Urja Nandivada, recipient of the Amit and Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student, 2022

Urja Nandivada, Physics and Astronomy

Urja Nandivada, an undergraduate student in Physics and Astronomy, provided students with an impactful experience as an undergraduate TA.  She has been described as a mentor who is passionate about her teaching, and who has not let chronic illness affect her performance in teaching and her attitude towards students.  Urja makes the classroom environment feel welcoming, inclusive, and comfortable for students to learn new concepts.  She has a positive 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.  One student states that “her knowledge in the field helps the students prosper when doubts arise in the lab.”  Another student says, “Urja gave us words of encouragement to keep going and not give up.”  Urja makes lab experiences enjoyable and engaging: “I remember one 9:30am lab session on a Friday, Urja had her camera on, smiling, and she was engaging in the conversation.”  Overall, her outgoing, sociable personality is a memorable one for all students who encounter her.

Urja has held a teaching assistant position for PHYS 121L, PHYS 131L, and PHYS 122L.