Photo of the 2021-2022 TACs

Teaching Assistant Consultant Program

The Teaching Assistant Consultant (TAC) Program
 

The Teaching Assistant Consultant (TAC) Program promotes and facilitates professional development programming for graduate student instructors and postdoctoral scholars.

Goals of the TAC Program include:

  • Improving undergraduate education at UC Davis by working closely with graduate student instructors to strengthen teaching practices and enhance learning for all students.
  • Supporting the professional growth of UC Davis Teaching Assistants (TAs), Associate Instructors (AIs) and postdoctoral scholars.
  • Engaging TACs in a community of practice that provides meaningful growth experiences that, in turn, increase capacity and support for the broader campus teaching and learning community at UC Davis.
  • Encouraging dialogue and collaboration among the TACs to broaden perspectives about the purposes and practices of higher education beyond individual disciplines and approaches.
  • Promoting the development of TACs as instructors, consultants, and leaders in their teaching and learning communities.

TACs provide the following services to graduate student instructors and postdoctoral scholars:

  • Workshops  to enhance teaching effectiveness and improve student learning;
  • One-on-one consultations, ranging from general consultations to discuss teaching and learning to Mid-Quarter Inquiries (MQIs). Regardless of the consultation type, one-on-one consultations provide a space for discussing teaching and learning with an experienced peer instructor in a confidential setting. 


Apply to be part of the TAC Program

 Applications are now open for our 2023-2024 cohort and are due on April 21.
What are the benefits of the program?
  • Ongoing learning and professional development
  • Paid compensation
  • Valuable experiences for a career in college teaching, educational development, and other career paths focused on teaching and learning
Who can apply?

Applicants must be enrolled as a graduate student (master’s or doctoral level) all three quarters of the program (Fall 2023, Winter 2024, and Spring 2024) and should also be available during September 2023 for professional development and facilitation of the campus-wide TA orientation (September 25 & 26). Applicants should have at least three quarters of TA experience at any institution and be able to invest approximately seven hours per week in the program throughout this period.

Information Sessions on Zoom:

 

  • 2021 - 2022 TACs
    • Name
    • Department
    • Alicia Bencomo Garcia
    • Education
    • Gwen Chodur
    • Nutritional Biology
    • Shelley Dykstra
    • Spanish and Portuguese
    • Nina Fontana
    • Ecology
    • Liz Giardina
    • English
    • Beshara Kehdi
    • Cultural Studies
    • Hannah Nelson
    • Population Biology
    • Mayra Nunez Martinez
    • Education
    • Sasha Pesci
    • Geography
    • Connor Rosenblatt
    • Environmental Science and Policy
    • Michelle Rossi (TAC Coordinator)
    • Sociology
    • Peter Torres
    • Linguistics
    • Daisy Underhill
    • Philosophy
    • Jasmine Wade
    • Cultural Studies
  • 2020 - 2021 TACs
    • Name
    • Department
    • Nazanin Akrami
    • Agricultural  & Environmental Chemistry
    • Gwen Chodur
    • Nutritional Biology
    • Samantha Contreras
    • Graduate School of Management
    • Shelley Dykstra
    • Spanish and Portuguese
    • Slande Erole (TAC Coordinator)
    • Political Science
    • Victoria Farrar
    • Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior
    • Nina Fontana
    • Ecology
    • Alicia Garcia
    • Education
    • Liz Giardina
    • English
    • Laura Hernandez-Bassal
    • Civil & Environmental Engineering
    • Julia Houk
    • Education
    • Hannah Nelson
    • Population Biology
    • Michelle Rossi
    • Sociology
    • Peter Torres
    • Linguistics
    • Jenny Wagner
    • Public Health Sciences
    • Jessica Zlotnicki
    • Geography
  • 2019 - 2020 TACs
  • Name Department
    James Allen Chemical Engineering
    Justin Carone Sociology
    Edward Conley Materials Science and Engineering
    Slande Erole Political Science
    Nina Fontana Ecology
    Alicia Garcia Education
    Hannah Nelson Population Biology
    Rachel Nickens (TAC Coordinator) Sociology
    Miguel Novoa History
    Carlyn Peterson Animal Science
    Michelle Rossi Sociology
    Peter Torres Linguistics
    Justin Virrey Graduate School of Management
    Jessica Zlotnicki Geography
  • 2018 - 2019 TACs
  • Name Department
    Arik Davidyan Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology
    Slande Erole Political Science
    Sam Fleischer Mathematics
    Giulia Gall Anthropology
    McCage Griffiths Political Science
    Alice Martinic Nutritional Biology
    Chris Miller Animal Science
    Rachel Nickens Sociology
    Miguel Novoa History
    Carlyn Peterson Animal Science
    Pablo Robles-Garcia Spanish & Portuguese
    Derek Rury Economics
    Sergio Sanchez Education
    Sarah Silverman (TAC Coordinator) Department of Entomology
  •  2017 - 2018 TACs
  • Name Department
    Jenny Colmenero English
    Sam Fleischer Mathematics
    McCage Griffiths Political Science
    Sreenidhi Krishnamoorthy Mechanical Engineering
    Alice Martinic Nutritional Biology
    Chris Miller Animal Science
    Lina Reznicek-Parrado Spanish (Linguistics)
    Laurel Richardson History
    Marisella Rodriquez (TAC Coordinator) Political Science
    Derek Rury Economics
    Sergio Sanchez Education
    Sarah Silverman  Department of Entomology
    Victoria White Comparative Literature
  • 2016 - 2017 TACs
  • Name Department
    Lindsay Baltus (TAC Coordinator) English
    Jenny Colmenero English
    Joya Cooley Chemistry
    Eric Jensen Spanish & Portuguese
    Sreenidhi Krishnamoorthy Mechanical Engineering
    Shan (Zoe) Lin History
    Laurel Richardson History
    Marisella Rodriquez Political Science
    Sergio Sanchez Education
    Sarah Silverman Department of Entomology
    Victoria White Comparative Literature
    DJ Worley Native American Studies
  • 2015 - 2016 TACs
  • Name Department
    Lindsay Baltus English
    Christy Cahill (TAC Coordinator) Political Science
    Joya Cooley Chemistry
    Emily Edris Communications
    Eric Jensen Spanish & Portuguese
    Jae Wook Jung Economics
    Amanda Modell Cultural Studies
    Laurel Richardson History
    Watumesa Tan Microbiology
    Dan Villarreal Linguistics
    DJ Worley Native American Studies
  • 2014 - 2015 TACs
  • Name Department
    Jamiella Brooks (TAC Coordinator) French
    Christy Cahill Political Science
    Emily Edris Communications
    Jae Wook Jung Economics
    Amanda Modell Cultural Studies
    Angadh Nanjangud Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
    Tom O’Donnell History
    Tracy Quan  Spanish & Portuguese
    Tim Shelton Chemistry
    Susan Talcott Anthropology