Tag Archives: Science Teachers

NY STEM teacher Xue Qing Liang garners coveted PAEMST award

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Science teacher Xue Qing Liang of Brooklyn, New York, has garnered a coveted 2023 PAEMST award. Photo credit: United Federation of Teachers

There are so many talented educators who have earned recognition for their hard work in the classroom. One of these is Xue Qing Liang, a high school science teacher from Brooklyn, New York. She has garnered a coveted 2023 PAEMST award.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, recognize the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a meeting with the President and a $10,000 cash prize.

Xue Qing teaches Chemistry at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn. She has taught at the school for seven years. In her classroom, the honored teacher incorporates engineering design, role playing, and reflective discussions in her lesson plans. Her students act as investigators and solve a real-world problems. Furthermore, to help minimize language barriers, Xue Qing teaches a Chinese Bilingual Chemistry class.

In addition to her classroom lessons, Xue Qing is involved with her school’s Science Olympiad. Also, she has participated in Math for America where she co-designs environmentally sustainable labs by incorporating the principles of green chemistry. She has also participated in Engineering for Tomorrow, discussing students’ final projects with NASA engineers.

Xue Qing earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the College of Staten Island. She earned a Master’s degree in Science Education from CUNY Brooklyn College, and a second Master’s degree in Chinese from Hunter College. She also completed the requirements for an Advanced Certificate in Bilingual Education from Brooklyn College.

CA educator, physician, and veteran Dr. Cleveland Wright

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Educator and physician Dr. Cleveland Wright served our country honorably in the military during World War II. Photo credit: Tribute Archive

There have been many multi-talented educators who have served our country honorably in the military. One of these is Dr. Cleveland Wright, a World War II veteran, teacher, and physician.

Cleveland was born on Nov. 16, 1924, in Sumter, South Carolina. Sadly, his father passed away when Cleveland was just a small boy. He attended public schools in his home town, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1942, the salutatorian of his class. The next year, with World War II in full swing, Cleveland went into the US Army. He served in the Philippines until the the end of the war, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. In 1946, he earned an Honorable Discharge.

Once his military service was completed, Cleveland returned to the United States, Landin in Washington, DC, where he enrolled at Howard University, a historically Black college. There he majored in zoology, completing the requirements for his Bachelor’s degree in 1949. He also became a member of the Omega Phi Fraternity.

Once he earned his college degree, Cleveland returned to South Carolina, where accepted a position teaching chemistry and physics at his high school alma mater at Lincoln. His career as an educator spanned nine years. During this time, he married Mildred Tidwell, and one son was born to the couple.

In 1958, Cleveland returned to Howard University, where he earned a degree in medicine in 1962. He then moved with. his family to the city of Riverside in Southern California, where he completed his internship and residency at Riverside Community Hospital. Once this work was completed, Cleveland established a private practice where he worked for 27 years. A beloved member of the community, he was recognized by Black Voice News in 1986 for his commitment and dedication to providing a better quality of life to the citizens of Riverside and San Bernardino through health care. He retired from the medical profession in 2008.

During some of these years, Cleveland served as the team doctor for the Rubidoux High School football team. He was also elected to the Riverside Unified School District Board of Education in 1976, the first African American to become a member of that body. He served a total of 14 years on the Board, and from 1982 to 1984, he acted as the Board’s President. He was also a member of the NAACP and the Rotary Club.

Dr. Cleveland Wright passed away on May 31, 2023, in Rialto, California. He was 98 years old. As a veteran, he was interred at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Former Minnesota science teacher Jeff Isaacson is also an Olympic athlete

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Olympic athlete Jeff Isaacson taught junior high school science courses in Gilbert, Minnesota. Photo credit: Time Magazine

There are a few examples in our country’s history when an outstanding athlete is also an educator. One of these is Jeff Isaacson, a former science teacher from Minnesota who  competed in the Olympic Games—twice!

Jeff was born on July 14, 1983, in Virginia, Minnesota. Even as a boy, he expressed an interested in the sport of curling. As a young man, he attended Bemidi State University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Science, and the University of Wisconsin, Superior, where he earned his Master’s degree in Teaching Administration.

In 2010, Jeff worked as a substitute teacher in Gilbert Junior High School in Gilbert, Minnesota. Eventually, he was offered a permanent position as a science teacher at Eveleth-Gilbert Junior High. He instructed courses in chemistry, Earth science, and life science to students in grades six through eight.

While earning his living as a teacher, Jeff formed a curling team and developed his talents as an athlete. In 2007, he captured a World University Gold Medal title in Italy. In 2009, the team captured the Moncton World Men’s Championship title. In both 2010 and 2014, Jeff and his team competed in the Winter Olympics. In the 2010 Games, which were held in Vancouver, Canada, the men finished in 10th place. In the 2014 Games, which were held in Sochi, Russia, the team finished in 9th place.

As a send-off to the Olympics, a special assembly was held at the school. His kids presented him a jumbo-sized gold medal and chanted encouraging slogans. “The students were so excited about it,” Jeff recalled. “They all had these signs with my picture on it. What a nice thing they did,” he continued.

Currently, Jeff works as the Curling Center Manager at the Chaska Curling Center in Chaska, Minnesota.

 

DC STEM teacher Rabiah Harris earned prestigious PAEMST

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Middle school STEM teacher Rabiah Harris of Washington, DC, has earned a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching). Photo credit: Rabiah Harris

It is always a pleasure to recognize exemplary teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. Today we celebrate middle school teacher Rabiah Harris of Washington, DC. She has garnered a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching).

The PAEMST recognizes the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.

In a career that has spanned ten years, Rabiah has worked the past two of them at Ida B. Wells Middle School in Washington, DC. She also serves as the Science Department Chair there. Prior to her position at Wells, she taught at Jefferson Middle School Academy, Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School, and Kelly Miller High School, all schools that are part of the District of Columbia Public Schools System.

Rabiah says the work she does on her campus enables her to make a significant contribution to improving student learning. “It all boils down to the fact that I love to help others, peers and students, and will do that in any and everywhere I can!” she declares. “It’s fun to be a part of such a strong community as the middle school has,” she continues.

Rabiah earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Howard University in 2004. She earned her Master’s degree in Secondary Science Education in 2005. She completed the requirements for her PhD in STEM Education from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018. In addition to her PAEMST, Rabiah garnered a Shell Urban Science Teacher Award from National Science Teachers Association in 2020.

 

MA science teacher Alexandria Sylvia earns MAST Award

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Chemistry teacher Alexandria Sylvia garnered a 2022 Dawn Sather Exemplary New Teacher Award from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers. Photo Credit: Brockton Public Schools

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Alexandria Sylvia, a science teacher from Massachusetts who has garnered a 2022 Dawn Sather Exemplary New Teacher Award from MAST (Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers). The New Teacher Award is given each year to teachers who have demonstrated remarkable achievement, accomplishment, and promise as science educators.

Alexandria teaches Chemistry at Brockton High School in Brockton, Massachusetts. She has done this for the past four years. Over the past two years, Alex has served as a member of her school’s Science Department Steering Committee. In addition, she coaches the field hockey team. Alexandria also teaches Earth Science in the school district’s evening and summer school programs, and she serves as a support teacher in the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Biotech Apprenticeship Program.

The honored educator is obviously well-regarded by her colleagues. “Alex is a wonderfully positive person and her enthusiasm for teaching science is infectious,” declares Dr. David Mangus, Chair of the Brockton High School Science Department. “The energy she brings to the classroom and the student-centered activities she designs, draw students in and trigger their innate curiosity,” he says.

Alexandria teaches in the same high school she attended as a teenager. She graduated from Brockton High School in 2014. Prior to teaching at Brockton, she inaugurated her career as an educator at the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

After graduating from high school, Alexandria completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry at Stonehill College located in Easton, MA. While there, she worked as a research assistant. Her research focused on the M13mp bacteriophage vectors that infect E. coli cells. She also completed a one-week community service project sponsored by Stonehill College. She traveled to Tennessee with ten other people and worked to repair and repaint a woman’s home, improve landscaping, and worked in the food pantry at the volunteer house where they were staying.

Alexandria Sylvia: Truly an impressive young educator.