For senior biology major Tate Flint, the Learning Assistant (LA) Program at the University of Utah has been far more than a résumé booster—it’s been a defining chapter of his college experience. Over the past seven semesters, Tate has worked as a TA and LA for BIOL 1610, a foundational course for many students entering the sciences. While most LA’s serve for one or two terms, Tate’s extended tenure reflects his commitment to supporting student learning experiences.

Inspired by his high school biology teacher’s stories of being a college TA, Tate joined the LA Program after taking BIOL 1610 himself. The approachable, thoughtful, and welcoming environment created by his own LAs motivated him to try it out. “I wanted to not only master the material,” he says, “but also help my peers overcome the same challenges I faced.”

Since beginning his LA role, Tate has committed himself to improving the learning environment for new science students. His standout achievement is the popular “Review Series” that he developed and leads with a team of other LAs. The series includes weekly sessions and pre-exam workshops that pair peer collaboration with targeted practice problems. “Because BIOL 1610 is often one of their first college science courses, the study habits they develop here carry forward throughout their academic careers,” Tate explains. These resources have helped to boost student exam scores by 7 to 10 percent, but more importantly, they’ve created an environment where students feel confident, supported and excited to learn.

Beyond content review, Tate mentors new LAs, helps lead accessibility-focused course planning meetings, and will soon independently lecture a 300-student introductory biology course in Fall 2025 — a rare opportunity for an undergraduate. His dedication stems from a belief in “lifting where you stand,” a principle he adopted early in his LA role.

Outside the classroom, Tate is equally dedicated, working on pediatric clinical research teams at Primary Children’s Hospital and volunteering as an Hmong interpreter. He’s currently applying to medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatric interventional radiologist.

Reflecting on his time in the LA Program, Tate says, “This experience deepened my passion for teaching, confirmed my commitment to inclusive education and reinforced my belief that all students can succeed when given personalized support.”

By Julia St. Andre

Meet More Learning Assistants

“Beware of becoming a learning assistant; it may transform your life”

Talk at any length with Kennedie Wilding BS’25, and the takeaway might be this: beware of becoming a learning assistant; it may transform your life. For Kennedie that transformation has proven to be nothing short of thrilling.

A comprehensive physics major (with a minor in mathematics), Wilding currently works in the Gamma-Ray group under Qi Feng where she analyzes telescope data to better understand the properties of a kind of black holes called a blazar and consequently has learned to use tools for data spectral analysis. The blazar is a supermassive black hole that exists in the center of a galaxy and emits powerful, highly variable jets of particles moving close to the speed of light. Because these jets of light are pointed directly towards Earth, the blazar appears exceptionally bright and luminous.

Blazar jets are not the only phenomenon moving close to the speed of light: so is Wilding. Research, classwork and working as a learning assistant have converged for her into a bright and luminous trajectory for herself. “I became a Learning Assistant because I wanted to deepen my understanding of physics while also building connections with faculty and other students,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people with their homework and explaining science, so it felt like a natural fit.”

The role gave her the opportunity to support students in their learning, making physics more approachable and helping them gain confidence in their problem-solving skills. “It also allowed me to form many new connections within the physics community — from fellow students to faculty members — which has been incredibly valuable both academically and personally.”

Being knee-deep in this galactic environment has inspired her to share her understanding as an LA in both introductory and upper-division physics classes, covering lab and discussion sections. Sometimes she keeps office hours where she provides one-on-one support for students.

Wilding’s ambition grew directly out of her experience as an LA for one of her heroes: physics PhD candidate Anna Christopherson. “She has been an incredible mentor,” says Wilding, “both in teaching and research, and played a big role in inspiring me to pursue my own Ph.D. in physics. Her passion for the subject and dedication to helping students succeed have shown me the kind of educator and researcher I hope to become.”

That kind of life / career transformation for Kennedie Wilding tracks back through much of the time she’s spent as an LA as well as in other pivotal roles and opportunities at the U.

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Story by David Pace

After graduating with her bachelor’s in May 2025, Kennedie Wilding enrolled in a PhD program at the U in Materials Science and Engineering.

The Value of Adaptation

Adjusting to a new environment is already a challenging experience, but doing so while pursuing higher education takes that challenge to an exponential degree. How is one supposed to keep a consistent schedule while their body is trying to adjust to a much colder climate? Or memorize formulas and equations while adjusting to a brand new culture? It’s an impossibly tall order, but that’s exactly why international students are so valuable to any campus. 

Adaptation and learning go hand-in-hand, creating an ouroboros of expertise feeds into a cycle that Laura Salazar is taking a step further as a Learning Assistant. Through this program she is embracing and sharing the adaptations she’s learned to help others learn and grow in kind.

Originally from Bogotá, Columbia, Salazar was inspired to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering when her mother was diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease. Wishing to help her and encouraged by local doctors, she pursued an education that ultimately led her to the U. “I have witnessed firsthand how technological advancements can transform communities,” Salazar explains, elaborating further that “I’m aiming to create biomedical devices, different diagnostic methods and innovative interventions that would have a significant influence on the care of communities with different heart conditions.“

Of course, it’s hard to do that while learning complicated topics like physics and biology via a second language, but Salazar was able to adjust and thrive through interactions with her class’s learning assistants. After some encouragement by them to join the program herself and inspired by her professor Claudia De Grandi (who hails from Italy), she became De Grandi’s LA to help other students adjust like she did.

“It’s helped me realize that learning and teaching is all about strategy,” Salazar shares. “Like, maybe a student doesn’t understand a subject when the professor first teaches it. It doesn’t mean they can’t understand it. They just need a different approach, a different strategy, and when we find the strategy that works for a new person we learn more too!”

In Laura Salazar’s opinion, experiences like working as a Learning Assistant is something that every science student should do. We learn when we teach, and by interacting with so many students and learning so many strategies, she is naturally building her ability to approach scientific problems from multiple angles throughout her future career. New environments foster new growth, and just as Laura Salazar is adjusting productively from Columbia’s pleasant weather to the extremes of Utah’s sporadic climate, so her work as an LA has proven equally nourishing.

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Story by Michael Jacobsen

Mia Sheneman

Learning by Teaching

Learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all, everyone has an optimal method in how they learn. Some do so through repetition, others respond well to visual aids, while others build their memory through solitary study. But an oft overlooked yet highly effective method of learning is teaching in and of itself! And it’s through this method that Mia Sheneman has built her biological expertise, by helping others build their own skills in turn.

In high school, Sheneman was deeply invested in pursuing a career in healthcare, but was having trouble outside of her biology classes. “I decided to focus my energy in that direction,” she describes, “and eventually that work got me to the point where I could also tackle other subjects.” She is a first generation student, a path where these skills can be particularly tricky to learn without a generational roadmap leading the way. But in blazing a trail of her own Sheneman realized that this wasn’t a matter of intelligence or legacy, it was simply one of exploration. As she transferred from SLCC to the U, she realized that if she could find her way, surely she could help others do the same.

This realization would lead her to seek out chances to teach others, to share the paths that had helped her succeed. Many opportunities reared their heads and she took all she could get, from the leadership of the Pre-Med Club, Transfer Student Mentorship and of course, the LA program. While initially she had just wanted more practice in public speaking, explaining concepts to others, she quickly found that there was far more value here than simply shattering one’s shell. By breaking down an organic chemistry concept for her students, she was revisiting and reinforcing her own knowledge of the subject. Better still, she was discovering new ways that her students were coming to a similar understanding, picking up valuable teaching skills. She’d cracked the code, discovered that expertise needs to be accessible to be valuable, and sought out any potential avenue to help others share this discovery. 

Building these skills will be critical for her future, as they directly translate into the field of medicine. “One of the reasons I love teaching so much is because I view doctors as teachers,” Sheneman explains. “Medicine is complex, so this opportunity allows me to learn how to break down difficult concepts in a way that makes sense to others. I believe this will be an important skill as a physician, helping patients better understand their care.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re explaining the mathematical concept of derivatives or the importance of letting a broken bone heal. Helping others understand within a framework that fits their perspective and experiences is key, it’s one of the greatest skills we can teach and learn. And thanks to her experiences in the LA program, Sheneman is continually refining her skills and preparing for her future in medicine.

Story by Michael Jacobsen

Read more about Mia in this recent student profile from the School of Biological Sciences

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Peyton King, a Biomedical Engineering student and Learning Assistant at the University of Utah, began her academic journey with a clear vision and a determined mindset. Inspired by her mother’s experience with multiple hip replacements, King knew from an early age that she wanted to pursue biomedical engineering in order to improve the effectiveness of the surgeries: “I want to work towards a future of joint replacements that restore function, decrease pain, and do not need to be replaced again.”

Drawn to the U by its outstanding engineering program and unique access to the outdoors, King plans to graduate with a BS/MS and is contemplating pursuing a Ph.D. or venturing into the industry after graduation.

King’s work as an LA has helped her foster connections with other students on campus, and support them through coursework that can often be stressful: “I try to be available for them throughout other aspects of college as well,” she says of students she works with, “such as stress/time management and scheduling issues,” she says. “LA’s typically understand the students’ perspectives more, and we can translate that into feedback for the TAs and professors.”

The flexibility of the LA position allows King to balance work and classes seamlessly while pursuing her extracurricular interests.

King’s enthusiasm for biomedical engineering extends to research, where she works with Heath Henninger in the Department of Orthopedics. King’s research focuses on studying post-replacement movement, particularly in reverse joint replacements. She hopes her findings will enhance rehabilitation efforts and improve functional outcomes for patients.

But, King’s passion for the field doesn’t end there. She and her team “VaddiPax” recently won Best In Medicine at the Bench to Bedside competition for their innovative solution to the challenges posed by left ventricular assist devices, and were awarded $5,000 in funding to continue the development of their medical device.

Within her busy schedule, King finds balance by playing on her soccer team and fostering kittens for Best Friends Animal Society. With her dedicated work as an LA and her impressive medical research and designs, it seems King is already well on her way to making an impact in her communities and achieving her goals -both on and off the field.

Story by Julia St. Andre

Meet More Learning Assistants

Faculty Requests: September 30th through October 25th

Student Applications: November 4th through December 6th

Final Placement December 9th through December 13th

Join our email list to be notified when the application opens!
Placement and offers will be sent out until Dec. 13.

12pm-1pm

Crocker Science Center (CSC), Room 206

RSVP HERE

The application link will be posted once it has opened.

Questions can be directed to la@csme.utah.edu.

The application link will be posted once it has opened.

Questions can be directed to la@csme.utah.edu.

“I love learning,” Hannah Schmutz, a learning assistant in Physics 2, says.

“My fascination for the natural world and science culminated in a desire to enter the field of biology.” Through her research group, Hannah discovered that she has a passion for scientific discovery, and plans to dive into research both during school and after.

A senior, Hannah is working towards an honor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. She’s a learning assistant (LA) in Physics 2, highlighting her abilities in many different scientific fields.

As an LA, Hannah helps teach physics concepts during class discussion sections. She also acts as a liaison between the professor and students, passing along concerns and being an advocate for student success within the course.

“I enjoy the camaraderie of working with other assistants and the professor,” she says. Through the LA program, she’s gained insight into what goes on behind the scenes with science classes and how classes are set up. Her teaching in the LA program has helped her learn as a student, corroborating the notion first set forth by the Roman philosopher Seneca that “While we teach, we learn.” In this way, the Learning Assistants program benefits her measurably as she pursues her own studies.

Hannah and her research colleagues focus on antibiotic resistance in bacteria, a major concern in the current age of modern medicine. Specifically, she’s looking at whether antibiotic resistance in bacteria changes with exposure to herbicides. Using PCR and sequencing software, she and her group can track how E. coli DNA mutates in response to the presence of herbicide, as well as the efficacy of its growth.

Prior research indicates that E. coli experiences an increase in antibiotic resistance with certain herbicides. This has a lot of implications for agriculture, but also for everyday garden use, which is why Hannah’s group is attempting to identify specific mutation patterns.

Currently in her seventh semester with the Academic Excellence and Academic Excellence Non-Resident scholarships, Hannah’s also been on the Dean’s List for now fewer than five semesters. She’s inspired by her dad, who persevered to get where he is today as a first-generation college student who went on to medical school to become an interventional neuroradiologist.

A native of Idaho Falls, Hannah Schmutz enjoys playing the violin, watching scary movies, and the performance art of “cosplaying.”

“I love going to nerd conventions,” she confesses, with a laugh.

Story by CJ Siebeneck
Photos credit: Hannah Schmutz, Todd Anderson

Meet More Learning Assistants