Rachel Wacks Named Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher for 2024-25
The award recognizes excellence in graduate student teaching.
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The School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) has announced that Rachel Wacks, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024-2025 SPHHS Outstanding Graduate Student Teacher Award. The award recognizes excellence in graduate student teaching.
The selection committee was impressed by the accolades from both students and colleagues with many student nominators echoing this praise: “Rachel was always responsive, and her replies were not only timely but also detailed and kind. It was evident that she was deeply committed to supporting students, which set her apart as an outstanding TA. She had an incredible ability to explain complex epidemiological concepts clearly and eloquently, both verbally and in writing. Rachel's dedication, expertise, and ability to support students both academically and emotionally make her truly deserving of this teaching award. She has had a profound impact on my learning experience, and I am confident she has done the same for many others.”
“I'm so honored to be recognized in this way,” says Wacks. “I have TAed the full spectrum of epidemiology courses, from the foundational undergrad to the graduate intermediate methods and electives. I've also created and led my own First Year Seminar (titled Public Health Culture Wars) for two years. For the faculty and students I've worked with to nominate me means so much. They've all played an important part in helping to shape the epidemiologist and educator I am today.”
In the fall, Wacks was the teaching assistant for Intermediate Epidemiologic Methods with Associate Professor Cassandra Spracklen.
“It was our third year together in the course,” Wacks says. “The first time I was a student and the second and third times I was the TA. It's my favorite graduate course because for many, it's the first time they are going through the process of designing their own study from the ground up. They have to make every decision based on their scientific judgment. It's easier to critique a study for not doing something the way you'd like to think you'd do it, but it's quite another experience to have to make those choices.”
In addition, Wacks served as a teaching assistant for the online graduate introductory biostatistics and epidemiology in the fall and for graduate courses in applied epidemiology and communicable disease epidemiology in the spring.
Wacks notes that her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that learning is a collaborative and iterative process.
“I strive to create inclusive and engaging classrooms where students feel empowered to actively participate in their learning journey,” she says. “My approach emphasizes critical thinking, active learning strategies, and personalized support tailored to individual needs. I've seen this modeled by every professor I've had in epidemiology. Similarly, part of this process is understanding that mistakes happen and are an invaluable part of learning -- something I've also learned from my coursework as well. As for key takeaways, I hope my students remember that public health is a team sport, progress over perfection, and no epidemiologic study is ever perfect.”
Wacks is committed to cultivating a passion for learning and public health among her students and is enthusiastic about continuing her teaching career after graduation.
“This award means so much to me, especially this year,” Wacks adds, “as I have students graduating with graduate degrees for whom I was a TA in their undergraduate introductory epi class and their upper-level epi grad courses. I am so proud of them, and I know this award reflects our work together.”