Morgantown, W.Va. — The 2025-26 academic year marked a significant period of growth for the Department of Physics and Astronomy Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) program. The department welcomed Ben Lukk as academic laboratory manager, where he oversees introductory physics laboratory spaces in White Hall and supervises the GTA program.
The department also opened the Physics and Astronomy Academic Support Center, a dedicated first-floor space in White Hall for drop-in office hours and additional student support.
“As a department, we are grateful for the efforts our GTAs have given in supporting our instructional laboratory spaces,” Mr. Lukk said. “Our GTA program provides them an opportunity to hone their skills as scientific communicators, which is something they’ll need for their careers. Having a chance to work so closely with students is special, and I know that our GTAs cherish these interactions.”
This year, Randy Loberger of Peoria, Arizona was honored as the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant in Physics and Astronomy. He supported introductory physics laboratory courses including PHYS 101L and PHYS 102L. Randy aspires to become a university professor and lead his own research group, contributing to advancements in astrophysics. Learn more about Randy and the award.
Ashley Stone of Saint Clair, Michigan received the departmental graduate teaching award, the Carl A. Rotter Graduate Teaching Award. Since joining the department two years ago, Ashley has taught PHYS 101L for four semesters and the PHYS 101 lecture course in Summer 2025.
“At first, being a GTA may seem overwhelming, but the more experience you gain, the more rewarding it will be,” Ashley said. “It is important to do your best to create a safe learning environment so students feel comfortable asking questions.”
“I expect that my GTA work will help me in my career because of the communication and presentation skills it has taught me,” said Ashley. “Learning to be patient with students as they learn is important. You may have students who are taking a physics course for the first time, so working to teach and explain the course concepts at a level a novice can digest is crucial.”
To close out another successful academic year, we are spotlighting five first-time graduate teaching assistants whose dedication and commitment to student success have made a meaningful impact across the department:
John, a sixth-year graduate student from Lawrence, Kansas, has spent much of his time at WVU working as a fellow in the physics education research group with Professor John Stewart, the lead instructor for PHYS 112. In his free time, John enjoys baking, walking, and music, but shared that teaching is still his favorite. Alongside his research responsibilities, John has taken a major role in supporting the delivery, organization, and coordination of PHYS 112L while mentoring first-year graduate teaching assistants assigned to the class.
Interested in pursuing a career in teaching, John said the hands-on experience working directly with students has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the position.
“I would like to teach, so the direct experience working with students and helping them develop a stronger understanding of concepts has been especially valuable,” John said. “Seeing how the experiments tie in with the course curriculum, along with practical experience grading, have all been a meaningful part of the experience.”
Through his work on PHYS 112L, John said he gained a deeper appreciation for the demands of instruction, particularly the unpredictability of the workload.
“Test week is heavy,” he said. “Other than that, it can be hard to predict.”
John said his interest in physics education research developed naturally from his longtime passion for teaching. During his undergraduate studies, he spent three years teaching and discovered he enjoyed helping students build confidence in complex subjects.
“I’ve known I enjoy teaching for a while and had the chance to do so for three years in my undergraduate studies, so physics education research just kind of naturally fell out of that,” John said. “I chose physics initially because I like the imagination that can come into setting up a problem and/or modeling a system, and for how useful a lens physics is for understanding a little bit about a lot. A jack of all trades is better than a master of none.”
Reflecting on his experience, John encouraged future teaching assistants to focus on collaboration and student engagement in the classroom.
“Meet your students in the middle – don’t explain at them,” he said. “See what they already know and build on it. Ask them questions and help them develop their understanding; don’t just try to imprint yours.”
Nethmi is a first-year graduate student in condensed matter physics from Colombo, Sri Lanka. She enjoys reading and writing poetry in her free time. As a graduate teaching assistant, she finds the most rewarding moments come after helping students work through difficult material and finally reach understanding.
“It’s nice to be able to help people figure physics out, especially since we were in their shoes only a few years ago,” Nethmi said. “I try to be the person I needed then, and it feels great when it works out!”
Her experience as a GTA has also changed the way she approaches problem-solving and teaching. Working with students has taught her to look at challenges from multiple perspectives and recognize that effective learning differs from person to person.
“I know both more and less than I realized,” she said. “Sometimes I surprise myself, and other times, I’m like, ‘I should have known this.’”
Nethmi encourages future GTAs to remember what it felt like to encounter the material for the first time as undergraduates.
“Physics explains both the most mundane and unusual things,” she said. “It always fascinated me how most things are governed by the same basic principles.”
A first-year condensed matter physics student with research interests in optics, Abhishek hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradash, India. Outside of the lab and classroom, he enjoys reading mystery novels. His experience as a graduate teaching assistant has become an important part of both his academic and personal growth.
“Teaching forces me to understand the material at a deeper level and to communicate clearly to people with different learning styles,” Abhishek said. “That growth has been huge for me.”
Like many first-time instructors, Abhishek quickly discovered that teaching involves more than mastering the subject matter. Learning how to communicate effectively and adapt to students’ needs became some of the most valuable lessons of the experience.
“I didn’t expect communication and patience to matter as much as they do,” he said. “Sometimes, the challenge isn’t the content, but figuring out the best way to reach each student. It’s been really rewarding.”
Preparation also played a major role in his success in the classroom. “Always prepare the topic before each class,” Abhishek said. “That will help you be very organized.”
Abhishek’s passion for physics began with a curiosity about how the world works.
“I was drawn to physics because it explains the world from first principles,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge of breaking complex problems into simple ideas and seeing how theory connects to real-world behavior. That curiosity is what sparked and still drives my interest in physics and research.”
This summer, Abhishek will take on lead instructional duties for the lecture component of PHYS 101. He said his time as a graduate teaching assistant has helped him develop communication, leadership, and time-management skills in addition to building confidence in public speaking.
“I believe these skills will be essential in my career, whether I am presenting ideas, mentoring others, or working in collaborative environments,” he said.
With research interests in condensed matter physics, optics, and plasma physics, first-year Surendra brings a varied academic background to his teaching. Originally from Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal, he enjoys playing soccer and cricket, reading books, watching movies, and listening to music. He says interacting with students is his favorite part of working as a graduate teaching assistant.
Surendra said his interest in physics began with “a curiosity to understand the fundamental laws governing nature and how they explain real-world phenomena.” He hopes his teaching experience will support his future career goals by strengthening his communication, problem-solving, and mentoring skills.
This summer, Surendra will assume lecture responsibilities for the lecture component of PHYS 112. For future GTAs, Surendra advises them to “stay patient, be approachable, and focus on explaining concepts rather than just providing answers.”
Anthony is a first-year graduate student in condensed matter physics from Baltimore, Maryland. His research interests lie within the realm of quantum physics. Outside of the classroom, Anthony’s hobbies include model railroading, social virtual reality (VR), and playing video games.
“I enjoy helping students understand the physics I find interesting,” Anthony said. “It’s always exciting to share my enthusiasm for the field.”
For Anthony, the most rewarding part of being a GTA is helping students make sense of concepts that are often seen as difficult or impossible to understand.
“The complexity and strange behaviors of the building blocks of reality are very counterintuitive,” Anthony said. “It is fascinating to find out how those behaviors build up to our experience of reality.”
Anthony also offered advice for future GTAs: “Be open to helping students and make sure they understand the topic before walking away to help someone else.”