The Leigh Page Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching recognizes broad and impactful contributions to physics education at Yale, both within our department and the broader community. The 2024-2025 academic year winners are Shivnag Sista, a graduate student in Corey O’Hern’s lab, and Yarone Tokayer, a graduate student working with Frank van den Bosch.
Shivnag Sista
Sista’s citation, “For his dedication and many years of service as a tutor and TF for both Yale College and the Physics Graduate Program, making the most intimidating and complex subjects approachable with his generous and patient approach, and contagious enthusiasm.”
Shivnag is a fifth-year physics graduate student working on the physics of droplet flows in microfluidic devices. Outside of research, he holds walk-in office hours for all undergraduate physics courses at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. He has also been a TF for several graduate and undergraduate courses. In 2023, he was among 11 Yale graduate students named a Prize Teaching Fellow for his work as a TF for PHYS 401. In addition, he organizes introductory bootcamps for incoming physics graduate students and provides help for students preparing for the qualifier examination.
Sista commented, “This recognition means a lot to me, since teaching is one activity that I have really enjoyed during my time here. Given the highly specialized nature of research, a lot of general physics knowledge and skills that we learn during our early graduate years atrophies with time. Teaching is a great way to prevent that. In addition, it’s always nice to help students overcome the same conceptual struggles that felt so big when I was an undergraduate student myself.”
Yarone Tokayer
Tokayer’s citation, “For his broad teaching experience, inspiring young scientists in settings ranging from K-12, Yale College to graduate courses, his dedication to his students, and for using a pedagogical approach that focuses on building a supportive and welcoming learning environment.”
Yarone Tokayer is a fourth-year graduate student working on the dynamics of dark matter halos. He organizes the interdisciplinary History and Foundations of Physics reading group and presents at Yale’s Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium.
Tokayer commented, “I feel very honored to receive the Leigh Page Award. I am grateful to be part of a department that values quality teaching and outreach, and to contribute toward realizing that value alongside the many dedicated members of Yale Physics.”
The Leigh Page Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching seeks to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in graduate student teaching, distinct among the already high standard of teaching that graduate students in the physics department consistently achieve. This award will support the Yale Physics graduate program learning goal that “Students will become educators and communicators with the ability to promote an understanding and appreciation of physics across the university and in society,” and help solidify in our community that effective and informed teaching is one of our core values.