Middle school mathematics teacher Katrina Williams from Ames, Iowa, earned a coveted 2022 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award. Photo credit: Ames Tribune
Many hardworking educators create innovative STEM programs for their eager learners. One of these is Katrina Williams, a middle school teacher from Iowa whose innovative curriculum earned her a coveted 2022 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award from the Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This award celebrates five K-12 educators from around the country who have gone above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
As part of her AAIA award, Katrina received $5,000, and an additional $5,000 went to her school. In addition, she received free access to Challenger Center STEM programming which supplements classroom lessons through Earth and space-themed journeys. The programming includes hands-on, simulated learning experiences; Center Missions delivered at Challenger Learning Centers around the globe; Virtual Missions delivered by Challenger Learning Center Flight Directors; and digital experiences delivered by teachers in their classrooms. To learn more about the Trailblazer Award, click on this link to AIAA.
Katrina’s career as an educator spans 28 years. Currently, she teaches mathematics at Ames Middle School in Ames, Iowa. The honored teacher is enthusiastic about connecting real-world STEM careers and lessons to her classroom. She has made it her mission to expose underserved and under-represented students to STEM disciplines and careers. But her work to support learners goes beyond her classroom walls. In order to expand her students’ experiences, she frequently hosts STEM-focused after-school activities, field trips, and career expos.
Garnering an AIAA award is not the only recognition Katrina has earned. In Dec. 2022, she was named to the She was also an Academic Advisor at Iowa State University and a former Director of the Mathematics Laboratory at Spelman College. And she is a 2021-2022 Iowa’s Fierce and Fearless STEM Teacher Recipient and a Code.org Computer Science (CS) Discoveries Iowa educator.
Katrina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, and her Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. Katrina is a member of EDGE-Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education. She is a certified gifted educator and certified SPED-Special Education educator.
