Three graduating seniors -- Kevin Simmons of Castle Rock, CO, Noemi Giszpenc of Montclair, NJ, and Andrew Tan of Singapore -- have received the first annual Todd Anderson Undergraduate Teaching Award.
The new award recognizes undergraduate tutors who have demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching at the Experimental Study Group (ESG). Their achievement is gauged from positive reviews by students and staff supervisors, innovation in teaching methods and/or content, and dedication to teaching above and beyond the call of duty. Todd Anderson, who taught chemistry and supervised chemistry undergraduate tutors, has made the award possible by his annual contribution of $1,000.
Mr. Simmons, a double major in linguistics and philosophy and humanities, taught and developed two new undergraduate seminars at ESG over the past two years: Introduction to Photography, and Zen and Philosophy, a seminar inspired by Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book-length meditative essay.
Ms. Giszpenc, a double major in economics and in writing and humanistic studies, taught three different chemistry subjects at ESG. She also created a new IAP activity, "How to Solve World Hunger Using Kitchen Utensils," a cooking and discussion group.
Mr. Tan, a double major in biology and physics, was a physics tutor in ESG for two years, teaching both 8.01 and 8.02. His knowledge and sensitivity towards students for whom physics is not a primary love made a lasting and sometimes inspiring impression on students and staff alike.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on June 3, 1998.
