USC Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
Presented at the Sixteenth Annual Academic Honors Convocation
4 March 1997
Jay Vavra
Ph. D. Candidate, Graduate Student, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Biological Sciences, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Jay Vavra has consistently won honors as a teaching assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences. He has demonstrated his teaching skills in courses on campus, on Catalina Island, and in Antartica. The Antartic course, led by USC Marine Biology Director Donal Manahan, needed a teaching assistant who was "beyond excellent" -- and Jay Vavra was the obvious choice.
If there are "teaching genes," Jay has them in abundance. Mr. Vavra credits his parents, who were teachers, and a favorite high school instructor for instilling a desire to do his best for students.
He has a number of publications in print, with several others in preparation. Professor Arnold Dunn calls him a truly excellent young scientist, a description confirmed by his receipt of several ARCS scholarships. Mr. Vavra has also participated in ARC's programs to stimulate elementary students' interest in science.
He has also found time to serve on campus as a graduate student representative and in various other capacities.
It is thus with great pleasure that the University of Southern California recognizes Mr. Jay Vavra with its Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.
More on Jay Vavra:
Never a Backward Step
USC Chronicle, 3 March 1997.