Pinanski Prize

Ama Baafra Abeberese ’04, associate professor of economics

Through her expertise and her ethic of care, Ama Baafra Abeberese ’04, associate professor of economics, challenges her students to grasp complex economic theories while providing a scaffolding of support and inclusion—all of which helps them grow as individuals and become stronger, more analytical thinkers.

Students remark that while Professor Abeberese’s teaching is rigorous in its demands, she creates an environment that is fun and welcoming. She has a disarming sense of humor, one nominator wrote, and she makes a point of incorporating students’ interests from outside of class into the curriculum, bringing excitement without compromising learning. 

Professor Abeberese’s influence on her students is profound. She encourages them “to be their very best and to push the boundaries of what they think they can do,” one student wrote, while making the classroom a space where failure is not something to fear but rather a stepping stone toward growth.

Said the student, “She was constantly asking us to not just think mathematically but also ‘intuitively’ … I still hear her in my head as I approach an econ problem.”

For earning her students’ trust, inspiring them to achieve, and personally investing in their success, it is an honor to present Ama Baafra Abeberese with the Anna and Samuel Pinanski Teaching Prize.

Adam Matthews, senior lecturer in biological sciences

Adam Matthews, senior lecturer in biological sciences, has a consistent and clear goal as an educator: the academic success and growth of every student. 

One former student, whose sentiments were echoed by others, said he has the “remarkable ability to make the complex field of immunology accessible and creates a classroom environment that challenged me to think beyond what I thought I knew.” 

His teaching is defined by an unwavering emphasis on “critical thinking and student empowerment” that eschews easy answers, wrote another student. By challenging his class to think more deeply, the student added, Adam Mathews “increased my confidence as a student and a scientist, but also inspired me to adopt similar teaching techniques in my own work as a biological sciences tutor.” 

Students also praise his enthusiasm, kindness, and sense of fun—and the famous jar of chocolates he always has at the ready to supply building blocks for experiments and models.

For making it his mission to engage all his students and ensuring that they have equal opportunities to succeed, it is an honor to present Adam Matthews with the Anna and Samuel Pinanski Teaching Prize.

Daniel Zitnick, lecturer in Arabic language

Daniel Zitnick, lecturer in Arabic language, has earned his students’ heartfelt respect and admiration by bringing Arabic to life in his classroom. 

“Ustaadh Dan,” or Professor Dan, as his students affectionately refer to him, has been called generous, kind, patient, and engaging—all attributes that help him teach the complexities and nuances of a language many of them are encountering for the first time. In particular, his students call out his “deep understanding of the needs of beginner language learners” and his “incredible skill for explaining new concepts while speaking entirely in Arabic.”

With energy and encouragement, he opens his students not only to a love of the Arabic language but to Arabic culture, literature, and music as well. He makes learning “one of the most challenging and daunting languages for English speakers an approachable feat,” said one student.

Daniel Zitnick is committed to innovative instruction and immerses himself in the latest research in second-language acquisition, and students find his expertise and creativity have been crucial to their success.

For his remarkable ability to bring clarity to the difficult and to inspire a love of learning, it is an honor to present Daniel Zitnick with the Anna and Samuel Pinanski Teaching Prize.