Catia Silva, Ph.D., will never forget her first time teaching solo at the University of Florida.
“That was in 2018,” she recalled. “At the time, I was covering for a professor in our department who was pregnant and needed help covering her course. It felt overwhelming at first because the students are just so smart. They want to learn, and they push you to be on par with the latest.”
Born in Portugal with childhood aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, Silva now adores teaching. And UF, it seems, adores the way she teaches.
An instructional assistant professor with the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), Silva received the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award earlier this year.
“This honor, based on an extensive review of your credentials, letters of recommendation and peer and student evaluations, recognizes your excellence in teaching our students,” Toshikazu Nishida, associate dean for academic affairs at the college, wrote in a letter to Silva. “Quality contributions to engineering education such as yours are what set our college apart and help us to be a leader among our peers.”