Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis recognized six recipients of the college’s annual teaching prizes during a reception on April 29.
Six members of the Yale faculty were named recipients of Yale College’s teaching prizes, which recognize exceptional undergraduate teaching.
The prizewinning teachers, all from Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, are David Blight, Sterling Professor of History and African American Studies; Sarah Demers, professor of physics; John Lafferty, the John C. Malone Professor of Statistics & Data Science; Adriane Steinacker, senior lecturer in Physics; Margherita Tortora, senior lector II in Spanish; and Carlos Eire, the T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies.
They were recognized by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis during a reception at the Humanities Quadrangle on April 29.
Among this year’s recipients are distinguished researchers and educators, some of who are the winners of previous teaching prizes: Demers was awarded the 2013-2014 Provost’s Teaching Prize, and Steinacker was awarded the Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation Award in 2019.
Lewis praised all the recipients for their commitment to teaching undergraduates and to undergraduate education. He closed the formal presentation with a toast, quoting Chaucer’s words about the clerk of Oxenford: “gladly would he learn and gladly teach.”
The citations for the prizewinners follow:
David Blight, the Sidonie Miskimin Clauss Prize
Awarded for teaching excellence in the humanities
David Blight (Photo by John Dempsey)
“David Blight, Sterling Professor of History and African American Studies, your students call your courses ‘legendary,’ they find your telling of history to be ‘illuminating’ and ‘gripping’ and they find your excitement for your subject matter ‘infectious.’ Your students have shared that with everything you bring to your teaching — primary sources, maps, personal diaries, public newspaper clippings and the thorough weaving of these sources in your lectures — they are surprised when you are eager to hear their [students’] perspectives and invite them to challenge your sources and ideas.
“One student shared: ‘I would’ve sat in my seat in Civil War and Reconstruction for as long as he wanted to speak to us. His eloquence in articulating this time period in history not only demonstrated why it speaks to him, but why it should speak to us…He had me at: ‘we are the only species who can write our own past.’
“Another said: ‘With his unmatched enthusiasm, Professor Blight is theatrical at the lectern, yelling, whispering, and even, yes, singing, when he sees fit. And with this, the war becomes funny, moving, and much, much sadder than any text could make it.’
“You are known for your scholarship and your courses examining the Civil War and African-American History. Students have raved about your lectures and the way you are able to bring history to life, making it fun, particularly to those who are new to the discipline. In large lectures, you have dazzled large cohorts of undergraduates with your ‘storytelling abilities, critical insights, and dry sense of humor’ while simultaneously exhibiting ‘kindness, grace and dedication.’
“Characteristics that make you particularly fitting for this prize are also those that are seen in smaller settings — the time that you carve out for individual students, mentoring their theses one-on-one, guiding them in a Directed Reading course, giving your time when your time is limited.
“One student spoke to your ‘personal leadership and constant encouragement’ particularly well, sharing: ‘My interactions with him… constitute the single most formative experience I have had at Yale. When the Yale Admissions crew talks to prospective students about the incredible opportunities at Yale, this is what they mean. Blight goes above and beyond for his students in addition to teaching knock-out lectures. He could so easily retreat to his office, but he makes a point of interacting with undergrads and encouraging them to follow their academic pursuits.’
“For your dedication to your students and their intellectual and personal growth, Yale College proudly awards the Sidonie Miskimin Clauss ’75 Prize for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities to you, Professor David Blight.”
Read More: https://news.yale.edu/2024/05/01/six-faculty-members-honored-their-commitment-teaching