Amitesh Datta,
Department of Mathematics,
Princeton University
Teaching Award
I received the Excellence in Teaching Award at Princeton University for teaching MAT204 in Spring, 2021. I was one of four faculty members to receive this award for Spring, 2021 across the university, and the 11th faculty member to receive this award for teaching a course in the Princeton Mathematics Department since 1988 (the inaugural award year). The award is the only entirely student run and student nominated teaching award at Princeton University.
The above is a video recording taken during the annual teaching award ceremony (from March, 2022) of three of my students talking about their experience in my MAT204 class in Spring, 2021 (one year after finishing the class).
Teaching Evaluations
I am extremely passionate about teaching and mentoring students at all levels, and I have consistently received top evaluations and ratings for teaching classes in the Princeton University Mathematics Department. I have taught a range of classes such as MAT100 (Calculus Foundations), MAT103 (Calculus I), MAT 202 (Linear Algebra and its Applications), and MAT204 (Advanced Linear Algebra and its Applications). I genuinely love teaching lower-division mathematics classes. The students in these classes are not mathematics majors and may not have had much prior experience with mathematics. Therefore, it is a truly wonderful opportunity to be able to show these students the beauty and creativity in mathematics and support them in their freshman year.
The PDF files containing my teaching evaluation ratings and comments are included below. The rating files are bar charts that compare my ratings to the math department, natural sciences, and university average teaching evaluation ratings in each given semester.
MAT204: Advanced Linear Algebra and its Applications (Spring, 2021)
MAT204 is a proof-based linear algebra course intended for advanced freshman students majoring in highly mathematics-based subjects (such as physics, computer science, and engineering) at Princeton. I served as the course head and sole instructor of two sections of MAT204 in Spring, 2021. In each metric of the "MAT204Rating" file below, the "Course Average" rating refers to my instruction over both sections and the "Instructor Average" rating refers to my instruction for the most populous section. I include two sets of evaluation comments, one for each of the sections I taught. I taught the class entirely over zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MAT103: Calculus I (Fall, 2021)
MAT103 is an introduction to calculus (limits, continuity, differentiation and integration) and is a general requirement for most students at Princeton. The class is a large multi-section class typically consisting of more than 200 students and taught by experienced instructors in the department. I taught two sections of MAT103 in Fall, 2021 and was one of four instructors in this team-taught class. In the "MAT103Rating" file below, the "Course Average" rating refers to the the average rating of all instructors who taught the class in Fall, 2021 and the "Instructor Average" rating refers solely to my instruction. I include two sets of evaluation comments, one for each of the sections I taught. I taught the class in-person (with masks).
MAT103: Calculus I (Fall, 2020)
I also taught MAT103 in Fall, 2020. In the "MAT103Rating" file below, the "Course Average" rating refers to the average rating of all instructors who taught the class in Fall, 2020 and the "Instructor Average" rating refers solely to my instruction. I include my evaluation comments in a single file. The class was the first full semester of remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the math department instituted a teaching model where each instructor taught several 40 minute precept-style sessions.
MAT100: Calculus Foundations (Spring, 2022)
MAT100 is preparation for calculus (functions, graphing, limits, trigonometry, logs, exponentials, and differentiation) intended for students with little prior experience or interest in mathematics. I was the course head and sole instructor of MAT100 in Spring, 2022 and the "Course Average" and "Instructor Average" ratings in the "MAT100Rating" file below both refer to my instruction.
Mentoring
I also love mentoring undergraduate mathematics majors in advanced mathematics and research mathematics. I supervised Michael Gintz's junior thesis at Princeton University in Spring, 2021 (Michael's webpage). Michael is beginning his PhD in pure mathematics at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in Fall, 2022.
My teaching and mentoring record has been recognized throughout Princeton University. I was offered the position of faculty advisor at Yeh College beginning Fall, 2022 by the Office of the Dean of the College (ODOC). Yeh College is the newest residential college at Princeton University, opening in Fall, 2022. (A description of the role of faculty advisor.)