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Published on 05/30/19

Ag and applied economics teaching assistant awarded 2019 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

By Emily Clance

Alankrita Goswami, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, is researching agricultural commodity markets, specifically the dynamics of options and futures markets of agricultural commodities. She uses her skills and knowledge of applied econometrics in both her own work and as a teaching assistant for Berna Karali — work that has earned her one of UGA’s 2019 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards.

“I believe the job goes beyond just grading assignments,” Goswami said. “A typical day also requires frequent doubt-clearing sessions with students. There are days when I can really say that I end up learning more from the students and their questions than probably what they learn from me.”

For Goswami, the most important aspect of being a teaching assistant has been realizing the importance of simplification, particularly with regards to the problem-solving process for students. She has had to learn how to communicate the process in effective terms and convince students they need to figure out the process behind their solutions instead of fixating on finding the ‘correct’ solution.”

Originally from Saharanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, Goswami was drawn to UGA by its outstanding academic and research environment.

“UGA has been known for nurturing an academic environment that aids in achieving excellence in research and innovation," Goswami said. "This factored in my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics from a research-intensive institution like UGA.” Goswami also has a family connection to UGA.

“A funny fact is that back in the days when my mother was pursuing her master's in India, she wanted to pursue her Ph.D. in genetics from UGA. She could never fulfill her dream because she got married. I think she is the happiest person since I made it to UGA.”

For more information about pursuing a graduate degree in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, visit agecon.uga.edu.

Authors:
Emily Clance
Experts/Sources:
Octavio Ramirez
Alankrita Goswami, a doctoral candidate in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, received UGA’s 2019 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.
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