Announcing the 2022 Levitan Teaching Award Winners
Five extraordinary MIT SHASS educators were honored with the 2022 Levitan Teaching Awards. Presented each year, the award distinguishes these instructors as some of the finest at the Institute.
The James A. And Ruth Levitan Teaching Award recognizes teachers, lecturers, and teaching assistants across the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences who bring a special energy and passion to the classroom. Each year nominations pour in for instructors who have made a difference in their students' lives at MIT.
Congratulations, All!
Gallery | The 2022 Levitan Teaching Awards Recipients
Brittany Charlton
Lecturer, Women's and Gender Studies
“Professor Charlton brought to class so much wisdom, kindness and warmth. I was impressed by the breadth of topics that we discussed that covered the nuanced intersection of race, gender, health and science. The work she does with LGBTQ healthcare is really inspirational, and has inspired the trajectory of my career. The class was an amazing opportunity to think more deeply about these topics through open conversation and also quantitatively through looking at clinical study design. It’s unlike any class I’ve ever taken and it's thanks to her mentorship that we were impacted so much.”
Tong Chen
Lecturer, Global Languages
“Professor Chen is a passionate and dedicated professor who supports his students both inside and outside of the classroom. His classes are some of the most enjoyable and engaging classes I have taken at MIT. He is always so animated and seems so happy to engage with us and speak. Outside of his classes when I have reached out to Professor Chen in search of extra help with his class, he has been so welcoming to providing extra tutoring and support. I find Chinese to be a very challenging subject and he has been very encouraging and supportive.”
Caley Horan
Associate Professor, History
“In my time researching for a UROP, she was a great resource to go to to help learn the databases, etc. The goals were clear, and I always felt comfortable asking for help/clarifying questions. Moreover, outside of the classroom, Professor Horan has been a great mentor. I will occasionally get coffee with her; in these meetings, we’ll talk about anything from her research to just how things are going around campus to grad school. I find that these times are great in helping me decide what path forward I want to take in life.”
Donca Steriade
Professor, Linguistics
“Professor Donca is one of the best teachers I've had at my time at MIT so far. She is very good at making lecture simultaneously very funny and very engaging. She cares very much about her students and about linguistics, as seen in her advice to students and involvement in outreach for linguistics. She is one of the pillars of the linguistics department and the undergraduate community, seen in her willingness to help organize events focused on building a community for undergraduates interested in linguistics.”
Kang Zhou
Lecturer, Global Languages
“Professor Zhou is an exceptional teacher. In my time taking Chinese with him, he has always brought energy and enthusiasm to every lecture, and has made a large positive impact on my Mandarin learning experience. In class, he engages with and encourages each student, answers grammar questions thoroughly and clearly, and always shows immense patience in going over pronunciation mistakes. Using anecdotes and jokes in Chinese, he brings class to life and makes language learning fun and enjoyable.”