Andrew Soderberg receives 2024 Master’s level Meritorious Award for Graduate Teaching Assistant

Andrew Soderberg, an AREC graduate student, was selected as a 2024 Master’s level recipient for the Meritorious Award for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). Please join AREC in congratulating Andrew on his well-deserved recognition and selection for this award! 

Collectively, Professors Na Zuo, Tauhid Rahman, and April Athnos enthusiastically nominated Andrew in gratitude for his dedication and “invaluable support” to two AREC courses in the 2023-2024 academic year.  

Andrew began his master’s studies with AREC in Fall 2023, soon after earning his BSc in Environmental & Water Resource Economics (EWRE). Recently taken the undergraduate courses, he fulfilled the role of GTA for Prof. Athnos’s AREC 150C3 course and Profs. Zuo & Rahman’s AREC 239 course.  

Undoubtedly, there is much more to fulfilling the role of GTA for both courses than having only taken the course a few semesters prior. Andrew was extensively complimented on his “unique combination of interpersonal skills, constant improvement, and subject-matter expertise,” which made him “indispensable,” according to the nominating professors. 

AREC 150C3 enrolls 150 first-year students on average each semester, being a general education course on the subject of the global economy of food. Prof. Athnos required a GTA to be dependent on for speedy grading and holding an approachable environment for students with questions, and Andrew was able to provide that without any question. Andrew received complimentary feedback from students after their semester spent in AREC 150C3. 

Professor Athnos commented on his impact on students taking the course, “His calm and caring demeanor reassured students and helped ease their academic worries. His empathy created a conducive learning environment, enabling students to focus on problem-solving once their concerns were addressed.” 

AREC 239 is not a general education course and is geared towards AREC major students since it is an introduction to statistics and data analysis, involving math-based subjects and holds more of a challenge for students. With the original professor being on sabbatical during the Spring 2024 term, Profs. Zuo & Rahman required a reliant and fluent individual in this course’s subjects, and Andrew proved that immediately. 

Andrew acted as an “important bridge” between undergraduate students and faculty for AREC 239. He served as the lead for the AREC 239 Discussion session each week, which allowed students to complete practice problems and hold discussions on course topics to prepare for course projects and exams. With this student relation, Andrew was able to provide Profs. Zuo & Rahman with constructive suggestions and enhanced learning experience for both students and faculty. 

Professors Zuo & Rahman explained, “Andrew’s enthusiasm for agricultural management and natural resource economics, in general, has also been a key motivator for students. His broad reading, beyond economics, enables him to connect with students from various disciplines.” 

Andrew’s support to the department’s faculty and undergraduate students not only proved that he understands the course subjects but also allowed him to recognize that he has a strong ability to communicate information to a variety of individuals from different disciplines. He explained that this skill has great importance and he suggests it to future prospective educators. 

Andrew explained, “Assume as little as necessary when you begin to teach students. The University of Arizona is home to a large and diverse array of students who bring all sorts of different educational experiences and knowledge to the table. Often this is mistaken for lack of knowledge by some professors when in reality all that may be required is a shift in your own perspective as an educator in order to reach your students at their level of understanding.” 

Time management was another developed skill for Andrew, as it initially presented itself as an obstacle. Andrew was a committed educator in these GTA roles, but first as a graduate student in his academic journey. During his time as a GTA for these courses, he found it critical to plan weeks and even months in advance to allow time and space for students to anticipate course material. 

He shared that building this time management skill along with establishing a relationship in understanding the students was required. Andrew elaborated, “Without this relationship established, it can be easy to be blindsided by an influx of extra work during critical deadlines like exams and project due dates. Knowing your students allows you to know when you will be needed, which in turn gives you better tools to manage your time as a student.”