In recognition for his devotion and genuine concern for students, the students’ choice for Outstanding Teaching Assistant of the Year is Muhammad Saiful Azmi Zakri. Azmi was the Teaching Assistant (TA) for ME EN 3230 Mechatronics, taught spring semester by associate professor Mark Minor.
“Mechatronics was my favorite class,” said Azmi, “both as a former student and more recently as a TA. I knew little about mechatronics before taking the class, and now my emphasis is mechatronics. I hoped that the students had fun throughout the semester from building a functioning robot and learning from my experience at the U.”
Minor remarked, “I would like to say that Azmi has been an amazing TA. He relates well to the students and really understands their challenges and needs. This is true on both personal and technical levels. There isn’t a mechatronics robot out there that he cannot teach his students to get working!”
“From a personal level, what really sets him apart is his ability to see when students are struggling. Azmi has an uncanny talent for spotting students working through challenges and then causally helping them work things out. He has helped a lot students and teams succeed! Plus, he is always professional and kind, treating everyone with respect while putting the needs of the students first.”
Azmi truly deserves this recognition. Congratulations Azmi!