University of Minnesota Morris Associate Professor of Physics Sylke Boyd has earned the 2025 University of Minnesota Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award. This award honors individual faculty members for their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education by calling attention to educational philosophies, objectives, and methods.
Boyd’s nomination describes her as “a true polymath; a dedicated professor, approaching her craft with passion and life-changing zeal; an amazing mentor with a long list of successful research mentees; a tireless advocate for her field and the university at large with a history of public engagement and outreach.”
Boyd believes that one of the great strengths and rewards of working at a liberal arts school is that “one tends to become a universalist.”
Boyd has taught more than 20 different distinct courses across all levels, including freshmen experiences, science courses for general audiences, typical introductory as well as upper-level physics courses, and special interest electives. She has developed new courses, as well as undertaken outreach, such as “Minute Physics”---a simple demonstration that can be done and understood in a minute---and open viewing events in the campus observatory.
Boyd notes that her motivation comes from the students.
“I love teaching physics and the journey this challenge has taken me on. Knowing that everything we do here matters gives me the strength and motivation, and the assurance, to dedicate my work to the physics program and the Morris campus at large. Teaching and learning are intertwined closely. Mostly, I am trying to bring a spirit of enthusiasm of discovery to everything I do.”
Former students agree that Boyd’s concern for their education was apparent. Michelle King ’16 wrote, “It was always a good day when she was wheeling the cart into the classroom for a demonstration! My favorite class with her was Atmospheric Physics. Still to this day I use the website from the course to explain what’s happening with the weather. The foundation of knowledge that I developed in that class has helped me far beyond it.”
This sentiment was echoed by another former student, Zach Klasse, ’14, who wrote, “The skills I learned during my research have been crucial to my success during my graduate studies, as well as in my professional career.”
A member of the UMN Morris physics faculty since 2004, Boyd received her diploma and a doctoral degree in theoretical physics from the University of Technology in Chemnitz, Germany.
About the UMMAA Teaching Award
The University of Minnesota Morris Alumni Association established the UMMAA Teaching Award in 1997 to honor individual faculty members for outstanding contributions to undergraduate education. Learn more at alumni.morris.umn.edu.