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ANSC Graduate Student Hada Receives Graduate School’s Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award

Hada presents his research during the poster session at an ANSC Annual Symposium.

Image Credit: Jonathan Stephanoff

January 12, 2023 Jonathan Stephanoff

Akanksha Hada, or Hada as he is better-known around the department, was awarded one of this year’s Graduate School Outstanding Graduate Assistant Awards. Hada was Dr. Chirantana Mathkari’s teaching assistant for the ANSC 103 lab for the Fall 2022 semester. Dr. Mathkari said, “TAs like Hada indeed make teaching a wonderful experience.”

There are over 4,000 UMD graduate students that serve the campus as administrative, research, or teaching assistants. The Graduate School established this award to recognize and honor the outstanding contributions Graduate Assistants provide to students, faculty, departments, and the University as a whole. A graduate assistant must be nominated by a department, advisor, or supervisor and submissions are evaluated at the college level. Around 80 awards are given annually, which convey the honor of being recognized as among the top 2% of campus Graduate Assistants in a given year. Only four of the awards this year went to students in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Award recipients get their mandatory spring semester fees covered. Congratulations to Hada for the recognition of his dedication and efforts.