Yale Center for Teaching and Learning

Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation Showcase

 Jonathan Poorvu ’84, Alison Poorvu Jaffe ’81, William Poorvu ’56, Lia Poorvu

The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning is proud to showcase winners of the Yale Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation, which is administered by the Yale College Dean’s Office. Given to outstanding junior faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching in undergraduate programs, the award enables faculty to dedicate the summer to research essential to their development as scholars and teachers.

The Poorvu family (pictured above, left to right: Jonathan Poorvu ’84, Alison Poorvu Jaffe ’81, William Poorvu ’56, Lia Poorvu) has developed a longstanding legacy of philanthropy at Yale. In 1991, the family established the Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation. In 2018, the family endowed the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Both the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning and the Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation are grateful for the generous support of the Poorvu family in promoting teaching excellence at Yale.

 Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Rohit De, Adriane Steinacker, and Stefan Steinerberger

Above, Left to Right: 2019 Poorvu Family Fund for Academic Innovation Prize Winners: Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Rohit De, Adriane Steinacker, and Stefan Steinerberger

Below are past recipients of the Poorvu Teaching Prize, with links to selected teaching features and spotlights:

2015 – 2020 Awardees

2020 Awardees

Jennifer Allen, History

Aimee Cox, African American Studies, and Anthropology

Wendy Gilbert, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry 

Jonas Elbousty, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations

2019 Awardees

Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Psychiatry

Rohit De, History

Adriane Steinacker, Physics

Stefan Steinerberger, Mathematics

2018 Awardees

Laura Barraclough, American Studies

Dylan Gee, Psychology

Madhusudhan Venkadesan, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

2017 Awardees

Rosie Bsheer, History

Marta Figlerowicz, Comparative Literature, Read more

Josh Gendron, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Louisa Lombard, Anthropology

Elizabeth Miller, Philosophy

2016 Awardees

Drew Gentner, Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Joanna Radin, History of Medicine

Ayesha Ramachandran, Comparative Literature, Read more

Kristina Talbert-Slagle, General Medicine

2015 Awardees

Marijeta Bozovic, Slavic Languages and Literatures

Joseph Fischel, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Christiana Purdy Moudarres, Italian

Bill Rankin, History

Gregory Samanez-Larkin, Psychology, Cognitive Science, and Neuroscience

2010 – 2014 Awardees

2014 Awardees

Joshua Billings, Classics and Humanities

Emily Coates, Theater Studies

Bella Grigoryan, Slavic Langugages and Literatures

Andrew Johnston, Classics

Albert Laguna, American Studies

Paul Sabin, History

2013 Awardees

Molly Brunson, Slavic Languages and Literatures

Crystal Feimster, American Studies

Marcus Hunter, Sociology and African American Studies

2012 Awardees

Paola Bertucci, History

Sarah Demers, Physics

2011 Awardees

GerShun Avilez, English and African American Studies 

J.D. Connor, History of Art and Film & Media Studies

Paige McGinley, American Studies, Theater Studies, and African American Studies

2010 Awardees

Jonathan Gilmore, Philosophy and Humanities

Kathryn Lofton, Religious Studies

Adam Marcus, Applied Mathematics

2000 – 2009 Awardees

2009 Awardees

Thierry Emonet, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Ludger Viefhues-Bailey, Religion

2008 Awardees

Justin Fox, Political Science

Bryan Garsten, Humanities

Alondra Nelson, African American Studies and Sociology

2007 Awardees

Erin Lavik, Biomedical Engineering

Corinne Pache, Classics

Vivek Sharma, Political Science

2004 Awardee

Seth Fein, History, Film, American and Latin American Studies

2002 Awardee

Amy Arnsten, Neuroscience

2000 Awardee

Kristin Phillips, Italian

1995 – 1999 Awardees

1999 Awardees

Thomas Arnold, History

Ahmad Dallal, Arabic and Islamic Studies

Maria Georgopoulou, History of Art

1997 Awardees

Christy Anderson, History of Art

Elizabeth Fowler, English

1995 Awardee

Norma Thompson, Humanities