K-State Graduate Student Council recognizes exceptional graduate teachers
Friday, Nov. 22, 2024
MANHATTAN — Two Kansas State University graduate students have been honored with the Graduate Student Council Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence, which recognizes exceptional teaching and contributions to K-State's educational mission.
The recipients are Chase Jordan, master's student in communication studies, Manhattan, and Allan Vieira de Castro Quadros, doctoral student in statistics, Brasilia, Brazil. Each recipient receives a $500 scholarship and has their name engraved on a perpetual plaque that will be displayed in their respective departments until the next award is given.
Jordan and Quadros will serve as K-State's nominees for the annual Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Excellence in Teaching Award, competing for a $750 honorarium to be presented at the association's annual meeting in April. A winner will be selected at both the master's and doctoral levels.
Quadros' major professor is Michael Higgins, associate professor in the department of statistics, and Jordan's major professor is Alex McVey, assistant professor in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
"Chase and Allan exemplify the remarkable graduate student teachers who are integral to K-State's mission of teaching and learning," said Claudia Petrescu, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. "Their dedication to fostering student engagement, building meaningful connections and creating inclusive learning environments highlights the profound impact our graduate student teachers have on undergraduate education."
Chase Jordan
"If passion is the wave that drives teaching, I am a tsunami," Jordan said. "I love communication studies, and I continuously work to emulate the excitement and desire I feel, reflecting that energy to my students."
Jordan, whose pronouns are they/them, credits mentorship from the faculty at the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication as a key part of their teaching philosophy, which centers on building meaningful relationships and fostering student-centered learning.
"By honing meaningful relationships, embodying student-centered learning and facilitating communities of belonging, I strive to equip students with skills that transcend the classroom," Jordan said. "I want to ignite in them an insatiable curiosity — a raging inferno of discovery."
Jordan encourages students to engage with faculty as people, emphasizing the value of collaborative learning.
"Professors are so much more than talking heads," they said. "Collaborative learning thrives in classroom discussions and interactions. Building relationships with professors can enrich your college experience and create valuable connections for your career."
After completing their master's degree, Jordan plans to pursue a doctorate and explore opportunities in the job market for professor positions.
Allan Vieira de Castro Quadros
Quadros' journey to teaching statistics was unconventional. Starting with a bachelor's degree in geography, he initially avoided math entirely. Later, after earning a master's degree in economics, he worked as a data scientist for the Brazilian government and sought to improve his quantitative background by pursuing a second bachelor's degree in statistics.
To overcome his math anxiety, he studied the first two years of coursework in advance, and after his initial classes, he discovered his passion for statistics
"Before going back to school, I reviewed the basics to overcome my math anxiety, which has profoundly shaped my teaching philosophy," Quadros said.
Quadros' teaching philosophy is built on three pillars: creating interest, fostering empathy and helping students build confidence in their math abilities.
"Many students take statistics as a requirement, not by choice," Quadros said. "My goal is to create a classroom where they feel engaged and supported. As someone who struggled with math, I share techniques, provide relatable examples and encourage students to study in advance. My aim is to show them that no subject is too difficult to master."
Quadros said being a graduate teaching assistant has been the most valuable part of his doctoral journey and that it solidified his decision to pursue a career in academia.
