Awards
Nominations are open!
The University of Toronto acknowledges the work of teaching assistants, and the contributions they make to teaching and learning at this institution, in a number of ways, including the following awards. The Teaching Assistants’ Training Program’s (TATP) Teaching Excellence Award was created in 2003 to recognize the outstanding contributions of teaching assistants at the University of Toronto. The award seeks to value the work of TAs who regularly inspire and challenge undergraduate students. In 2015, the TATP launched the first-ever TATP award specifically for graduate student Course Instructors! This award recognizes one graduate student whose outstanding work as a sole-responsibility Course Instructor shows evidence of educational leadership, meaningful contributions to course and curriculum development, and impact on student learning.
Nominations open: November 6, 2025
Nominations close: February 13, 2026
Shortlist announced: March 9, 2026
Supporting materials due: April 1, 2026
Winners announced: May 1, 2026
Learn More About the Individual Awards
Past Winners
BIPOC TA Teaching Award
Anna Galang, Chemistry, FAS
Shortlist
Andrew Chang, English, FAS
Jessica Hsieh, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
Mikayla Samuel, Psychology, FAS
Sara Mohseni Taromsari, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, FASE
TA Teaching Excellence Award
Zaheer Kazi Coutinho, Biological Sciences, UTSC
Vanbasten de Araújo, Women and Gender Studies Institute, FAS
Alyssa Kelly, Health and Society, UTSC
Joseph McLaughlin, English, FAS
Christine Nguyen, Cell and Systems Biology, FAS
Shortlist
Lois Boody, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, OISE & School of the Environment
Vic Duarte, Political Science, FAS
Howard Ho, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, FASE
Meghan Kates, Immunology, Medicine
Timothy McKee, Philosophy, FAS
Behrang Mohajer, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, FASE
Yuhan (Evelyn) Pan, Statistical Science, FAS
Catherine Sawyer, Spanish & Portuguese, FAS
Grace van Vliet, History, FAS
CI Teaching Excellence Award
Donald McCarthy, Classics, FAS
Shortlist
Carlie Manners, History, FAS
Liza Igoshina, Psychology, FAS
BIPOC TA Teaching Excellence Award Recipient
Titilola Aiyegbusi, English
Shortlist
Aalaya Milne, Kinesiology and Physical Education
TA Teaching Excellence Award Recipients
Shaghayegh (Shay) Chavoshian, Biomedical Engineering
Cassandra Olsen, English
Sam Sanchinel, Women and Gender Studies
Qusai (Q) Hassan, Chemistry
Paul Pritchard, Sociology
Shortlist
Ryan Borochovitz, Centre for Drama and Performance Studies
Titilola Aiyegbusi, English
Ivonne Rebeca Lopez-Miranda, Chemistry
Utkarsh Chadha, Engineering
Thomas de Boer, Civil Engineering
Jandell-Jamela Nicholas, Geography & Planning
Marcin Janczak, French
Daniela D Rodriguez, Economics
Xin Yi Lim, Spanish and Portuguese
Cassandra Olsen, English
CI Teaching Excellence Award Recipient
Kat Furtado, Classics
Shortlist
Andre Flicker, Germanic Languages and Literatures
Hazal Halavut, Women and Gender Studies
Jona Zyfi, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies
Laura Moncion, Department of Historical Studies
Maryna Pilkiw, Human Biology
BIPOC TA Teaching Excellence Award
Winner: Kavita Reddy, Political Science
2023 Shortlisted Candidates
Arkaprabha Chakraborty, English
Richard Tang, Nursing
Samantha Chang, Art History
TA Teaching Excellence Award
Winners:
Arshad Desai, History
Connor Bennett, English
Daniele Iannucci, Cinema Studies
Lauren Twible, Civil and Mineral Engineering
Liying He, Mathematical and Computational Sciences
2023 Shortlisted Candidates
Celia Ferrag, Department of Chemistry (UTSG) & Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (UTSC)
Dario Toman, Economics
Eric Keilty, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Hammad Khan, Sociology
Justinas Stankus, Political Science Department
Marybel Menzies, Philosophy
Reuben Samson, Department of Molecular Genetics
Peter (Tammy) Phan, Mathematical and Computational Sciences
Tania Ruiz-Chapman, OISE
CI Teaching Excellence Award
Winner: Leanne Toshiko Simpson, OISE
2023 Shortlisted Candidates
Peter Serles, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Sabeen Kazmi, Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies
Storm Jeffers, Sociology
Zachariah Black, Political Science
2022 TA Teaching Excellence Award Recipients
- Elio Colavito (Department of History)
- Alexa Fitzpatrick (Department of Biochemistry)
- Amanda Greer (Cinema Studies)
- Cinthya Guzman (Department of Sociology)
- Alexandra Martin (Department of Political Science)
Shortlist
- Tommaso Alba (Department of Economics)
- Connor Bennett (Department of English)
- Avesh Chadee (Department of Cell and Systems Biology)
- Salma Emara (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering)
- Celia Ferrag (Department of Chemistry)
- Jeremy Gauthier (Department of Chemistry)
- Daniel Laurin (Cinema Studies Institute)
- Kamdin Mirsanaye (Department of Physics)
- Tara Zeitoun (Department of Nutritional Sciences)
2022 CI Teaching Excellence Award Recipient
- Sandhya Mylabathula (Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education)
Shortlist
- Thomas Ayouti (Department of French)
- Nicole Birch-Bayley (Department of English)
- Zachary Weinstein (Department of Philosophy)
2021 TA Teaching Excellence Award Recipients
- Anna Cwikla (Department for the Study of Religion)
- Ariana Ellis (Department of History)
- Adam El-Masri (Department of Computer Science)
- Dustin Meyer (Department of English)
- Chiyun (Myron) Zhong (Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering)
Shortlist
- Husam Abdulnabi (Department of Cell and Systems Biology)
- Liza Girgis (Department of Spanish & Portuguese)
- Richie Jeremian (Department of Human Biology Program)
- Sandy Lee (Department of Human Biology)
- Jenna McKellips (Department of English)
- Chloe Mitchell (Department of Biochemistry)
- Sadia Riaz (Department of Psychology)
- Yasaman Rohanifar (Department of Computer Science)
- Hamish Russel (Department of Philosophy)
2021 CI Teaching Excellence Award Recipient
- Samantha Chang (Department of Art History)
Shortlist
- Zoe Anthony (Department for the Study of Religion)
- Hannah Constinin (Department of Mathematics)
2020 TA Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
- Virginie Coindre, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), Applied Sciences and EngineeringMarc De Benedetti, Chemical and Physical Sciences, UTM
- Ryan Persadie, Women and Gender Studies
- Nida Mustafa, Interdisciplinary Centre for Health and Society, UTSC
- Julie Prior, English
- Andrew Wilson, Math
Shortlist
- Ferdouse Asefi, Sociology
- Isabel Kerrebijn, Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Hanlin Liu, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences
- Karl Manis, English
- Laura Moncion, Centre for Medieval Studies/Victoria College
- Catherine Rioux, Philosophy
- Alexandros Sklavounos, Chemistry
- Mark Soberman, Chemical Engineering
2020 CI Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
- Danielle Tessaro, Human Geography, UTSC\
Shortlist
- Cornel Grey, Women and Gender Studies Institute
- Shira Joudan, Chemistry
- Alexis Lerner, Political Science and Jewish Studies
2019 TA Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
- Maryam Abdinejad, Department of Physical and Environmental Science
- Kristin Ancevicius, Department of Cell and Systems Biology
- Kristen Bos, Department of Anthropology
- Ali Greey, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education
- Kyle Kinaschuk, Department of English
Shortlist
- Ryan Berryhill, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Lu-Vada Dunford, Department of Philosophy
- Abdullah Farooqi, Department of History
- Allan Kuan, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering
- Frank Shin-Haw Lee, Department of Physiology
- Steven Loleski, Department of Political Science
- Sarah Shah, Department of Sociology
2019 CI Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
- Samer Henry, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Shortlist
- Olga Khometa, Slavic Languages and Literatures
- Alexis Lerner, Department of Political Science and the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies
2018 TA Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
- Edward Escalon, Study of Religion/Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies
- Jennifer Fraser, Institute for History and Philosophy of Science & Technology
- Devorah Kobluk, English
- Pedram Mortazavi, Civil Engineering
- Shawn Xiong, Biochemistry
Shortlist
- Janani Selvachandran, Applied Psychology and Human Development
- Maryam Abdinejad, Physical and Environmental Science
- Nazanin Khalili, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Oana Baboi, Institute for History & Philosophy of Science & Technology
- Philippe D’Onofrio, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute/Surgery
- Sasha Weiditch, Department of Cell and Systems Biology
2018 CI Teaching Excellence Awards Recipients
Laine Zisman Newman, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies
Shortlist
- Christopher Tatham, Department of Sociology
- Marina Freire-Gormaly, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Robert Price, Institute for Culture, Communication, Information & Technology