Sarah Demers, professor of physics, was among two faculty members who were awarded the William Clyde DeVane Award for outstanding scholarship and undergraduate teaching by Yale’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa during its annual reception for Yale seniors.
The DeVane award, the oldest teaching award in Yale College, has been conferred annually by the chapter since 1966. DeVane, the award’s namesake, was dean of Yale College from 1938 until 1963; a long-time president of the Yale chapter; and a senator and president of the national society of Phi Beta Kappa.
Each year, graduate members of the society elect one medal recipient from among the retired members of the faculty, and undergraduate members elect an undergraduate teaching medal recipient from among the active members of the faculty.
During the award presentation, Zach Moynihan, a Yale senior who presented Demers with the DeVane award on behalf of undergraduate members of the chapter, said some of the words that students used to describe Demers are “insanely observant and attentive,” “attuned to her students’ needs,” “enthusiastic,” and “an icon”.
As a pre-med student, Moynihan told the audience that he took Demers’ introductory physics course because it was a required prerequisite. But, he added, he “grew to love and appreciate the discipline, all thanks to her enthusiasm and dedication as an instructor.”
“[She] is compassionate, flexible, and fiercely knowledgeable,” Moynihan said. “She uses real-world examples and live demonstrations to guide the content of her course.”
“Most important[ly],” he added, “she inspires students “and makes them feel like they belong in STEM… [She has] deep respect for learners of all backgrounds and believes that physics — and science more broadly — should be both accessible and exhilarating.”
Demers commented about winning the prize, “I’ve had the privilege to teach introductory physics to our biology-focused students for the past three years, and I find this award from the students to be really meaningful. It’s a relatively large class, by Yale standards, full almost exclusively with people who are required to be there due to their major or pre-med requirements. But the students work hard in the course, tackling everything from fluid dynamics to Maxwell’s equations, at the edge of what their mathematics prerequisites prepare them for. We use a book co-created by department Professor Simon Mochrie (“Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences”) that really brings the content to life through biophysics examples. It’s been thrilling to see the students lean into their curiosity and gain a better appreciation for physics over the course of two semesters.”
This story was adapted from the Yale News story of April 28, 2025.