Top SAS TAs pull in awards

The honorees included fifth-year Psychology graduate student Ed Kako. For his dedication to preparing for and teaching undergraduate courses, Psychology graduate student Ed Kako recently won one of the School of Arts and Sciences' 10 annual teaching awards. English Professor Peshe Kuriloff, who also serves as director of Writing Across the University, nominated Kako, a fifth-year graduate student. After receiving the nomination, Kako had students write letters in his support. One of Kako's former students, College freshman Alan Lowinger, wrote one of the letters. He described Kako as "a really good teacher." Lowinger added that Kako relates information in "a clear and concise manner." Lowinger, a student in Kako's "Writing About the Evolution of the Human Mind" course last semester, said he simultaneously learned how to write and about psychology. Noting that Kako is so dedicated to his students that he types responses to each paper they turn in, Lowinger said Kako has been his favorite teacher at the University. College freshman Marie Thoma, who also wrote a letter in Kako's support, thought he was an excellent teacher. Thoma emphasized that Kako looked at each student individually. "You could tell that he took a lot of time of time with it," Thoma said. "I learned a lot about psychology and I learned a lot about writing in the field of psychology which I hadn't really been exposed to before," she added. Thoma said she has applied what she learned from Kako's class to her other classes. When the professor for the "Psychology of Language" course two years ago -- for which Kako served as a teaching assistant -- became ill, Kako ended up teaching the course, launching his teaching career. He said he "likes to think of [himself] as a good teacher although [he has] a lot to learn." He thinks he is "on the road to becoming a good teacher." Kako -- who designed his Writing About course and is working on his doctorate in psycho-linguistics -- is one of two Writing About instructors to win an award. Noting the strength of this year's award winners, Kuriloff said the University's writing program prepares its instructors well. "People often complain that graduate instructors aren't that well trained," she said. "But we think ours our very well trained." The other writing instructor to win a teaching award, Political Science graduate student Chris Harth, teaches Writing about International Relations. Referring to Kako and Harth, Kuriloff said, "They teach classes for us and we think they are excellent teachers." Other English graduate students to win awards were Jill Cunningham- Crowther, Jean Feerick and John Parker. Kathryn Dilorenzo in Classical Studies, James Cahill in Biology, Scott Pauls in Math, John Schindler in Economics and Jon Seydl in Art History also received awards.