Congratulations to the 2012-13 winners: Ryan Bush, Blair Chapman, Prathi Seneviratne, and Metin Uyanik! Each will receive a monetary prize of $1,500 and immortality with their names etched on the Dean Award plaque located in the department seminar room.
This is an annual award to recognize graduate students who have exhibited extraordinary performance in teaching undergraduates. The award was initiated by Joel and Monia Dean with the objective of promoting excellence in undergraduate education at the Krieger School and funded by the Joel Dean Foundation created by Professor Dean in 1957.
Ryan Bush was nominated for his performance as a teaching assistant in Econometrics. The students were effusive with praise for Ryan’s performance: “He makes every student feel as though his or her contribution is valued…He is skillful in understanding different student’s learning styles and tailoring his explanations to the student’s strengths.” “He is patient, understanding, and cares that we learn.” “He is open, friendly, and flexible….Ryan has given me much more confidence in Econometrics, and I think he deserves this award because of his passion and dedication–for both the course material and the students.”
Blair Chapman was nominated for his performance as a teaching assistant in Economic Forecasting. A student commented that Blair “has done an outstanding job of not only making sure his students thoroughly understand material covered in class, but is extremely approachable, and has gone out of his way on many occasions to host review sessions, discussions, and mentorship meetings.”
Prathi Seneviratne was nominated for her new course sponsored by a Dean’s Teaching Fellowship, Memorandums of Misunderstanding. A student said that Prathi is “very patient, accessible, and clear. Always willing to help students. Welcomes all questions–doesn’t get frustrated when students ask her to explain simple concepts that they should remember from Micro/Macroeconomics.”
Metin Uyanik was nominated for his performance as a teaching assistant in Microeconomic Theory. A student said that “he is the first TA I’ve had who really prioritized his students to understand the material. He has always offered extra office hours on the weekends when times wouldn’t work out, and he has always been so patient and encouraging. He always says to his students,’I believe you can do it!’ ”
The Krieger School offers its gratitude not only to Ryan, Blair, Prathi, and Metin, but also to all of the graduate students who exerted that extra effort to advance the education of Hopkins’ undergraduates. Your hard work and exceptional skill are greatly appreciated.