COLLEGE STATION — Rachel M. Botchlett, a graduate student in the department of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University, has received the Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for graduate student teaching.
The Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence recognizes the commitment and outstanding contributions of faculty and staff across Texas A&M AgriLife. The award was presented Jan. 14 at the AgriLife Center on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station.
Botchlett began work toward her doctorate in nutrition during the fall semester of 2011, and since then has contributed significantly to excellence in teaching in the department, according to the award nomination.
As she has pursued graduate level degrees, Botchlett has gained significant teaching experience, the nomination stated. She has held positions ranging from teaching assistant to adjunct faculty, and with each opportunity has built her teaching skills.
Botchlett began her teaching experience as a master’s degree student at Sam Houston State University. She was awarded a teaching assistant position during both years of her degree plan and was responsible for leading undergraduate biology laboratory periods. In addition to leading students through the two-hour lab period, she created quizzes and tests and graded student assignments.
During her time as a doctoral student at Texas A&M University, her first experience as a teaching assistant was with an undergraduate nutrition course, where she was responsible for grading 300-plus diet analysis projects.
Botchlett has also been teaching her own classes as an adjunct faculty member at Houston Community College-Southwest. In her introductory nutrition course, she is responsible for instruction, syllabus creation, developing and grading exams and holding office hours.
“In spring 2015, (the department) was in a critical need of instructors to teach undergraduate courses,” wrote Dr. Chaodong Wu, associate professor in the nutrition and food science department, in his nomination of Botchlett. “Ms. Botchlett accepted an assignment to serve as an instructor and gave weekly lectures. At that critical time, she was ready and well prepared, perfectly exemplifying the Aggie Spirit. To the best of my knowledge, Ms. Botchlett was the first and only graduate student to serve as an instructor. This not only reflects her dedication to assisting NFSC undergraduate teaching, but also demonstrates her qualification in teaching at a level above her peers.”
Botchlett currently is responsible for teaching a section of Nutrition 481, a senior undergraduate seminar course.
Wu said student evaluations show Botchlett has done an excellent job in helping undergraduate
students gain skills in how to critically evaluate scientific papers within the field of nutrition and how to effectively present nutrition knowledge.
Botchlett’s additional teaching activities include her help on training undergraduate students in laboratory research, working with numerous undergraduate- and graduate-level students on how to conduct experimental assays, make buffer solutions and design simple experiments.
She has made several professional academic presentations and is a member of several professional organizations, as well as having additional academic affiliations and leadership experiences.
Her publication contributions include peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and education outreach materials.
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