[Sci-tech-public] 2014 Siegel Teaching Prize Announcement

[Rosalind H Williams]

To the extended STS and HASTS communities:

I have the pleasure of announcing that the 2014 Siegel Teaching Prize
winner is Nicole Labruto.  The Siegel Teaching Prize was established in
2006 to recognize HASTS graduate students who have excelled as instructors
of MIT undergraduates.  The prize committee, Clapperton Mavhunga and
Sherry Turkle, explained their decision in the following citation:

³Nicole was nominated by Professor Susan Silbey for her work in the
interdisciplinary subject ŒEnergy Decisions, Markets, and Policies.¹  This
class explores the choices and constraints governing energy use by
households, firms, and governments. The subject straddles three different
units (Sloan School of Management, Political Science, and Anthropology),
each of which has its own approach to the material and issues.  It is
inherently challenging because the subject demands a high degree of
acquaintance with the technical language (especially the economics) of
energy, while students also need to understand the technical material from
socially, culturally, and politically grounded perspectives.

³Faced with this challenging assignment, Nicole meticulously prepared
discussion classes, offered with aplomb, humor, and serious intellectual
engagement.  In Professor Silbey¹s words, Nicole was 'a master teacher
[who] certainly deserves special honor in the Siegel Prize for the
exemplary work she did' in last year¹s class.

³In their comments the students echoed this praise.  One said, ŒNicole was
a wonderful TA.  I appreciated her enthusiasm and the way she brought in
different perspectives on course material.  She was also always available
to help students.¹ Others addressed her engagement, dedication, and the
high quality of the materials she brought into recitation to provoke
conversation.

³The committee wishes to extend its congratulations to Nicole Labruto for
a well-deserved Siegel Teaching Prize.²

Please join me in congratulating Nicole for this honor, and in thanking
Sherry and Clapperton for their service on the Siegel Prize committee.


Rosalind Williams

Acting Director
Dibner Professor of the History of Science and Technology
Program in Science, Technology, and Society
Massachusetts Institute of Technology