day and beyond. More than 200 new TAs will participate.

TA Fellow spotlight

Zachary Suriano is a doctoral candidate in climatology in the Department of Geography. His current research involves examining the temporal and spatial variability of snowfall and snow ablation within the Great Lakes region, with a particular emphasis on relationships to synoptic-scale weather conditions. He has given a number of guest lectures, taken courses pertaining to teaching and learning, and in his three semesters as a TA has instructed multiple lab courses.

Colleen Pike is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her research involves utilizing microbiology and biochemistry techniques to elucidate host-pathogen interactions between human macrophages and the bacterial pathogen Legionella pneumophila. Colleen has served as a TA for both freshman and upper class biology courses at UD, as well as freshman biology courses during her undergraduate career.

Heather Yarger is a fifth-year graduate student in the clinical science doctoral program. She currently works in the research lab (Infant Caregiver Project) of Mary Dozier, Unidel Amy E. du Pont Chair in Child Development, overseeing the data collection for projects with families of children adopted internationally and children in foster care. Her research focuses on how aspects of the child, parent, and sociocultural domains confer risk for negative outcomes in child development. She has taught Developmental Psychology (PSYC350) independently as a Teaching Fellow and has served as a TA for several courses including Research Methods (PSYC207), Measurement and Statistics (PSYC209), Child Psychology (PSYC325), and Psychopathology (PSYC380).

About TA orientation

TA orientation is organized by the Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning (CTAL) as part of the Office of Graduate and Professional Education’s orientation program for incoming graduate students.

Throughout the academic year, CTAL offers courses, workshops, and First Friday Roundtables designed to advance students’ and faculty's’ pedagogical, academic, and professional progress.