Graduate students honored for excellence in teaching modern languages and physics

Maria Ramirez Quimbayo and Parker Poulos receive GSC Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence

Each year, Kansas State University's Graduate Student Council, or GSC, honors two graduate students with the GSC Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence, recognizing exceptional contributions to K-State's educational mission.

This year’s recipients are Maria Ramirez Quimbayo, master’s student in modern languages, Cali, Colombia, and Parker Poulos, doctoral candidate in physics, Mount Sterling, Kentucky. Each recipient receives a $500 scholarship and has their name engraved on a perpetual plaque that will be displayed in their respective departments until the next award is given.

"Our graduate teaching assistants serve a vital role in realizing K-State's vision to lead as a next-generation land-grant university,” said Phillip Payne, interim dean of the Graduate School. "They bring fresh perspectives and energy to the classroom, enriching undergraduate education across disciplines.”

Maria Ramirez Quimbayo: Empowering students to think critically about the world

Graduate student teacher Maria Ramirez Quimbayo centers her teaching philosophy on helping students see language as “a learning tool for critical thinking, self-expression and cultural understanding.”

Her courses emphasize transformative learning, collaboration and real-world engagement —all while fostering collaboration and a sense of classroom community that encourages students to exchange ideas and explore social issues.

Quimbayo describes her classroom as a “reciprocal space,” where students’ perspectives continually challenge her to grow as an educator. One of her most memorable teaching moments came when students responded to issues affecting Hispanic communities in Latin America and the U.S.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how, after learning about and discussing these topics, students are able to form well-thought-out opinions that reflect critical inquiry,” Quimbayo noted. “Those moments are deeply gratifying because they show that learning goes beyond language to meaningful engagement with real-world issues.”

Drawing on her teaching experience in Colombia and her cultural background, Quimbayo brings fresh perspectives to Spanish classes at K-State.

“Knowing that students feel comfortable and supported while learning makes the classroom experience truly fulfilling,” Quimbayo said.

As she prepares for a future in sociolinguistics and a doctorate, Quimbayo says teaching has deepened her commitment to challenging traditional narratives and empowering students to think critically about the world around them.

Parker Poulos: Making complicated concepts accessible for all students

Poulos grounds her teaching in the belief that “students learn best when they are working with each other to make sense of the content, and that a great education should be accessible to all students.”

Poulos especially enjoys teaching physics courses for non-physics majors, where she helps students connect physics concepts to their broader academic interests. Reflecting on her first semester teaching "The Physical World" lab, Poulos recalled jokingly quoting "The Hunger Games" while discussing wood density calculations.

“I thought this joke would be a hit, but you could hear a pin drop in that room,” she laughed. “I avoided pop culture references like the plague for months after that.”

Poulos says that “good teachers are always looking for ways to improve,” a mindset that fuels her excitement to keep refining her courses and making physics accessible to all learners.

Parker attributes much of her teaching success to her mentors and peers who have pushed her to become the teacher she is today. Preparing for a career teaching physics at the collegiate level, Poulos said her “time teaching at K-State has given her the opportunity to practice course planning, lecturing, leading labs and recitations, and receiving feedback from students and mentors.”

Graduate students are key components of K-State teaching excellence

Quimbayo and Poulos will serve as K-State's nominees for the annual Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools, or MAGS, Excellence in Teaching Award, competing for a $750 honorarium to be presented at the association’s annual meeting in March. A winner will be selected at both the master’s and doctoral level.

The Graduate School has had four master’s recipients and four doctoral recipients of the MAGS award since the award was started in 2012.

Their recognition underscores the vital role graduate students play in advancing K-State's tradition of teaching excellence.

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