She was also applauded for the broad accessibility of her section presentations.

“What was most impressive about Kate was her unique ability to teach a broad range of students from freshman in college to graduate students and make them all feel an integral part of the learning community,” a student wrote.

To nominate a professor for the award, students filled out on online form which several SAC members evaluated to determine the three winners.

Chopra said the SAC awards committee looked for teachers who inspired their students and tried to get to know them personally. He added the number of nominations was not considered in determining the winners, but rather the qualities noted on the nomination forms.

“We looked for teachers who were interested in their students as a person and a future scholar rather than someone they had to teach,” Chopra said.

The record level of applications, he added, made it difficult to cull three winners from the many nominated.

The Levenson family endowed the award—given each year—in memory of Joseph R. Levenson ’41, a former Harvard history professor.

Tom Levenson, who spoke briefly to introduce the event, remembered his father as a shy and quiet teacher who “treated his students not as junior members but as colleagues with less knowledge.”

He also praised the council for its energy in sustaining the award for two decades.

“It’s a long time for a purely student-run activity to survive and thrive,” he said.

—Staff writer William M. Rasmussen can be reached at wrasmuss@fas.harvard.edu.