Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).
Awardees come from schools in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, and schools in the United States territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Nominations and awards are facilitated by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation. The individuals and organizations announced today are 2017 and 2018 Awardees.
Presidential award for K-12 teachers
Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award given by the U.S. Government to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science.
A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the State and national levels assess the applications before recommending nominees to OSTP. Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Presidential award for STEM mentors
PAESMEM recognizes the critical roles mentors play outside the traditional classroom setting in the academic and professional development of the future STEM workforce.
Colleagues, administrators, and students nominate individuals and organizations for exemplary mentoring sustained over a minimum of five years. Since 1995, PAESMEM has honored the hard work and dedication which mentors exhibit in broadening participation in the STEM pipeline.
Mentors support learners from kindergarten through the collegiate levels, as well as those who recently started their careers in STEM. Mentors share their expertise and guidance with learners, sometimes through formal mentoring programs. Learners are often from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM.
Recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching:
Alabama
Kristin Bundren, Spain Park High School
Sue Noah, Athens Elementary School
Kevin Pughsley, Berry Middle School
Lorie White, Rogers High School
Alaska
Jennifer Childress, Dimond High School
Joshua Hall, Dimond High School
Dawn Wilcox, Campbell STEM Elementary
Angie Wright, Auke Bay Elementary School
Arizona
Svea Anderson, Agua Caliente Elementary School
Amee Legarra, Richardson Elementary School
Deborah Nipar, Hamilton High School
Nicole Whitt, Empire High School
Arkansas
Corey Boby, Benton High School
Cheri DeSoto, Holt Middle School
Anna Shaw, J.O. Kelly Middle School
Tiffany Taylor, Rogers Heritage High School
California
Elizabeth Henderson, California School for the Deaf, Riverside
Jose Rivas, Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy
Megan Smith, Lincoln Fundamental Elementary School
Andrew Walter, Amos Alonzo Stagg Senior High
Colorado
Jina Bradford, STEM Lab
Jennifer Moriarty, CEC Early College
Kate Pacheck, Prairie Winds Elementary School
Tamara Pennington, Windsor High School
Connecticut
Kimberly Moran, Rogers Park Middle School
Kristina Ngai, William J. Johnston Middle School
Diane Pintavalle, Glastonbury High School
Peter Shanazu, Fairfield Warde High School
Delaware
Joshua Gates, The Tatnall School
Kathleen Olenderski, Alfred G. Waters Middle School
Danielle Rash, Olive B. Loss Elementary School
Jennah Truitt, Lord Baltimore Elementary School
District of Columbia
Mark Howell, Gonzaga College High School
Brittany Lewis, DC Prep Anacostia Elementary Campus
Cecilia Newman, Alice Deal Middle School
Tolulola Odukoya, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School
DoDEA
Amy Dougherty, Aukamm Elementary School
Patrick McDonald, Yokota Middle School
Michael Pope, Zama Middle High School
Deborah Young, Garmisch Elementary Middle School
Florida
Karina Moran, Manatee Elementary School
Tiffany Oliver, T.R. Robinson High School
Lorraine Plageman, Jupiter Community High School
Laura Steele, Wright Elementary School
Georgia
Ashley Greenway, Elm Street Elementary
Tanasha Mahone, Burgess-Peterson Academy
Martha Milam, East Coweta High School
Billy Singletary, Coahulla Creek High School
Hawaii
Richard Brian Ogawa, Kanoelani Elementary School
Daphne Okunaga, Pearl City High School
Daniel Taira, Lehua Elementary School
Nel Venzon Jr., Mililani High School
Idaho
Deirdre Abrams, Donnelly Elementary School
Sean Boston, Capital High School
Vonda Franklin, Washington Elementary School
Erin Tiderman-Gross, Rocky Mountain High School
Illinois
Philip Culcasi, Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Natalie Johnson, Metea Valley High School
Aimee Park, Lisle Junior High School
Kristy Regan, Hazelgreen Elementary School
Indiana
David Ferris, Noblesville High School
John Gensic, Penn High School
Aaron Hamilton, Wyandotte Elementary School
Holly Miller, Riverside Intermediate School
Iowa
Maria Granadillo, McKinley Middle School
Deborah Little, Denver Elementary School
Katherine McGrane, Margaretta Carey Elementary School
Michael Todd, Ames High School
Kansas
Heidi Albin, Complete High School Maize
Monica Dreiling, Lincoln Elementary School
Sarah Rand, Central Heights Elementary School
Stephen Smith, Christa McAuliffe K-8 Academy
Kentucky
Deborah Brock, Simon Kenton High School
Kristi Fehr, Cassidy Elementary School
Melanie Ramey, Highland Elementary School
Erin Schneider, Atherton High School
Louisiana
Mandy Boudwin, Lutcher High School
Troy Hobson, Greenlawn Terrace Elementary School
Lisa Swenson, Isidore Newman School
Tabitha Vu, Dutchtown High School
Maine
Heather Dorr, Ella Lewis School
Kirsten Gould, Buxton Center Elementary School
Priya Natarajan, Casco Bay High School
Alyson Saunders, Dexter Regional High School
Maryland
Justin Bright, Boonsboro High School
Elizabeth Brown, North Harford High School
Denise Kresslein, Westminster West Middle School
Raymond Weber, Salem Avenue Elementary
Massachusetts
Danielle Merdin, Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School
Aaron Osowiecki, Boston Latin School
Jamil Siddiqui, East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School
Melissa Zeitz, Liberty Elementary School
Michigan
Megan Bartley, Benzie Central High School
Linda Bensyl, Wayland Union High School
Ellen McDonald, Walled Lake Elementary School
Katherine Stevenson, Fisher Elementary School
Minnesota
Stacy Bartlett, Stillwater Area High School
Patricia Haugh, Wildwood Elementary School
Michael Larson, Chippewa Middle School
David McGill, Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School
Mississippi
Carrie Koenigsberger, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
Shelby Miller, Singing River Academy
Michelle Robinson, Madison Central High School
Theresa Rose, Stone Elementary School
Missouri
Katherine Lodes, St. Joseph's Academy
Shelley Paul, Anderson Elementary School
Terri Politte, Duello Elementary School
Stacey Wade, Frontier Middle School
Montana
Justine Hurley, White Sulphur Springs Elementary School
Claire Pichette, Helena High School
Thomas Redmon, Daly Elementary School
Beth Walsh, East Valley Middle School
Nebraska
Alicia Davis, Scott Middle School
Pamela Petersen, York Middle School
Rochelle Settles, Fredstrom Elementary School
Melissa Szatko, Indian Hill Elementary
Nevada
Suzette Champagne, Jessie Beck Elementary
Christine Donahue, Ted Hunsberger Elementary School
Kristen Taylor, Advanced Technologies Academy
Heather Witt, K.O. Knudson Middle School
New Hampshire
Elise Catalano, Rye Junior High
Angela Lennox, Exeter High School
Bryan Smith, Bethlehem Elementary School
Gregory Snoke, Captain Samuel Douglass Academy
New Jersey
Michael Dunlea, Tabernacle Elementary School
Patricia Lee, Lumberton Middle School
Siobhan McVay, Delran High School
Ralph Pantozzi, Kent Place School
New Mexico
Krystal Irby, nex+Gen Academy
Cindy Lee, Snell Middle School
Erin Mayer, Janet Kahn School of Integrated Arts
Eric Schultz, Sixth Grade Academy
New York
Daniel Anderson, Queensbury High School
Anneliese Bopp, Sodus Intermediate School
Elizabeth Guzzetta, Allendale Columbia School
Marianne Strayton, Woodglen Elementary School
North Carolina
Wendy Bartlett, Reagan High School
Elizabeth Gillikin, Smyrna Elementary School
Laura Lawrence, Asheville School
Kathryn Matthews, Valle Crucis Elementary School
North Dakota
Pat Boehmer, Carrington High School
Andrew Braaten, Carrington High School
Gretchen Peterson, Liberty Middle School
Andrew Potter, Eastwood Elementary School
Ohio
Nancy Edmondson, Clough Pike Elementary School
Gloria Gajewicz, Bowling Green High School
Lisa Holt-Taylor, Boyd E. Smith Elementary
Julie Randolph, Alexander Jr. High/High School
Oklahoma
Gena Barnhill, Rollingwood Elementary School
Megan Cannon, Sapulpa Middle School
Jayci Harris, Homer Elementary School
Julie Klingensmith, Norman High School
Oregon
Christopher Bartlo, Wilson High School
Monet Biancucci, Pine Ridge Elementary School
Carol Biskupic Knight, Sato Elementary School
Gregory Smith, West Salem High School
Pennsylvania
Mary Brown, Central Columbia Elementary School
Joel Crowley, Milton Hershey School
Steven Miller, Upper St. Clair High School
Janet Waldeck, Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
Rhode Island
Lindsay Bliven, Ashaway Elementary School
Kerri Luchka, Western Coventry Elementary School
Kristina Sparfven, Chariho Middle School
David Upegui, Central Falls High School
South Carolina
Alison Espinosa, A.C. Flora High School
Benjamin Sinnett, Greenville Middle Academy
Patricia Smith, Bethel Elementary School
Robert Spencer, T.L. Hanna High School
South Dakota
Louise Lindskov, Timber Lake High School
Leah Oxner, West Middle School
Kelly Preheim, Armour Elementary School
Kimberly Webber, Black Hawk Elementary School
Tennessee
Heather Knox, Northfield Elementary
Kristina Krautkremer, Dobyns-Bennett High School
Karla West, Coulter Grove Intermediate School
Cicely Woodard, West End Middle School
Texas
Dolores Lollie Garay, Redd School
Angelica Niño, Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School
Wanda Streepey, Highland Park Middle School
Brenda Williams, Argyle Intermediate School
United States Territories
Myriam Medina, Robinson School
Ines Muniz Miret, The Baldwin School of Puerto Rico
Joseph John Muna, William S. Reyes Elementary School
Judy Naz, Okkodo High School
Shernore Prince, Joseph Sibilly Elementary School
Crystal Vanterpool-Richardson, Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School
Arlene Vilá, Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Utah
Jill Buchsbaum, Uintah Elementary School
Deborah Morgan, South Sevier High School
Rachel Reeder, Bridger Elementary
Orson Spencer, Juab High School
Vermont
Christine Depatie, Swanton School
Jessica Litchfield, Berkshire Elementary School
Sharron Prairie, Williamstown Middle High School
Heather Vonada, Woodstock Union High School
Virginia
William Daly, Albemarle High School
Melissa Follin, Old Donation School
Dianna McDowell, Old Donation School
LoriAnn Pawlik, Penn Elementary School
Washington
George Christoph, River Ridge High School
Matthew Pederson, Weyerhaeuser Elementary School
Angela Salo, DeLong Elementary
James Yoos, Bellingham High School
West Virginia
Erika Klose, Winfield Middle School
Craig Mason, New Martinsville School
Jaime Pettit, Moundsville Middle School
Allison Shriver, Bradley Elementary School
Wisconsin
Richard Erickson, Bayfield High School
Michelle Howe, Lodi Middle School
Kevin Reese, Clintonville High School
Rebecca Saeman, Sauk Trail Elementary School
Wyoming
Necole Hanks, Powell Middle School
Amy Kassel, East High School
Helen Ommen, Spring Creek Elementary School
James Stith, Newcastle High School
Recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring:
Alabama
J. Michael Wyss, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Arizona
Sally Stevens, University of Arizona
California
Dominique Evans, Glendale Unified School District
Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California
Illinois
Jennifer Schwarz, Chicago Botanic Garden
Massachusetts
Gail Breslow, The Clubhouse Network Museum of Science
Minnesota
Eugenia Paulus, North Hennepin Community College
New Jersey
Howard Kimmel, New Jersey Institute of Technology
North Carolina
Salil Desai, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
Sekazi Mtingwa, Triangle Science, Education & Economic Development, LLC
Pennsylvania
Amy Freeman, The Pennsylvania State University
Texas
Dominick Casadonte, Jr., Texas Tech University
Karen Lozano, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Jamboor Vishwanatha, University of North Texas Health Science Center
Virginia
Robin Dunbar, Elizabeth River Project
