The Best of the Best
Recipients of the James A. and Ruth Levitan Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, are among the finest teachers at the Institute. About these teachers, Dean Fitzgerld has written, "This prize honors those instructors in our School who have demonstrated outstanding success in teaching our undergraduate and graduate students. These great educators, who are nominated by students themselves, represent the very best academic leadership in the School. Warmest congratulations to them all!"
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2012 | Arthur Bahr
Associate Professor, Literature
"He has positively impacted our class and taught us the importance of humanities courses in our lives. You can tell that he works very hard to inspire his students and get them to think critically, and he has always embraced even connecting this to our science lives."
"Professor Bahr leads wonderful discussions and makes me want to do the readings not for my grade but so that I can have the pleasure of participating. He's energetic and in touch with his students."
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2012 | Eugenie Brinkema
Assistant Professor of Contemporary Literature and Media, Literature
"I feel like I have actually learned, in [Eugenie Brinkema’s] classes, how better to form an idea, how better to voice an opinion, how better to structure an essay, and how better to engage with the things that are of interest to me in the world around me. Her philosophy is that the whole world is a text, and that the analysis we do in class is a framework for understanding the story that society tells."
"Professor Brinkema is the most incredible professor I’ve had at MIT. She is one of the few professors I still make an effort to visit even after leaving her class. She brings sheer enthusiasm to class every day and encourages a passion for learning."
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2012 | Graham Jones
Assistant Professor, Anthropology
"Every reading that Dr. Jones has assigned has opened my eyes to a facet of life and culture whose presence previously eluded me — for this, I could not be more grateful. … This class has completely changed the way I evaluate different cultures and react to different peoples."
"[Graham Jones] managed to impress upon me the lasting philosophy of being an anthropologist in everyday life—of gently probing and questioning the fascinating array of people, processes, cultures, and organizations around us."
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2012 | Nilma Dominique
Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
"What I love most about Professor Dominique is her energy and spirit. She gives her classroom life. Although Portuguese II is my last class of the day, and during a time when I am really tired, I always feel refreshed after attending her class."
"Nilma [Dominique] is one of the most gifted language teachers I have ever had. She is vibrant and engaged, encouraging all students to understand and enjoy the process of learning. I look forward to class every day because of her clear teaching methods—which conveys more information in a better way than the textbook—and because of her inimitable energy."
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2012 | Jane Dunphy
Lecturer, Foreign Languages and Literatures
"Professor Dunphy has a gifted way with students. Everyone in her classes is given personal attention, and she is very invested in her students' growth. …Her positivity and willingness to help have really had an impact on me here at MIT."
"Amazing class! Jane [Dunphy] was a terrific teacher and stimulated my interest in a subject that I was already highly passionate about. She was always available and helped everyone in the class stay organized."
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2012 | Lucy Marx
Lecturer, Writing and Humanistic Studies
"I took my final HASS class with Lucy [Marx], and she was the most enjoyable teacher I had. …Before her class, writing was one of the few things I dreaded about school. Surprisingly, I found myself working on her assignments before all my other classes, since they were exciting and I would learn about myself from my own writing."
"Lucy [Marx] encouraged participation and helpful critiques during discussions. These helped me, at least, to think about my writing more and try harder to make it better."
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2012 | Gabriel Carroll
Teaching Assistant, Economics
"Gabriel [Carroll] is simply an outstanding teacher. Countless times I have been completely stuck on a topic from class, only to have him explain it (either inside class or outside) with incredible clarity and precision."
"Gabriel is without a doubt the best TA I have had at MIT."
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2011 | Heather Paxson
Associate Professor, Anthropology
"What she has given me (the ability to think critically about social issues, take them apart, and form ideas then express them professionally in creative ways) is something that will last long after I leave MIT."
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2011 | Will Broadhead
Associate Professor, History
"Professor Broadhead has inspired a curiosity and appreciation for ancient history that will remain with us long after we graduate."
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2011 | Ken Oye
Associate Professor, Political Science
"Not only was this class the most challenging, enriching, and thought-provoking class I have taken in Political Science, this class helped me to determine what I wanted to do with my life."
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2011 | Adam Boyles
Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
"I came to MIT with a strong interest in music….and this interest has become a major and will be a life-long pursuit especially thanks to Adam [Boyles] and his encouragement and superb teaching."
"The MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) has grown tremendously under the skilled baton of Dr. Adam Boyles.…While he cares about the sound of the music, he really cares about the musicians in the ensemble…MITSO is one of the reasons I now consider MIT to be my second home."
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2011 | Howard "Skip" Eiland
Lecturer, Literature
"Without Professor Eiland's guidance and encouragement, I wouldn't have taken literature classes beyond Comedy (21L.421) here. I enjoy writing. Moreover, I enjoy literature. A difficult text is no longer a burden, but a challenge—a pleasure. When I study it with Professor Eiland, I know that he'll present its implications and influences. I'm still amazed at how applicable the basic ideas we learned in Comedy are."
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2011 | Teresa Neff
Lecturer, Music and Theater Arts
"The passion that Professor Neff brings into the class has opened many doors for me. After every class, I came out wanting to learn more. … I am confident that her teaching and contagious excitement for music has revolutionized the way I will view music for the rest of my life."
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2011 | Kym Ragusa
Lecturer, Writing and Humanistic Studies
"Kym [Ragusa]'s classroom was a place of safety and comfort, a place in which open dialogue on tense and usually ill-understood concepts of race, gender, and all other boundaries that obscure rather than delineate, was encouraged. I learned a whole lot about writing in Kym's class, but so much more about the world."
Former Levitan Teaching Award for Excellence Winners
2010
Faculty
Peter Child (Music and Theater Arts)
Stephen Ryan (Economics)
Lily Tsai (Political Science)
Lecturers
Rebecca Faery (Writing and Humanistic Studies)
Steve Strang (Writing and Humanistic Studies)
Amadou Lamine Touré (Music and Theater Arts)
Teaching Assistant
Omer Preminger (Linguistics)
2009
Faculty
Chris Capozzola (History)
Sally Haslanger (Linguistics and Philosophy)
Stefan Helmreich (Anthropology)
Lecturers
Laura Harrington (Music and Theater Arts)
Martin Marks (Music and Theater Arts)
Douglas Morgenstern (Foreign Languages and Literatures)
Teaching Assistant
Brandon Lehr (Economics)
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology