the richard p. feynman prize for excellence in teaching at caltech

7222019 The Richard P Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching at Caltech

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullthe-richard-p-feynman-prize-for-excellence-in-teaching-at-caltech 115

RICHARD P FEYNMAN PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING 1

Richard P Feynman Prizefor Excellence in Teaching

CELEBRATING THE 20 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE

OCTOBER 18 2013



RICHARD P FEYNMAN PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN

ldquo

The Richard P Feynman Prize for Excellence

in Teaching established in 1993 annually

honors a professor who demonstrates

in the broadest sense unusual ability

creativity and innovation in undergraduate

and graduate classroom or laboratory

teachingmdashqualities epitomized by

Feynman one of the worldrsquos most brilliant

theoretical physicists and original thinkers

of the 20th century

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965

for his pioneering research in quantum

mechanics quantum electrodynamics

and particle physics Feynman was also

committed to science education and

beloved by Caltech students as a friend

and teacher Dubbed the ldquoGreat Explainerrdquo

Feynman invigorated undergraduate

physics education at Caltech He opposed

rote learning or unthinking memorization

and his guiding principle was that if a

topic could not be explained in a freshman

lecture it was not yet fully understood

Feynmanrsquos four years of lectures at Caltech

were edited and collected into the classic

three-volume textbook The Feynman

Lectures on Physics He also published a

number of books for the general public

including the bestselling memoir Surely

Yoursquore Joking Mr Feynman In addition he

served as a member of a council charged

with evaluating books of mathematics and

physics for primary and secondary public

schools in California

Endowed through the generosity of

William and Sally Hurt and Ione and Robert

Paradise the Feynman Prize consists

of a cash award that is matched by an

equivalent raise in the annual salary of

the awardee All professorial faculty of the

Institute are eligible and nominations for

the Feynman Teaching Prize are welcome

from faculty students postdoctoral

scholars staff and alumni

The Genius of Teaching

I donrsquot believe I can really do without teachingthe studentskeep life goingrdquoRichard P Feynman Surely Yoursquore Joking Mr Feynman




Feynman PrizeRecipients




John JohnsonProfessor of Astronomy

Harvard University

ldquoRichard Feynmanrsquos writing inspired me to

pursue physics and astronomyrdquo Johnson

says ldquoIt is an amazing honor to have my

name in any way associated with hisrdquo

The Feynman Prize selection committee

praised Johnson for his dedication passion

and innovation in teaching as well as his

ability to inspire his students

ldquoMy goal is to help the students take

ownership of their learning by guiding

them rather than lecturing themrdquo explains

Johnson who says he learned his teaching

philosophy from physicist Ronald Bieniek

at the Missouri University of Science and

Technology ldquoIrsquom very pleased to hear that

my students feel I accomplished this goal

and that we all had such an enjoyable time in the processrdquo

Johnson who was recognized for his work as Assistant Professor of Planetary Astronomy is known for

eschewing traditional lectures and problem sets instead having students work on problems in small groups At

various times he has required students to explain what they were learning in a class blog forbidden discussion

of grades emailed YouTube videos that illustrate the dayrsquos material and brought in guest lecturers to discuss the

course material and provide career advice

In a nomination letter one student wrote that Johnson ldquorocked the bo at in the astronomy department

challenging our conceptions of how astronomy and the sciences in general are taughtrdquo Another student

wrote ldquoClassroom experiences that are intellectually engaging practical and entertaining are incredibly rare

Through his teaching style attention to detail and unique course structure Professor Johnson provides just such

an experiencerdquo

Many students cited Johnsonrsquos ldquolife-changingrdquo influence beyond academics One called him ldquoa remarkable

teacher who cannot only enlighten students in the classroom but also sculpt their spirits for their future careersrdquoA graduate student said ldquoHe reminded mehellipwhy I wanted to be a scientist in the first placerdquo

In 2013 Johnson accepted a position as a full professor of astronomy at Harvard University

Paul AsimowProfessor of Geology and Geochemistry

California Institute of Technology

In letters written by students in support of his nomination for the Feynman Prize Asimow was commended for

his ldquoexceptional energy originality and ability to explain complicated concepts effectivelyrdquo Several students

described him as the professor to whom they turn when they are confused about a paper when they cannot

agree on the answer to a scientific question or when they are starting a new project or finishing a composition

The selection committee commended Asimow for a ldquostriking innovationrdquo in an advanced graduate class in

petrology ldquohe invites his students to vote on the subject matter of the course on the first day of the term laying

the foundation for the extensive teacher-student interaction that forms a critical part of his teaching stylerdquo

Asimow described himself as ldquoutterly surprised

and deeply gratifiedrdquo by his receipt of the

Feynman Prize ldquoThe classes I teach are pretty

small and specializedrdquo says Asimow who teachesIntroduction to Geology and Geochemistry and

Thermodynamics of Geological Systems among

other courses ldquoI never expected to b e considered

alongside the professors who shoulder the hard

work of teaching the big classes Irsquom inspired by

this recognition to keep putting my efforts into

improving and updating what and how I teachrdquo

A member of the faculty since 1999 Asimow

earned his MS and PhD at Caltech in 1993 and

1997 respectively His research focuses on

characterizing the mineralogy and melting of the

earthrsquos mantle the formation of crust and the

nature of the core-mantle boundary

Asimow credits his success in academia to

a teacher he had as an undergraduate at

Harvard ldquoMy own career path w as determined

by one incredible professor James B Thompson

Jr who recently passed awayrdquo he notes ldquo Irsquod like to

acknowledge the legacies of both Feynman and Thompsonrdquo

ldquoHe is as inspiring as he is informative and a great role model for us aspiring professorsrdquo said a student in her letter

nominating Asimow for the Prize ldquoHe pours his energy into describing concepts both precisely and thoroughlyrdquo

2012-2013

2011-201




J Morgan KousserWilliam R Kenan Jr Professor of History

and Social Science


In letters written by students in support

of Kousserrsquos nomination for the Feynman

Prize he was commended for holding his

students to high standards and driving

them to excel as critical thinkers Several

students described him as one of the most

inspiring and demanding instructors at the

Institute even drawing some of them to

change their career paths to pursue lawmdasha

remarkable achievement in an environment

so dominated by science and engineering

ldquoUnder his tutelage many Caltech

studentsmdashmyself includedmdashgrow from

politics neophytes into judicial experts over

the course of the two terms of Law 148rdquo said

one student ldquoProfessor Kousserrsquos unique teaching style hinges on the strength of the respect his students have for

him Simply put he inspires his studentsrdquo

ldquoAlthough people outside Caltech are sometimes shocked to find that we teach history and political science

English economics and philosophyrdquo says Kousser ldquoundergraduates here can get close attention from

internationally known professors much more easily than at almost any other college in the US Winning the

Feynman Prize is a recognition of how much great teaching goes on in the humanities and social sciences

division at Caltech and how central our division is to the undergraduate experience at Caltechrdquo

A member of the Caltech faculty since 1969 Kousserrsquos research focuses on minority voting rights the history of

education and the legal and political aspects of race relations in the 19th and 20th centuries Kousser has served

as an expert witness in 33 federal or state voting-rights cases and as a consultant in 10 others and he testified

before a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives in 1981 about the renewal of the Voting Rights Act

His second book Colorblind Injustice Minority Voting Rights and the Undoing of the Second Reconstruction

won the Lillian Smith Award from the Southern Regional Council and the Ralph J Bunche Jr Award from the

American Political Science Association

In addition to being an outstanding professor at Caltech he has also been a visiting professor at the University

of Michigan Harvard Claremont Graduate University as well as the Harmsworth Professor of American History at

Oxford in 1984-85

ldquoI get a prize every yearmdashwatching students grow not only in knowledge but also in fascination with topics they

were barely aware of beforerdquo says Kousser ldquoThe real prize is the light in their eyesrdquo

Dennis DoughertyGeorge Grant Hoag Professor of Chemistry


ldquoChemistry can be a little obscurerdquo says Dougherty ldquoBut itrsquos a subject I love and when you are enthusiastic

about something you want to share that enthusiasm with others I enjoy the challenge of making the field

interesting and relevantrdquo Part of that involves ldquosteering clear of what you might call some of the geekier sides of

the subjectrdquo Says Dougherty ldquoI try to focus on the bigger conceptual issues that will get students excited about

the material and eager to learn morerdquo

Dougherty says that he often discusses approaches to teaching with his wife a former teacher and now a schoo

superintendent who calls his pedagogic style ldquocreatively traditionalrdquo His methods definitely resonate with his

students ldquoA superb teacher research mentor

and role model to merdquo said one of the many

who nominated him for the Feynman Prize

while another praised ldquohis exceptional clarity and

explanations that always seemed to go a stepfarther deeper and beyond the normal lecturerdquo

The selection committee cited Dougherty for his

ldquoexceptional ability to render difficult concepts

in organic chemistry accessible to a broad

cross section of undergraduate and graduate

studentsrdquo a skill that has led some of his students

to call him ldquothe best lecturer at Caltechrdquo

A member of the Caltech faculty since 1979

Doughertyrsquos research focuses on the underlying

chemistry and chemical interactions of molecules

involved in learning memory and sensory

perception including investigating the mo lecular

basis for nicotine addiction in the brain

In talks he has given to the general public

Dougherty employs some of the same

techniques that have served him so well in Caltechrsquos

lecture halls ldquoI want people to realize that thinking

about the world at t he molecular level is very valuable because chemistry has an impact on just abo ut everyaspect of our livesrdquo he says ldquoWersquove been able to figure out such amazing things about the molecular world in

the last few decades and itrsquos fun to help people appreciate how significant those discoveries arerdquo

2010-2011

2009-20



RICHARD P FEYNMAN PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN TE

Jehoshua ldquoShukirdquo Bruck Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of

Computation and Neural Systems and

Electrical Engineering California Institute of Technology

Bruck was nominated by his IST 4 students

for the inaugural term of the class which

covers the evolution of information systems

ldquoShukirsquos lectures do an excellent job in

engaging the attention of a class full of

studentsrdquo wrote one student in support of

his nomination ldquoWith a teaching style that

includes impeccably prepared lectures

detailed and informative slides and more

than a bit of entertainment Shuki skillfully

sets a very inviting stage for the students tograsp the deep concepts of the class


Bruck was the founding director of the

Information Science and Technology (IST)

program from 2003 to 2005 His research combines work on the design of distributed information systems and

the theoretical study of biological circuits and systems

ldquoLearning is an emotional processrdquo Bruck said in a TEDx talk titled Teaching the Past Dreaming the Future

ldquoTeaching is an emotional process We need to fall in love with the materialrdquo

He believes that teaching needs to ldquogo back to the basicsI think we need to focus on our collective ignorance

and together try to think about new ideas I think we need to discover education motivated by curiosity and

natural passionrdquo

Referencing the Caltech logo Bruck said ldquoYou see one hand handing the fire to the other hand The fire

represents what you believe in what you love The fire can be your value system your knowledge your jokes

your lame jokesmdashanything that you want to pass to the next generationrdquo

Zhen-Gang WangProfessor of Chemical Engineering


Wangrsquos students describe his lectures on thermodynamics and polymer physicsmdashconducted without notesmdash

as ldquoamazingrdquo ldquoinsightfulrdquo and ldquoincredibly clearrdquo Wang says one student has an ldquouncanny ability to cut to the

heart of a question and provide an answer based on fundamentalsrdquo Says another student ldquoHe engaged me as

no lecturer ever had before The class is a journey to seek the truth with basic postulates and a passionate exper

in the field to help steer usrdquo ldquoPhenomenal instructorrdquo ldquomaster teacherrdquo ldquomaster of thermodynamicsrdquo and ldquothe

quintessential Caltech professorrdquo are some of the accolades his students have heaped on him

Before coming to Caltech Wang had never before taught or even served as a teaching assistant His first class

statistical mechanics did not go well ldquoThe level

was unreasonably highmdashthe scores on exams

were very lowrdquo Wang took the experience to

heart and dedicated himself to improving his

teaching skills ldquoI learned over the years to adjustthe level of the presentationrdquo Wang says ldquoYou

have to really understand the material well from

several different angles and then find the best

angle that would be suitable for the studentsrdquo

The hard work paid off Wangrsquos students say

they appreciate his ldquogenuine interest in making

students understand conceptsrdquo how he

challenges them to sharpen their questions and

how he ldquosets the intellectual bar high but gives

them the means to reach itrdquo

ldquoI love teachingrdquo says Wang adding that he

finds a sense of nobleness through training the

next generation of scientists and engineers ldquoI

enjoy research and I am devoted to it but it feels

more like a hobby But my research is theoretical it

doesnrsquot have an immediate impact on society Through

teaching I feel like Irsquom having a more direct impactrdquo

2008-2009

2007-20



RICHARD P FEYNMAN PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN T

Michael BrownRichard and Barbara Rosenberg Professor of

Planetary Astronomy California Institute of Technology

While Brown is an astronomer well known

for his discovery of the dwarf planet Eris

(the so-called ldquotenth planetrdquo) and for being

the self-dubbed ldquoman who killed Plutordquo

he was awarded the Feynman Prize for his

contribution to Geology 1 a class he asked

to teach because he wanted to learn the

material himself

Students praise Brown for his ldquofun and

engagingrdquo lecture style ldquoWe could w atch

the formation of the solar system unfoldin front of usrdquo a graduate student wrote in

support of his nomination for the Feynman

Prize ldquolike a good book that we couldnrsquot put

downrdquo One of Brownrsquos teaching innovations

was an assignment that required students to travel to nearby Eaton Canyon in order to answer problems by

observation

Surprisingly Brown describes teaching as ldquoterrifying Itrsquos the most stressful thing I do I have given countless

presentations over the years about my research but talking at the Air and Space Museum is nothing like the

classroom experiencerdquo

One challenge in teaching is the Caltech culture itself Brown says The school is legendary for the high

expectations placed on students Not surprisingly the students in turn are themselves very astute and quite

capable of discriminating between really effective teaching strategies and mediocre ones

ldquoAround here you always feel like yoursquore just keeping your head above water when you lecture studentsrdquo he

says ldquoYou canrsquot teach and not have some off days and you know all too well when yoursquore having onemdashitrsquos easy

to see when the students are engaged and when theyrsquore not I guess thatrsquos why I try so hard to teach wellrdquo

Richard MurrayThomas E and Doris Everhart Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems and BioengineeringCalifornia Institute of Technology

Murray was a Caltech freshman attending frosh camp at Camp Fox on Catalina Island when he first encountered

Richard Feynman ldquoI was sitting down looking across a field and a professor sat down next to me and started

talking about some shells he had found while he was swimming Lo and behold it was Richard Feynmanmdash

although I was an engineering student and not in physics and Irsquom not sure I knew who he was at the time That

willingness to talk to a student typified his approach to teachingrdquo

Such willingness to engage and encourage students also typifies Murrayrsquos own approach to teaching The

Feynman Prize Selection Committee singled out Murray for his ldquoenthusiasm responsiveness and innovationrdquo in

the classroom and for his ldquocontribution to the undergraduate

experience through teaching outside the conventional

classroomrdquo Murray was also commended for his determination

to make sure his students understand the material he teaches

For example he encourages students to anonymously fill outindex cards dubbed ldquoMudrdquo cards at the end of each class

asking questions about anything they found confusing (or

lsquomuddylsquo) Answers to the studentsrsquo questions are posted on the

class website the same day

This commitment to learning is not lost on Murrayrsquos students

ldquoIn all my classes I have never before had a professor that was

so dedicated to answering studentsrsquo questions and making

sure that students understood the materialrdquo wrote one

undergraduate in nominating Murray for the award Another

student praised Murray for his ldquoinfectious and boundless

enthusiasm and perseverance for everything he is involved in

and an exceptional talent for leadershiprdquo Yet another said that

Murray is ldquowithout a doubt one o f the most talented teachers I

have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20




Christopher BrennenRichard L and Dorothy M Hayman Professor

of Mechanical Engineering Emeritus California Institute of Technology

ldquoThere is nothing quite as rewarding

as when you happen to teach a really

good class or when some student says

to you lsquoI really thought that was neatrsquo or

is sometimes excessively appreciative of

something you have done for them or of the

time you have taken to explain something

to themrdquo Brennen says ldquoThere is something

so fundamentally rewarding about that that

itrsquos difficult for me to see how to get it from

any other possible sourcerdquo

ldquoI love when [students] ask questionsrdquo says

Brennen who served as Master of Student

Houses from 1983 to 1987 and as Dean of

Students from 1988-1992 ldquobecause it gives

you a way of figuring out how much theyrsquore really taking in and how much theyrsquore not It gives you a relationship

that goes beyond just writing something on the bo ardrdquo

In announcing Brennenrsquos receipt of the Feynman Prize Caltech Vice Provost Melany Hunt said ldquoHe has shown us

the importance of connecting with students of encouraging their interests and their abilities and of enjoying

and appreciating student-faculty interactions He has also demonstrated that it is okay to be a little crazymdash

such as riding a bicycle into a swimming poolmdashespecially if it helps students to appreciate the wonder of fluid

mechanics and engineeringrdquo

George RossmanEleanor and John R McMillian Professor of Mineralogy


ldquoGeorge had a way of making everything in mineralogy fun and interestingrdquo says one former student of

Rossmanrsquos introductory mineralogy course (Ge 114) Other students praise Rossman as ldquoprobably the best

clearest and most exciting teacher they have ever hadrdquo Other students note that Rossman is ldquosuch a great

lecturer that he can make the class and each mineral very funnyrdquo and that he ldquois probably the best professor at

Caltechrdquo

Rossmanmdashwho collected rocks as a boymdashbelieves that minerals are inherently interesting subject matter for

the classroom ldquoStudents relate to tangible visible itemsrdquo says Rossman who often uses specimens from his

personal collection in his classes ldquoFor me the

minerals are a beautiful entry into the science

because the beautiful colors and shapes are

always due to underlying scientific principles

Nature has the ability to bring together a largenumber of the elements of the periodic t able

and combine them under different pressure

and temperature conditions for some really

spectacular resultsrdquo

Rossmanrsquos research interests involve the study

of how electromagnetic radiation interacts

with minerals His labrsquos work concentrates on

the visible and infrared but past research has

involved pretty much every other region of the

electromagnetic spectrum

ldquoOur goals include understanding at a very

basic level the nature of the interactionmdashin

other words how we can use photons to study

mineralsrdquo he says

In addition to recognition for his outstanding

performance in the classroom Rossman has received

numerous research awards including the Friedrich-

Becke Medal by the Oumlsterreichische Mineralogische Gesellschaft and the Dana Medal by the MineralogicalSociety of America Additionally Rossman is a fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America

2004-2005

2003-20




Niles PierceProfessor of Applied and Computational

Mathematics and Bioengineering California Institute of Technology

Now a full professor Pierce was an assistant

professor when he was awarded the

Feynman Teaching Prizemdashone of only two

assistant professors to be thus honored

Pierce was recognized for his teaching of

ACM 95100 a combined graduate- and

undergraduate-level applied mathematics

course

His award citation noted that Pierce

ldquoteaches without oversimplifying and

without intimidating making the materialaccessible to this diverse group of studentsrdquo

and ldquopossesses an uncanny ability to

anticipate the frustrations and challenges of

the studentsrdquo

Pierce attributes his teaching style to learning from his mother who he describes as an extraordinary

teacher ldquoI wanted to communicate in a way that students would become excited by the ideas of applied and

computational mathematicsrdquo says Pierce ldquoOf course some material is hard to love and I try to be honest with

the students If I really like a certain topic I explain why If wersquore talking about a subject that I think is b oring

there better be a go od reason and I give it My favorite lectures are the ones where the material is potentially

hard to understand or absorb It rsquos not much fun to give a lecture if therersquos nothing challenging to explain and

discussrdquo

Joseph Kirschvink Nico and Marilyn Van Wingen Professor of Geobiology


In their letter nominating Kirschvink for the Feynman Prize two students attributed his popularity among

undergraduates as a reflection of his ldquofundamental teaching philosophy he treats students like colleaguesrdquo

Kirschvink was noted for inviting students to interrupt him with questions at any time and for explaining

and re-explaining concepts holding to a standard of unanimous understanding Students also praised his

determination to ldquoleave no student behindldquo

Kirschvink believes it was his own experience as a Caltech alummdashBS and MS in 1975mdashthat contributes to his

classroom rapport ldquoAs an undergrad here I know the capabilities of the studentsrdquo he says

In all of his classes Kirschvink employs the

Socratic method of doubting and questioning

statements It is a technique he learned he says

from the late Gene Shoemaker (co-discoverer of

the Shoemaker-Levy comet that hit Jupiter) one

of his professors from his own days as a Caltech

student

Kirschvink frequently involves undergraduates

in his research His major contributions include

ldquosnowballrdquo Earth the theory that the entire planet

may have frozen over several times in its history

potentially causing some of the most severe

crises in the history of life on Earth and perhaps

stimulating evolution

Another original concept pioneered by K irschvink

concerns the Cambrian evolutionary explosion

which he believes may have been precipitated

in part by a large burst of true polar wander ie

in which the earthrsquos rotational axis moved to the

equator in a geologically short interval of time

2002-2003

2001-200




David StevensonMarvin L Goldberger Professor of

Planetary Science


Stevenson was honored by the selection committee for

improving the existing Geology 1 class ldquoI was challengedrdquo

said Stevenson ldquoby the difficulty of constructing a course that

would be attractive to a wide range of students yet not be too

conventionalndashnot just a set of lectures In practice itrsquos hard to

avoid routine approaches you want students to learn to think

which means that the problems in the exams homework and

projects should not be merely ro utine applications of standard

book workrdquo

Stevenson revamped Geology 1 to include concepts from

evolution biology and chemistry as well as incorporatingsmall group projects each led by an individual professor along

with field trips to give students the o pportunity of first-hand

observation The result the selection committee noted was to

create ldquoa lasting impression of how geology research is done

how our Earth was created and how our environment evolvesrdquo As a result class enrollment increased from 20

students to 165

Stevenson notes that teaching is also helpful to him ldquoTeaching helps the teacher as well as the student This is

especially true of people who are more theoretically inclined in their research because that kind of research is

helped by looking at things with a fresh appro achrdquo

Don CohenCharles Lee Powell Professor of Applied Mathematics Emeritus


Cohen who took emeritus status in 2003 was a popular advisor and mentor at Caltech known not only for his

scientific expertise but also for his ability to entertain engage and challenge students For more than 20 years

he guided Caltech undergraduates through the AMa 95 and AMa 101 applied mathematics course sequences

standing out as a teacher for his construction of assignments and exams that not only tested studentsrsquo ability

to reproduce a previously seen method of solution but also challenged them to apply their accumulated

knowledge in creative and innovative ways

The Feynman Prize selection committee lauded Cohen for his special ability to make the analysis of even

complicated problems seem easy His playful

style in solving problems always entertained

engaged and challenged students As perhaps

the best testament to his teaching one student

wrote in support of his nomination ldquoIn short ifCohen is teaching it you want to take itrdquo

In addition to the Feynman Prize Cohen received

awards for undergraduate teaching excellence

in 1979 1987 and 1998 Cohenrsquos students

appreciated his quick wit and entertaining quips

Examples include

ldquoNothingrsquos happening at infinity Infinity is Kansas

City mayberdquo

ldquoStopping at this point in the prob lem is worse

than stopping at the beginningrdquo

ldquoThe answer is no but it usually turns out in

applications you can get away with it for a whilerdquo

Cohen was also well-known among students

for his athletic prowess and often participated with

students in activities such as tennis white water rafting

and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20




Emlyn HughesProfessor of Physics

Columbia University

ldquoOver and above being a good lecturerrdquo

said Ken Libbrecht then executive officer

for the Division of Physics Mathematics and

Astronomy who nominated Hughes for the

Feynman Prize ldquoProfessor Hughes obviously

applies a great deal of creativity to his

teaching He jumps around throws things

has an evil twin brother and spends time in

nearly every lecture telling insightful stories

about physics and about life in generalrdquo

A former professor of physics at Caltech

Hughes was lauded by the selectioncommittee for ldquohis outstanding ability to

teach the mysterious nature of quantum

mechanics to a broad audience as

evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive

student feedback from Ph2 a core course in sophomore physicsrdquo Students described Hughes as ldquocharismaticrdquo

ldquoentertainingrdquo and ldquoradrdquo in course evaluations Hughes the selection committee said ldquobrings a Feynman-like

quality to the teaching of this difficult subjectrdquo

Since 2006 Hughes has served on the faculty at Columbia University His research is focused on the study of

new particles and new interactions using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN the

European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland

1998-1999

Barbara ImperialiClass of 1922 Professor of Biology and Chemistry

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Then a professor of chemistry Imperiali was cited by the selection committee as ldquodemonstrating in the broades

sense unusual ability creativity and innovation in undergraduate and graduate classroom and laboratory

teaching She excels at every level as a lively lecturer in introductory and upper level chemistry courses and as

an inspirational mentor for research studentsrdquo

ldquoShe designed a new lecture course in bioorganic

chemistry and an innovative laboratory course that

introduces undergraduates to the techniques of

peptide and DNA synthesis and characterizationrdquo

A student described Imperiali as ldquodynamic and

intense and it is impossible not to be drawn into

the subject matter by someone who is so obviously

excited by the materialrdquo

Imperiali was also cited by the selection committee

for consistently expressing her concern for the

welfare of her students and her respect for them as

individuals

In addition to the Feynman Teaching Prize Imperiali

is the recipient of several other teaching awards

including the Associated Students of the California

Institute of Technology (ASCIT) Award for E xcellence

in Teaching In 2010 she was elected to the National

Academy of Sciences

In 1999 Imperiali accepted a position as Professor

of Biology and Professor of Chemistry at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Her research focuses on a multidisciplinary approach involving synthesis

state-of-the-art spectroscopy molecular modeling enzymology and molecular biology to address fundamenta

problems at the interface of chemistry and biology

1997-19




Yaser Abu-MostafaProfessor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science


ldquoProfessor Abu-Mostafa has consistently demonstrated that no-frills teaching is not a lost ar trdquo noted the

Feynman Award selection committee ldquoYear after year using only chalk and voice as media he has tamed

Caltechrsquos challenging curriculum for a very grateful group of students He takes a multi-faceted approach

to every topic often foo ling his students into

mastering even the most difficult material As a

graduate student here he began to demonstrate

a gift for teachingmdashundoubtedly encouraged by

the learning environment around him Now he

enriches this environment himselfrdquo

In addition to being awarded the Feynman

Teaching Prize Abu-Mostafa was a recipient of the

Associated Students of the California Institute ofTechnology (ASCIT) Teaching Excellence Award

in 1986 1989 and 1991 the Keck Foundation

Teaching Award in 1994 and the Caltech Graduate

Student Council Teaching Award in 1995

Demonstrating his dedication to innovative

teaching Abu-Mostafa has made his entire

Machine Learning Course (CS 156)mdashincluding

18 lectures homework and textb ookmdashavailable

online via iTunes YouTube and his personal

website In addition he taught Caltechrsquos first

massive open online course (MOOC) ldquoLearning

from Datardquo which enrolled more than 200000

participants

Abu-Mostafa also directs Caltechrsquos Learning Systems Group which brings together students in electrical

engineering computer science computation and neural systems and physics to design electronic systems that

can be trained to perform various tasks

1995-19

R David MiddlebrookProfessor of Electrical Engineering Emeritus


A distinguished international lecturer who

spent more than 40 years as an educator

Middlebrook who passed away in 2010 was

particularly noted for presenting complex

material in a simple interesting effective

and entertaining manner He was a founder

of Caltechrsquos Power Electronics Group which

under his guidance graduated 36 PhDs and

hundreds of MS and BS students

Dozens of former studentsmdashincluding

working engineers university professors

and company presidentsmdashwrote glowingletters supporting Middlebrookrsquos

nomination for the Feynman Teaching

Prize He ldquodid not only teach analog circuit

designrdquo wrote one student ldquobut a far more

important concept he taught us how to think He taught us how to concentrate immediately on the essentials of

a problemBut when you think about it isnrsquot it the way we should tackle large research problems Isnrsquot this the

way we should even handle family life matters Basically concentrate on the essentials and do not get fooled by

the peripheralsrdquo

In addition to teaching at Caltech Middlebrook taught a course Structured Analog Design that was attended

by design engineers and managers from the United States Canada and Europe at such companies as Analog

Devices ATampT Boeing Ericsson Hewlett Packard Hughes Aircraft IBM Motorola Philips Tektronix and TRW

Middlebrook is also known for writing a pioneering transistor textbook that included mathematical models to

help engineers use transistors in their circuit designs

1996-1997




ERIK ANTONSSONVisiting Associate in Mechanical and

Civil Engineering


Antonsson created ME 72 Caltechrsquos

Engineering Design Laboratory with a

simple purpose to help students learn

about the ldquodesign of new things and

the solution of open-ended ill-defined

problemsrdquo The selection committee

described the class as ldquoso popular that

students literally camp out the night before

registration to be assured a placerdquo

ldquoThe students work very very hard they

do not complain they have a good timeand they learn a tremendous amountrdquo

wrote the previous yearrsquos Feynman winner

Tom Tombrello in support of Antonssonrsquos

nomination for the Prize ldquoThis is truly the

essence of extraordinary teaching skill Dick Feynman never took the ordinary or expected path in solving a

problem and that gave us wonderful new ways of looking at the world Erik has taught in an unusual way and

done what we all strive to domdashexcept the result is better than most of us managerdquo

Antonsson is currently a visiting associate in Caltechrsquos department of Mechanical Engineering and Corporate

Director of Technology at the Northrop Grumman Corporation Past p ositions he has held include Professor of

Mechanical Engineering and Chief Technologist at NASArsquos Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

TOM TOMBRELLORobert H Goddard Professor of Physics


When describing his teaching technique Tombrello says ldquoSomehow yoursquove got to figure out if the message is g

through and if itrsquos not getting through to all of them can you on the spot change the message a little bit and t

something different Itrsquos an adaptive process There isnrsquot any one answer because different people learn things

very different waysrdquo

In honoring Tombrello as the first recipient of the Feynman Prize the selection committee said that ldquo throughou

his career Professor Tombrello has abundantly demonstrated the qualities that define the Prize The Institute is v

fortunate to have a teacher and mentor of his qualityrdquo

The selection committee took particular note of two

innovative courses he introduced to the curriculum

One ldquoPhysics 10 Frontiers in Physicsrdquo is a weekly

seminar in which faculty members who use physics

frequently in their research discuss their work The

class is intended to give students an up-to-date

perspective on the discipline and its applications as

well as an appreciation of what it means to use and

practice physics

The second course ldquoPhysics 11 Research Tutorialrdquo

grew out of twenty-five years of successful classroom

teaching Tombrello decided that what many Caltech

students needed was to learn to integrate what they

learned in the classroom and apply it broadly and to

think critically about how original research problems

are formulated and developed He chose as a vehicle

a tutorialseminar group format in which each week

the students must describe their research and defend

it in a collegial exchange To do this effectively the

students must be motivated to take an active part

in the process thus admission to the class is on the basis

of their performance on a pair of challenging contest

problems done during the first quarter of their freshman

year Those admitted to Physics 11 have to spend a calendar

year in the course which finishes at the end of the fall term of their sophomore year During this year they do an

original research problem many of which lead to publication in scientific journals This course is now in its 24th y

Tombrello joined Caltechrsquos faculty as a research fellow in 1961 after earning his BA in 1958 and his PhD in 1961 fro

Rice University becoming a full professor in 1971 His research interests include ion-beam analysis and modificat

materials and dynamical studies of ion-solid interactions

1994-1995

1993-19




RECIPIENTS OF THE RICHARD P FEYNMAN PRIZE

FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

1993 983085 2013

2012-2013 John Johnson Planetary Astronomy

2011-2012 Paul Asimow Geology and Geochemistry

2010-2011 Morgan Kousser History and Social S cience

2009-2010 Dennis Dougherty Chemistry

2008-2009 Shuki Bruck Computation and Neural Systems and Electrical Engineering

2007-2008 Zhen-Gang Wang Chemical Engineering

2006-2007 Michael Brown Planetary Astronomy

2005-2006 Richard Murray Control and Dynamical Systems

2004-2005 Christopher Brennen Mechanical Engineering

2003-2004 George Rossman Mineralogy

2002-2003 Niles Pierce Applied and Computational Mathematics

2001-2002 Joseph Kirschvink Geobiology

2000-2001 David Stevenson Planetary Science

1999-2000 Donald Cohen Applied Mathematics

1998-1999 Emlyn Hughes Physics

1997-1998 Barbara Imperiali Chemistry

1996-1997 R David Middlebrook Electrical Engineering

1995-1996 Yaser Abu-Mostafa Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

1994-1995 Erik Antonsson Mechanical Engineering

1993-1994 Tom Tombrello Physics

For more information on the Feynman PrizewwwprovostcaltecheduFeynmanTeachingPrizecom

Produced by the Ofce of Advancement Communications

Layout and written by Alisa Rivera

PICTURE CREDITS

Cover photo from Feynman Lectures on Physics and courtesy of the Caltech Archives

1 photo courtesy of the Caltech Archives 2 photo from Feynman Lectures on Physics and courtesy of the Caltech Archives

3 photo courtesy of the Caltech Archives 5-11 photos courtesy of Caltech Marketing and Communications 12 photo courtesy of Richard Murr

13-15 photos courtesy of Caltech Marketing and Communications 16 photo courtesy of Joseph Kirschvink 17 photo courtesy of David Stevens

18 photo courtesy of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science 19 photo courtesy of Caltech Marketing and Communications

20 photo courtesy of Barbara Imperiali 21 photo courtesy of Division of Engineering and Applied Science 22 photo courtesy of Yaser Abu-Mo

23 photo courtesy of Caltech Marketing and Communications 24 photo courtesy of Tom Tombrello back cover photo courtesy of Caltech Mark

and Communications

Special thanks to Adam Cochran Michelle Feynman Lance Hayashida and the ENGenious staff

Photo courtesy of Bob Paz



27

1200 East California Boulevard

Pasadena California 91125

wwwcaltechedu




ldquo

The Richard P Feynman Prize for Excellence

in Teaching established in 1993 annually

honors a professor who demonstrates

in the broadest sense unusual ability

creativity and innovation in undergraduate

and graduate classroom or laboratory

teachingmdashqualities epitomized by

Feynman one of the worldrsquos most brilliant

theoretical physicists and original thinkers

of the 20th century

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965

for his pioneering research in quantum

mechanics quantum electrodynamics

and particle physics Feynman was also

committed to science education and

beloved by Caltech students as a friend

and teacher Dubbed the ldquoGreat Explainerrdquo

Feynman invigorated undergraduate

physics education at Caltech He opposed

rote learning or unthinking memorization

and his guiding principle was that if a

topic could not be explained in a freshman

lecture it was not yet fully understood

Feynmanrsquos four years of lectures at Caltech

were edited and collected into the classic

three-volume textbook The Feynman

Lectures on Physics He also published a

number of books for the general public

including the bestselling memoir Surely

Yoursquore Joking Mr Feynman In addition he

served as a member of a council charged

with evaluating books of mathematics and

physics for primary and secondary public

schools in California

Endowed through the generosity of

William and Sally Hurt and Ione and Robert

Paradise the Feynman Prize consists

of a cash award that is matched by an

equivalent raise in the annual salary of

the awardee All professorial faculty of the

Institute are eligible and nominations for

the Feynman Teaching Prize are welcome

from faculty students postdoctoral

scholars staff and alumni

The Genius of Teaching

I donrsquot believe I can really do without teachingthe studentskeep life goingrdquoRichard P Feynman Surely Yoursquore Joking Mr Feynman









Harvard University



























an experiencerdquo





































2012-2013

2011-201





and Social Science

































Oxford in 1984-85



































2010-2011

2009-20





























































2008-2009

2007-20













material himself








observation



































have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu









Harvard University



























an experiencerdquo





































2012-2013

2011-201





and Social Science

































Oxford in 1984-85



































2010-2011

2009-20





























































2008-2009

2007-20













material himself








observation



































have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





and Social Science

































Oxford in 1984-85



































2010-2011

2009-20





























































2008-2009

2007-20













material himself








observation



































have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





























































2008-2009

2007-20













material himself








observation



































have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu













material himself








observation



































have ever metrdquo

2006-2007

2005-20


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu


































Caltechrdquo

























2004-2005

2003-20













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu













course






the studentsrdquo







discussrdquo
















student














2002-2003

2001-200





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





Planetary Science










book workrdquo







students to 165






















Examples include


City mayberdquo








and hiking

2000-2001

1999-20





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





Columbia University






















1998-1999


















individuals






Academy of Sciences






1997-19





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





























participants




1995-19



























1996-1997





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu





Civil Engineering







































practice physics





















1994-1995

1993-19






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu






1993 983085 2013
























PICTURE CREDITS








and Communications





27



wwwcaltechedu



27



wwwcaltechedu

the richard p. feynman prize for excellence in teaching at caltech

Documents