A Three Sisters Approach to Graduate Student Educational Effectiveness

At UC Davis, graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) typically teach undergraduate students as part of their funding arrangements. However, many GTAs lack formal training and experience insecurity about their teaching capabilities. Serving as a GTA in the U.S., where intercultural competence is essential, can add to the challenges of delivering effective instruction. GTAs may also face struggle in balancing their dual roles as advanced learners and novice instructors. Therefore, adequate training for GTAs at UC Davis is critical to ensure high-quality undergraduate education, enhance teaching effectiveness, and reduce GTA’s anxiety associated with teaching experiences.

TeachUp is a training program for graduate teaching assistants (TAs) that combines peer mentoring (LinkUp & PairUp) and workshop series (StepUp) to build teaching confidence and adaptability in the U.S. academic, intercultural setting. The program is designed for first-time GTAs as well as both domestic and international TAs. The workshop series covers topics of activating lectures, imposter syndrome, effective communication, and stagecraft for teachers. First-time TAs will be paired with more experienced TAs who serve as mentors; they will share strategies and advice, and provide support as active listeners to their less experienced peers.

TeachUp Mentees - 2026 Winter Quarter:

• Chen Liang, Mathematics (Mentor: Stephanie Gaston, Mathematics)

• Elmira Mohebali, Performance Studies (Mentor: Ana Ruiz Alonzo Bartol, Spanish & Portuguese)

• Haley Culhane, Pharmacology & Toxicology (Mentor: Iliya Giyahchi, Performance Studies)

• Lidya Abebe, Epidemiology (Mentor: Stephanie Gaston, Mathematics)

• Nicholas Russell, Nutritional Biology (Mentor: Davrina Rianda, Nutritional Biology)

• Sara Su, Animal Biology (Mentor: Christian Bernal-Córdoba, Animal Biology/School of Veterinary Medicine)

• Sean Crommelin, Community Development (Mentor: Judith Eppele, Community Development)

• Yael Alonso Lopez, Animal Biology (Mentor: Sophia Rogers, Psychology)

• Yulin Xiang, Materials Engineering (Mentor: Sophia Waxman, Biomedical Engineering)

Exposure to the research process and access to mentors are crucial for becoming a successful applicant to graduate school and eventually, a successful graduate student. However, accessing research training and mentoring can be challenging for students whose parents did not attend college, are of low-income backgrounds, or belong to underrepresented populations. This project addresses this need by connecting local community college students to current UC Davis graduate students and guiding them through the process of applying to the Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP), run by the Leadership Alliance. Through this initiative, we aim to expand access to paid research internship opportunities and increase the level of graduate school preparedness of students from underrepresented backgrounds. The project consists of a four-part workshop series:

1. Introduction to Research & The Leadership Alliance Program
2. Writing Your Statement of Purpose
3. Application Peer Review & Requesting Recommendation Letters
4. How to Apply to Grad School & Graduate Student Q&A 

Graduate students—particularly those who are first-generation, international, low-income, or from historically underrepresented backgrounds—often struggle with imposter syndrome and a sense of disconnection from their scholarly identities. These challenges emerge in both teaching and research settings, where students feel pressure to perform expertise while navigating internal doubts, hidden expectations, or a perceived gap between who they are and what academia demands. Yet students’ cultural histories, lived experiences, and embodied ways of knowing are powerful sources of confidence, insight, and pedagogical strength. When graduate students are supported in drawing from these assets, their teaching, research communication, and public academic presence deepen and become more authentic. Built on interdisciplinary approaches, this project consists of a three-part workshop series designed to help graduate students understand and reframe imposter syndrome through cognitive, embodied, and communicative practices:

1. cognitive dimensions of imposter syndrome: identify internal narratives, understand the institutional roots of imposter phenomenon, and develop strategies for reframing academic belonging
2. embodiment and performance: engage in guided exercises in breathing, rest, grounding, and attention to cultivate presence in academic spaces that resist urgency and support belonging
3. public speaking: practice communication tools to strengthen graduate students’ clarity, confidence, and interdisciplinary communication skills

Wellness Kit Initiative

As part of our commitment to graduate and professional student well-being, participants are invited to contribute input toward a small, thematically aligned wellness kit that accompanies the series. The kit is built progressively across workshops and is designed to support reflection, grounding, and confidence.

Graduate and professional students may complete the optional Wellness Kit Survey here.