Yale Bulletin and Calendar

March 15, 2002

Volume 30, Number 22

Two-Week Issue

Erikson and Timmons awarded DeVane Medals

Yale sociologist Kai Erikson and economist Christopher Timmins have been awarded this year's William Clyde DeVane Medals in recognition of their distinguished scholarship and outstanding teaching.

The medals, given each year by the Yale Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, were presented at society's annual dinner on March 4.

The medal is named for William Clyde DeVane, who was dean of Yale College 1938-1963 and served as president both of the Yale and United Chapters of Phi Beta Kappa. Conferred since 1966, the DeVane Medal is a prestigious tribute to excellence of scholarship and is the oldest and highest-ranking award for undergraduate teaching at Yale.

Graduate members of Phi Beta Kappa select a retired faculty member for the honor and Yale College seniors who are members of Phi Beta Kappa choose an honoree from among those active faculty members who have been teaching at Yale for at least five years. Thus, Erikson, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor Emeritus of Sociology and American Studies, was chosen for the medal by alumni, and Timmins, assistant professor of economics, was elected by current undergraduates.

Erikson, a member of the faculty since 1966, has focused much of his research on the way human beings react to disasters, trauma and catastrophe. He has examined human communities in periods ranging from the 17th to 20th centuries, studying neighborhoods around nuclear power stations, communities affected by devastating floods and neighborhoods in war-torn Kosovo, among many other issues. His books include "A New Species of Trouble," "Everything in Its Path: Collective Trauma -- The Loss of Community," "Wayward Puritans" and "In the Wake of a Flood."

In presenting Erikson with the DeVane Medal, Yale College Dean Richard H. Brodhead praised the social scientist for enhancing the world's understanding of the vulnerability and fragility of human relationships and communities. In addition to Erikson's masterful writing style and accomplished scholarship, Brodhead cited the scholar's numerous University commitments over the years and his roles beyond: as master of Trumbull College, chair of the Department of Sociology and of the American Studies Program; editor for more than a decade of The Yale Review; and president of both the American Sociological Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems. Brodhead also credited Erikson for being a voice of reason in all his endeavors and expressed his personal admiration for two of the sociologist's books, "Wayward Puritans" and "Everything In Its Path."

Timmins, who joined the Yale faculty in 1997, has focused his economic research in microeconomics on current social or environmental problems, studying, among other topics, the economic cost of global warming.

Jennifer Nou, the undergraduate president of Phi Beta Kappa and one of Timmins' students, presented him with his DeVane Medal. She noted Timmins' commitment to helping undergraduates learn, recounting how in the two economics classes she had with him, "Chris Timmins went out of his way to ensure that his students were grasping the material. He held extra office hours every week in addition to holding his own review sessions before exams -- even when the T.A.'s [teaching assistants] were offering their own." Furthermore, she said, as an adviser to numerous undergraduates and graduate students, Timmins "gladly" gives of his time by meeting weekly for lengthy periods with his advisees "while also dispensing invaluable guidance regarding fellowship and post-graduate options," writing personal letters of recommendation and taking a "sincere interest in our future pursuits."

Nou noted that Timmins' has continued to meet regularly with students while on a leave of absence as the new father of triplets. "Surely, this is not only a 'nice' man, but one who is dedicated to this University," Nou concluded.

Mary E. Miller, the Vincent J. Scully Professor of History of Art and the graduate president of the Yale chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, was the master of ceremonies at the awards dinner. Part of the ceremonies was the presentation of a poem commissioned expressly for the event, a tradition that was revived seven years ago. This year's Phi Beta Kappa poet was Robert B. Shaw '72 M.Phil, '74 Ph.D., a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College. The speaker for the event was New Haven architect Cesar Pelli, a former dean of Yale's School of Architecture.

Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest undergraduate honors organization, was founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Four years later, the original Phi Beta Kappa Society was abruptly forced to cease operations as the British army under Cornwalis advanced on Williamsburg. The year before, however, the society had already granted charters to Yale and Harvard, making them the second and third chapters of the society, respectively.

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