2The Daily Tar HeelThursday, March 19, 1992
TAs chosen as finalists for Undergraduate Teaching Awards
By Valerie Holbert
and Jenny Mclnnls
Staff Writer
In some University lecture classes, a
teaching assistant is a student's guiding
light.
Ten of UNC's best teaching assis
tants are finalists for the Undergraduate
Teaching Awards.
A student committee will choose five
of the finalists as recipients of the
awards, which carry a $ 1 ,000 cash prize.
Students are encouraged to partici
pate in the process by submitting letters
of recommendation to student govern
ment in Suite C of the Union.
The committee will read the recom
mendations, sit in on classes and con
duct interviews of the TAs. Winners
will be announced Monday.
Curt Ryan
Curt Ryan, a teaching assistant in the
political science department, said teach
ing never bored him. "I like to teach a
variety of classes," he said.
Ryan would like to teach in Wash
ington, D.C., after graduate school be
cause he wants to be a consultant for the
U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Glenn Snyder, Ryan's dissertation
adviser, said Ryan was an excellent
nominee. "He is one of the leading
graduate students," Snyder said.
Ramah Kayyali, a sophomore in
Ryan's Middle East class, said he taught
about a very controversial region.
Select a suit or a sportcoal Choose P"" I g
another or mix 'n match any two for If
sensational 2-fer savings! f a U M
I SiiF I I All Wool.Tropical I
Sport Coats Suits
2 f cr $198 2 f cr $398
Reg. $245 each Reg. $435 each
I ShetlandWool I I Wool Blend I
Sport Coats Suits
2 ffer $198 2 f cr $298
Reg. $235 each Reg. $385 each
I .. farve Benard . I I Jeremy QostonAII Wool I
All Cotton Shirts Tropical Slacks
2 f cr $29 2 f cr $98
Reg. $60 each Reg. $85 each
I Ferrirti Lightweight 1 I Lanerq$si Wool I
WooTSuits Gabardine Suits
2 ffer $598 2 f cr $398
I Reg. $575 each Reg. $435 each
The Saving Are ilnkkwbk On Exciting Quality Clothing
JHtltat 0 Ollatfjmg (Ltuphaarh
163 E. Franklin St., Downtown Chapel Hill
I Hours; Mon.-Sat. 1 0-6:30; Sun. I -5 968-4408
We'll make Sure You Make it.
10 students per class
40 hours of live instruction
Live Tutorial available At no Extra Charge
NATIONAL 800 TELEPHONE HELPLINE
6 DIAGNOSTICPRACTICE EXAMS
CONSTANTLY UPDATED COURSES AND MATERIALS
Test preparation
graduate school selection
application assistance
CALL liOW! CLASSES STARTING WEEKES OF MARCH 30 AND APRIL 13
CHAPEL HILL 306 W. FRANKLIN ST. O 932-9400
"He is very objective and doesn't try
to force opinions," Kayyali said. "He
shows us both sides of the coin.
Dan Humphries
Dan Humphries, a teaching assistant
intheSlavic languagesdepartment.said
he majored in Russian because he loved
the way the language sounded when it
was spoken.
He said he would like to be a profes
sor of Slavic linguistics someday and
teach students Russian and other Slavic
languages.
Humphries said he first took Russian
to satisfy a language requirement. "Be
fore 1 knew it, I was on my way to
becoming a Russian major.
"I was really surprised to be nomi
nated because Russian grammar usu
ally has fairly small sections," he said.
Eleonora Magomedova, director of
the Russian program, said Humphries
was a natural teacher. "There aren't
enough superlatives in the English lan
guage to describe his teaching."
Michele Quinn, a junior from
Eldersburg, Md., in Humphries' Rus
sian class, said, "He's concerned that
everyone in the class is learning, and
he's always encouraging us and making
sure we all understand it."
Wes Boyd
Wes Boyd, a teaching assistant in the
religious studies department, said: "I'm
very excited about being a finalist. I'm
happy some of my students appreciated
THE
1 Eiutbv
i
: DUCATION AL GROUP
enough of what was happening in class
to nominate me."
Boyd, who went to undergraduate
school at Yale University, said he would
finish medical school next month. He
then wants to be a psychiatrist as well as
a religious studies teacher, he said.
William Peck, director of the reli
gious studies department, said he was
excited and pleased about Boyd's nomi
nation for the teaching assistant award.
"He's done extremely good work,"
Peck said. "I deeply appreciate him as a
person and thinker. "
Beth Calamia
Beth Calamia, a teaching assistant in
the classics department, said she was
surprised aTA in Latincould get enough
recognition for an Undergraduate
Teaching Award.
Calamia is in her second year of
graduate school. She said she was not
sure where she wanted to teach after
graduation.
She is concentrating in archaeology,
and hopes to be an archaeologist and a
teacher, she said.
Her nomination was unexpected, she
said. "I was really surprised. Latin
doesn't usually get that much recogni
tion." Tracy Smith, a freshman from Winston-Salem
in Calamia's Latin class,
said Calamia was a great teacher. "It's
really hard for her because the class is
eight o'clock in the morning," she said.
"Not very many people participate, but
she tries to liven things up."
Lynn Rankin
Lynn Rankin, a teaching assistant in
the psychology department, said she
wanted to continue teaching psychol
Custom built
burgers O
Stuffed spuds
Vegetarian
Sandwiches
bckfcg
O cafe
Iff Pecan Pie
O BeerWines
UniVCrSltV SCHiarC Lunch and Dinner
facing Granville Towers 929-0296
North Carolina
ALL GAMES TELEVISED UVE.
NCAA TOURNAMENT TIME!
AH 32 1st and 2nd round
games shown live.
Open llamThurday
Pool Tables Free llam-4pm
504 W.FRANKLIN ST. 929-6978
ogy because it offered a broad range of
opportunities.
"I can do teaching, research and clini
cal work if I remain teaching," she said.
"I am interested in marital therapy
and relationships," she said. "I would
love to be here, but there's already some
one here in marital therapy."
Joseph Lowman, Rankin's teaching
adviser, said Rankin was a natural
teacher. "She is one of the best I've ever
seen," he said. "She has such a sense of
energy, clarity, and her classes are well
attended and interesting. She's also very
sensitive to students as people."
Susan Williams, a senior from Char
lotte in Rankin's psychology class, said,
"She's a good teacher because she brings
the class into the discussion and tries to
get a lot of input from the class."
Rankin said: "It (being nominated) is
really exciting because I didn't expect
to like teaching so much. It's been so
much fun for me."
Deborah Austin
Deborah Austin said the relationship
between teachers and students was a
give-and-take one.
"There's a reciprocal relationship
going on here," she said. "I'm always
learning from my students.
Austin has been a teaching assistant
since the fall of 1990 and has been
teaching since the fall of 1991. She was
an undergraduate at UNC from 197 1 to
1975 and returned in 1990 to do her
graduate work.
Professor Virgil Balthrop said Aus
tin had the strongest course evaluations
in his 16 years at the University. "She
has the ability to find richness and com
plexity in almost any material," he said.
Tonia Lea, a student from
Salad Platters
f Carrot Cake
French Silk Re
O Daily Special
Spuds
Desserts
Iff!
153 E. Franklin St 9684212
Breakfast
Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls
Toasted Butter Croissants
Hot Toasted Bagels with Butter,
Jam, & Cream Cheese Spreads
Coffee, Juices, Hot Cocoa,
Milk & More!
Lunch
Premium Deli Sandwiches like our
Tar Heel Turkey & Carolina Club
Bagels, Bagels, Bagels
At Least Two Delicious Soups Daily
Soft drinks, Fruit Juices, Coffee
Milk & More!
Anytime
8 Low and Non Fat Frozen Yogurt
Flavors Daily
Over 35 Fruit, Candy, Nut &
Hot Toppings
Fruit Smoothies
Bagels & Soups Available All Day!
Yanceyville who took Austin's African-American
literature class, said Aus
tin always was interested in helping her
students inside and outside class.
"Just knowing she was concerned
how things were going outside of class
made her a great teacher," Lea said.
After finishing her graduate work,
Austin plans to attend the University of
Southern Florida where she has been
accepted in a doctoral program.
Steve Killion
Steve Killion, a teaching assistant in
English, has been at UNC since 1981
and has been teaching since 198S.
Killion said it meant a lot to him to be a
finalist for the award.
"It'sanhonor,"Killionsaid."Itmeans
a lot coming from the students."
Karleton Fyfe, a senior from Durham
who took Killion's English 23 class,
said Killion once held a review session
at 10 p.m. in the library. "He goes com
pletely out of his way to help his stu
dents," Fyfe said.
Killion plans to teach at Marist Col
lege in Poughkeepsie, New York, after
completing his graduate work at UNC.
Will Nash
WillNashcametoUNCin 1986 after
attending Centre College in Danville,
Va., and began teaching in 1989.
Nash said he was pleased that he had
affected students through his teaching.
"I feel really good that I've had
enough of an impact on a student to
nominated," he said.
Clara Powell, a sophomore from
Macon, said Nash was a good teacher
because he was easy to get along with.
"He's very open-minded. He was al
ways very understanding."
Nash said his goal was to become a
professor of African-American litera
ture and folklore.
Michele Ware
Michele Ware, a teaching assistant in
Campus Calendar
THURSDAY
10 a.m. Seniors: Sign up for free one-year mem
bership in The Educational Foundation (Rams Club)
until 2 p.m. in the Pit.
TARP will be promoting Zero Garbage Day and
will be having a bake sale until 2 p.m. in the Pit.
11 cm. Walk for Humanity Registration until 2
p.m. in the Pit.lnformation: 962-2333.
3:30 p.m. UCPPS will offer a Resume-Writing
Workshop for underclassmen interested in intern
ships in 306 Hanes.
5:30 p.m. Association of International Students
will meet in 208-9 Union.
Amnesty International Urgent Action Group will
have a letter-writing meeting in Lenoir North Dining
Room.
p.m. Minority Business Forum dealing with
P StJIrMERElViPLOYMENT :B
OPPORTUNITY
Jobs available with the UNC Physical
Plant-Housing Support Paint Crew.
Applications available at the Physical Plant
Personnel office 168-A Airport Road,
CB 1800, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
i25 OFF!
ANY BREAKFAST ITEM!'
ANY LUNCH ITEM! J
153 E. Franklin St.
968-4212
llfjT" " '" ' Expires 53192
El- D.J
FREE YOGURT J
I Purchase a small, regular or
I large yogurt and receive the g
next smaller size FREE!
'.'4
the English department, has been 3,
UNC since 1986 and received he,
master's degree in English in 1988
Ware said being considered for the
award was an honor because teaching;
was important to her. n
"I really take my teaching seriously,
she said. "This kind of acknow-
ledgement is rare." ' '.
Robert Greer, a student from Atlanta
said although Ware taught him almost'
three years ago, he still keeps in touch
with her for advice.
"She really gets down to the student's '
level," Greer said. "She is an adviser
well as a teacher."'
Ware said she Was working on her"
doctorate degree and hoped to find a
teaching position at the university level'
after completing her work at UNC. '
Robert Porter
Robert Porter, a teaching assistant in '
Afro-American studies, said he teaches '
a lecture class so large that he has his
own TA.
"I like everything about teaching,'''
Porter said. "I really enjoy interacting
with students, lecturing, and class dis
cussions." Porter, who has been teaching at UNC
since 1989, is a doctoral candidate in'
history. He said the nomination meanta.
lot to him because it showed his stu"j'
dents appreciated his love for teaching..,.
"It means a great deal to me to be
nominated for this award," he said. "I
really love teaching, and I'm most grate"
ful to the students for recognizing myv
efforts."
Brad Bills, a junior from Charlotte
and one of Porter's former students,
said he enjoyed Porter's class because -he
showed interest in his students. .'-
"Mr. Porter is original," he said. "He's
an excellent role model who is genu-.:
inely concerned with his students." .;.!
Janet Clark, Porter's TA, said Porter
was a good teacher because he made .
students his first priority.
j i
diversity in the workplace will be held in T-2 Carroll. 1
"Brothers" discussion group for and about African-American
male students will meet in the first-j
floor lounge of Hinton James. Dean Harold Woodard '
will discuss "Dating and Communication." Vi
7 p.m. Leadership Matters will have a skills..-.
workshopinCobbTrainingRoom.Information:966- .
4041. "'"
Food Issues Team will give a talk about the conse
quences of our food choices in Frank Porter Graham
Lounge of the Union.
Mangum Medal will be given to a graduating-'"
senior for the best oration in the Dialectic Chambetr: . !
of New West.
9 p.m. UNC Pauper Players will hold an open ,
forum to discuss possible shows for next year in the ""
Great Hall of the Union. '
THE FUN, HEALTHY
ALTERNATIVE!!
Now open at 7:30 am
MONDAY - FRIDAY
153 E. Franklin St.
968-4212 .
Expires 53192 "
a BBI Bkl Bkl SB U
25ORFi
153 E. Franklin St. I
Qfittjon
Expires 53192
neS
4