Email: lunandivada@uwaterloo.ca
Pronouns: she/her
Urja Henry Nandivada (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, researching within the field of Physics Education. She focuses on undergraduate epistemic themes that are developed through physics laboratory courses. Urja completed the Fundamentals of University Program in 2022 and is currently pursuing the Certificate in University Teaching. Since 2021, she has been a TA for several physics laboratory courses offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and was awarded with the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching as a Student in 2022.
Urja is dedicated to understanding how learners are motivated to keep learning and growing. She has been described as a mentor who is patient and passionate about her teaching. Urja makes the classroom environment feel welcoming, inclusive, and comfortable for students to learn new concepts. She has a positive and compassionate attitude towards student development, and she tends to assist learners in understanding the process of arriving at answers rather than providing them on the spot.