Academics

BSCD Teaching Assistant Positions

This is not an exhaustive list of positions; particularly for the more advanced courses there may be no listing here.

Being a teaching assistant not only provides remuneration, it is also an excellent way to learn. It can be very rewarding to spark the interest and curiosity of your students.

There are several types of TA-ships in Biology: Laboratory TAs, Discussion TAs, Lecture TAs and Graders.

If you would like to be considered for a teaching assistant position, you may fill out the form linked below (which will only be shared with the instructors), or contact the instructor directly.

Some courses that hire teaching assistants

Course

Type of TA

Quarter offered

Qualifications

Instructor

10010

Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS)

For high school students.

Lab

Summer

4-week double credit course

Completed first year of the Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence. Research experience preferred.

Schonbaum

 

10130 Principles of Biology (Microbes and Immunity)

Lab, Lecture

Fall, Winter, Spring

 

Fineschi

10130 Principles of Biology (E & E)

Lab, Lecture

Winter

 

Larsen

10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology  (Cell & Developmental)

Lab

Fall, Winter

 

Smith

10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology  (Ecology)

Lab, Discussion

Fall, Winter

 

Pineda

10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology  (microbes)  Lab Fall, Winter   Bednarcyzk
10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology (sexual dimorphism)  Lab Winter   Martineau
10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology (plants)  Lab Spring   Butler

10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology (Cell & Developmental)

Lab, Discussion

Winter

 

Brock

10140 Inquiry based Exploration of  Biology (Ecology & Evolution) Lab Fall, Spring Comfortable with statistical analysis Hunter

10140 Inquiry-based Exploration of Biology  (Neurobiology)

Lab, Discussion

Fall, Spring

Completion of the first three quarters of the Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence. Research experience preferred.

McNulty

10500  Metabolism and Exercise

Lecture & Lab  

Fall

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence and Physiology

Osadjan

10501 Systems of the Human Body

Lecture

Fall

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or PreMed sequence

Osadjan

10602 Multi-scale Modeling of Bio. Systems I Lecture Fall   Haddadian

10603 Multi-scale Modeling of Bio. Systems II

Lecture

Lab

Winter

 

Haddadian

11140 Biotechnology (for High School students)

Lecture

Lab

Summer Sessions 1 & 2

Each session is 3 weeks long

Completed first year of the Fundamentals or the AB sequence. Research experience preferred.

Bhasin

12114 Nutritional Science  

Lecture

Fall, Spring

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence

Strieleman

12116 Human Body in Health and Disease

Lecture

Fall

Completion of three quarters of Fundamentals (including Physiology), the AB sequence (with Physiology), or Pre-Health sequence.

McNulty

13111 Natural History of North American Deserts

Lecture

Spring

 

Larsen

13140 Public & Private Lives of Insects

Lecture

Fall, Spring

 

Larsen

14000 Explorations in Neuroscience (Summer session for High School students)

Lecture, Lab, Discussion

Summer (UChicago Immersion 3 week program)

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence, BIOS 24203 & BIOS 24204. Research experience preferred.

McNulty

14112 From Brain to Behavior

Lecture

Fall

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence, BIOS 24203 & BIOS 24204. Research experience preferred.

McNulty

20153 Fundamentals of Ecology & Evolution

Lab, Lecture

Winter

 

Hunter & Andrews

20170 Microbial & Human Cell Biology

Lecture

Lab

Discussion

Winter

Completion of 20170s sequence

Andrews,

Dutt

20171 Human Genetics

Lecture

Lab

Discussion

Spring

 

Lecture: Pineda-Catalan Lab: Dutt

20172, Mathematical Modeling for Pre-Med Students

Lecture

Lab

Spring

 

Haddadian

20173 Physiology

Lecture

Lab

Discussion

Fall

 

Andrews,

Dutt

Osadjan

20175  Biochemistry and Metabolism

Lecture

Lab

Winter

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence and biochemistry Bios 20175 or Bios 20200

Strieleman

20186/1 Cell and Molecular Biology

Lecture

Lab

Spring

Completion of 20186 & 20187

Schonbaum

20186/2 Cell and Molecular Biology

Lecture

Lab

Spring

Completion of 20186 & 20187

P. Smith

20187/1 Genetics

Lecture

Lab

Fall

Completion of 20186 & 20187

Brock

20187/2 Genetics

Lecture

Lab

Fall

Completion of 20186 & 20187

Lab: Schonbaum

20188 Physiology

Lecture

Lab

Winter, Spring

 

Osadjan

20189 Developmental Biology

Lab

Winter

Completion of 20186, 20187 and 20189

Schonbaum

20189 Developmental Biology

Lab

Spring

Completion of 20186, 20187 and 20189

Brock

20200 Introduction to Biochemistry

Lecture

Lab

Fall, Spring

Completion of the first three quarters of Fundamentals, AB, or Pre-Health sequence and biochemistry Bios 20175 or Bios 20200

Strieleman

20234 Molecular Biology of the Cell

Lab

Fall

Completed the AB sequence. Research experience preferred.

Bhasin

20235 Genetics

Lab

Winter

Completed the AB sequence. Research experience preferred.

Bhasin

23232 Ecology & Evolution in the SW

Lecture

Discussion

Spring

 

Larsen

23254 Mammalian Ecology

Lecture

Lab

Spring (odd years)

 

Larsen

23266 Evolutionary Adaptation

Lecture

Fall

 

Andrews

26120 Introduction to Bioinformatics

Lecture

Lab

Fall

 

Haddadian

Tips for TAs

  • Be professional. Arrive on time and fully prepared for your sessions.
  • Read background information
  • Prepare your powerpoints  (if requested)
  • Be prepared for discussions
  • Manage entries on Chalk site grade center with discretion
  • Grade as you would yourself like to be graded—fairly, and neither too harsh nor too lax.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest—if a friend is in your section, ask the instructor if it is possible to switch one of you to another section
  • Anticipate schedule conflicts. You will need to manage your own workload as well as your preparation and grading. Do not fall behind in your grading, it affects a large number of people!
  • Report any suspected honor code violations to the instructor.
  • Be prepared to spend time helping out students, during office hours