Spectrum - Volume 19 Issue 26 April 3, 1997 - GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT EXCELLENCE AWARD

Spectrum Logo
A non-profit publication of the Office of the University Relations of Virginia Tech,
including The Conductor , a special section of the Spectrum printed 4 times a year

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT EXCELLENCE AWARD

Spectrum Volume 19 Issue 26 - April 3, 1997

Lesa Beverly

By Susan Trulove

It's no wonder Lesa Beverly earned Virginia Tech's 1997 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, with students saying such things about a pre-calculus class she taught as "One of the classes I look forward to most." One student repeating Elementary Calculus and Trigonometry said, "I really, really enjoyed this class. Mrs. Beverly discusses every problem, and if we don't understand, she goes over it until we do. She is always willing to help in any situation."

Beverly, a Ph.D. student majoring in math, will be recognized for her outstanding contribution to the university's education mission during Founders Day.

She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics at Clinch Valley College in 1994, graduating summa cum laude and earning the math-department award. She minored in education, and taught and tutored in remedial algebra, algebra/trigonometry, precalculus, and calculus. Also while an undergraduate, Beverly taught algebra at Pound High School to satisfy her secondary education certification requirement, and taught and tutored remedial math in grades seven through 10 as a long-term substitute teacher.

She met the Virginia Tech math department's requirements for teaching certification, including apprenticeship with a university faculty member, in 1994, before becoming a popular GTA. She received her master's degree in mathematics from Virginia Tech in 1996, and expects to receive the Ph.D. in 2000.

Beverly joins five faculty members this spring in the Emerging Scholars Calculus program. She will supervise four undergraduate teaching assistants who will provide individual instruction to students who might otherwise struggle with engineering calculus.

Beverly's goal is to teach. She says she wants her students to understand not only the what, but also the why of the steps to a correct solution of a math problem. Even if her students do not love math as much as she does, she says she wants them to appreciate the value of math in their lives.

In addition to professional memberships, Beverly is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Society for Leadership.