Buck, Catania, and Koenig named Outstanding TAs
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/23/2025) – School of Mathematics PhD students Clara Buck, Elise Catania, and E Koenig have been recently honored with the 2024-2025 Outstanding Teaching Assistant (TA) Awards. This award recognizes exceptional teaching assistants who go above and beyond in teaching and mentorship.
Clara Buck studies algebra and combinatorics with Prof. Ben Brubaker. Her current project involves studying solvable lattice models arising from quantum groups. Last year she was a TA for MATH 2373: Linear Algebra and Differential Equations and MATH 3283W: Sequences, Series, and Foundations.
Clara writes: “My favorite part of being a TA is getting to know the students. I enjoy learning about their goals, from just getting through a stressful semester to learning beyond the scope of the course, and reshaping my work to support them. As they progress they also get to know each other. It’s fulfilling to see them build friendships and support one another through learning math.”
Elise Catania’s primary area of research is in algebraic combinatorics. She is a fifth year graduate student advised by Prof. Vic Reiner. In Fall 2023, she was a TA for MATH 3283W: Sequences, Series, and Foundations and in Spring 2024, she was a lecturer for MATH 1271: Calculus I.
Elise writes: “My favorite part of being a teaching assistant is the ability to mentor many students. I value the opportunity to support students who are learning challenging material and I enjoy finding creative ways to get students excited over the course content. The most rewarding times are when students experience an “aha” moment and take pride in their understanding. It’s a privilege to be part of that growth.”
E Koenig is a fourth year graduate student working with Prof. Max Engelstein. Their research is at the intersection of harmonic analysis, geometric measure theory, and partial differential equations. In Fall 2023, they were a TA for MATH 1151: Precalculus II and coordinated MATH: 1049 and MATH 1151, prerequisite precalculus and algebra skills courses. In Spring 2024, they were TA for MATH 3283W: Sequences, Series, and Foundations.
E writes: “My favorite part of being a TA is getting to see students grow throughout the semester. A lot of them come into the classroom with math anxiety. I really enjoy encouraging my students and seeing them grow more confident in their own abilities as the semester progresses.”
School of Mathematics Outstanding TA Awards
The Outstanding TA awards are given by the School of Mathematics Instruction Committee and are based on nominations from students and faculty members and faculty teaching evaluations. The awards are typically made in the spring following the academic year in which students are evaluated.