Graduate Student Teaching Award
The GSTA recognizes superlative performance among UF graduate teaching assistants.
GSTA Nomination Cycles for 2026-2027
Fall 2026 nomination cycle now open and closes Monday, September 7, 2026.
Read below for eligibility, nomination, and submission requirements.
Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) make a major impact on teaching and learning at the University of Florida.
Each academic year, the UF Graduate School recognizes the most industrious and innovative among them with the Graduate Student Teaching Awards (GSTA) to acknowledge and applaud their work as instructors in classrooms and laboratories across campus.
The two highest GSTA winners receive the prestigious Calvin A. VanderWerf Award.
All GSTA winners receive a commemorative plaque and monetary prize.
Have questions? Contact us!
- Nominees must teach a full semester and lead at least eight class sessions, with six occurring after the fifth week of classes to allow time for committee observation.
- For an online asynchronous course, the nominee must have at least eight recorded lecture presentations.
- The Graduate Student Teaching Award is department driven. Graduate student teaching assistants are nominated and notified by their academic department.
- The nominating department and student nominee must follow the instructions and complete the forms linked on this webpage.
- During the semester, GSTA Committee members will observe classes without prior notice.
- If you are a GSTA nominee, please report any teaching schedule changes to Dr. Jim Gillepsie at the UF Graduate School through our online contact form.
All nominations must be submitted by the deadline published on this webpage through this Qualtrics form.
Nominees must lead at least eight class sessions, with no fewer than six occurring after the fifth week of classes to allow time for committee observation.
For an asynchronous online course, a nominee must have eight recorded presentations. Moderated guest presentations, recorded orientations, and announcement will not count towards these eight.
Each semester, departments are permitted one nominee for every thirty active graduate student teachers, up to a maximum of five nominations per semester.
A graduate student may be nominated a maximum of two times. Students who have received the award are only eligible for a second nomination after three full academic years. (for example, a student awarded during the Spring 2023 ceremony will be eligible as early as Fall 2026.)
Click this link to download a Microsoft Word file that details instructions for nominating students for this award:
Click this link to download a Microsoft Word file that tells student nominees what they must include in their Nominee Teaching Statement Form:
