Recipients of 2018 Graduate Associate Outstanding Teaching Award honored
Photographer: Brady MenegayChristine Aiena (left) and Bailey Dick pose with their awards during the 2018 GAOTA ceremony.
On Thursday, April 19, four graduate students were presented with the Graduate Associate Outstanding Teaching Award (GAOTA) during the annual ceremony in Alden Libraryās Faculty Commons. The GAOTA program was established in 1987 to recognize excellent teaching in graduate teaching assistants at the University. Each recipient receives a $500 stipend and a framed certificate to commemorate the occasion.
āThis award is unique, not just here at OHIO, but across the nation,ā said Tim Vickers, director of the Center for Teaching & Learning. āI think it is simply fantastic that these outstanding individuals get recognized for their incredible contributions not just to our studentsā education, but to the schools and departments within which they work.ā
Unlike other universities with similar events, the selection process at OHIO is conducted entirely by undergraduate students who volunteer their time to serve on the selection committee. This committee then interviews the top nominees and selects the four winners that are chosen annually.
The 2018 GAOTA recipients are:
Christine N. Aiena, Geography
Aiena currently teaches geography and mesoscale meteorology. In May, she will graduate with a masterās in geography-meteorology. āI have been wonderfully surprised and humbled by this experience,ā said Aiena. āI have had the privilege of teaching some of the most brilliant, tenacious and hard-working students. I am so glad they felt I was able to effectively convey information to them and I cannot thank them enough for nominating me for this award.ā
Bailey Dick, Journalism
This semester, Dick is teaching āEthics, Mass Media, and Societyā as well as āSpecial Issues and Topics in Journalism: Media and the Civil Rights Movement.ā She will be graduating with her masterās in journalism in May, and will pursue a Ph.D. in journalism at OHIO this fall. āMy goal as a teacher is for my students to feel as though they are seen, known, and understood, and for them to carry that mentality into interactions with others in their journalism career,ā said Dick. āI donāt believe that what I do in the classroom is, or should be, extraordinary. But I hope my winning this award shows other teachers and professors the value of standing with and for their students.ā
Terrance Reimer, Communication Media Arts
Reimer is teaching two sections of āMedia and Creative Processā this semester. He received a bachelor of fine arts degree with a photography and art history emphasis from 51ĀŅĀ× and now is enrolled in the communication media arts graduate program. āTo be nominated and acknowledged by the students for this prestigious award is not only an incredible honor, but also deeply humbling,ā said Reimer. āThis award is as much the studentsā as it is mine, as they keep me inspired and motivated to be the best professor and mentor I can be each and every day.ā
Steven Jay Rhue, Public Health
Rhue currently is teaching āBusiness and Communication in Transitional Societiesā and āGlobal Competition and Industry Trends.ā He earned two bachelorās degrees from OHIO, as well as a masterās degree in Latin American studies; he will graduate with a second masterās degree in public health this semester. āKnowing that my students believed in me and nominated me for such an award could not be a more meaningful way for me to end my tenure here,ā said Rhue. āIāve always thought that as teachers, we need to leave our students with experiences and understanding that are uniquely their own. But even more, we must learn from our students just as much.ā
The Office of Instructional Innovation (OII) serves as a catalyst to spark bold experimentation and sustainable discovery of innovative instructional models that fulfill the Universityās promise of a transformative educational experience. OII provides a variety of services to faculty, staff, and students in support of academic units and online programs, as well as to advance initiatives to further the institutionās mission. Visit www.ohio.edu/instructional-innovation for more information.
Photographer: Brady MenegayTerrance Reimer (left) and Steven Rhue pose with their awards during the GAOTA ceremony.
Photographer: Brady MenegayTim Vickers speaks during the 2018 GAOTA ceremony.