“I think writing is the best way for students to develop an understanding of the theoretical and experimental basis for key scientific concepts.”

—anonymous

“The ability to present one’s opinions, analysis and observations in written form is one of the most important skills one should obtain from a college education.”

—Michael Roden, Geology

“I really like having a graduate teaching assistant who is trained to teach writing. It keeps me honest about what I want writing to do. Academic writing in the profession is so competitive. The students, who are often in a foreign discipline, do not have to write like that. They can write to learn. The GTAs have both strategies and tactics to build capacity and confidence.”

—anonymous

“The extremely well-trained TAs are the heart and soul of the program. Their skills have the most impact on my teaching the WIP component—I find that their approach to the subject is rigorous and reasonable, a rare combination that works well with undergrads. Consequently, the TA and I will discuss almost all course assignments, and I can think of no examples where I don’t consider and incorporate their advice in the WIP portion of the course.”

—Michael Roden, Geology