STEM Leadership Center Announces Science Educators Selected For STEM Teaching Fellowship

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The STEM Leadership Center today announced the ten science teachers who have been selected as the 2015/16 cohort for the STEM Teaching Fellowship, a competitive program that provides professional training experiences to outstanding New York State certified science teachers. The fellows have undergone a rigorous selection process by a panel of their peers and STEM professionals.

The 2015/16 fellows represent both middle and high schools from Dutchess, Nassau, Ulster, Rockland, and Westchester Counties and the Bronx:

• Deborah Kravchuck of Hyde Park
• Andrew Wallace of the Bronx
• Ann Marie Lipinsky of Katonah-Lewisboro
• Terrance Bissoondial of Hewlitt-Woodmere
• Valerie Zumbo of New Rochelle
• Kathleen VanBaren of Onteora
• Kelly Cappa of Rye Neck
• Kimberly Fleming of White Plains
• Doria Hillsman of East Ramapo
• Randy Gunnel of Harrison

Photos and biographies of the Fellows are available on stemedcenter.org.

"By training these teachers, we have an opportunity to enrich STEM teaching and learning for thousands of students in our region with the goal to ignite interest and inspire more careers in science and engineering," said Lawrence Perretto, Executive Director of the STEM Leadership Center. "We are thrilled to partner with Regeneron for a second year to deliver this ground-breaking STEM Teaching Fellowship program to ten more teachers."

The STEM Teaching Fellowship, made possible by a $75,000 grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, is presented in collaboration with Teachers College of Columbia University and the NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project.

"At Regeneron, we are committed to fostering the future of biomedical innovation and believe that teachers are an integral influence in a student's choice to pursue a STEM career. We are proud to support the STEM Leadership Center's STEM Teaching Fellowship Program for the second year," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Regeneron and President, Regeneron Laboratories, Regeneron. "The STEM Teaching Fellowship Program is a powerful asset to help bridge the shortage of highly-skilled science teachers who will empower the next-generation of thinkers and innovators."

The STEM Teaching Fellowship is designed to give science teachers the tools to deliver higher-quality instruction based on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and real-world applications. This 16-month program consists of graduate coursework leading to a graduate certificate in STEM Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a two-week laboratory research mentorship at Regeneron's Tarrytown, NY labs. The Fellowship concludes with targeted professional development from the STEM Leadership Center to help Fellows synthesize coursework and research experiences to reform classroom practices.

Felicia Moore Mensah, PhD., Associate Professor of Science Education and Program Coordinator, Science Education Program, Teachers College, Columbia University, said, "This exciting initiative brings together STEM education leaders and teachers who will be integrating STEM content and pedagogy. We are pleased to support this exciting initiative through NASA's Endeavor STEM Teaching Certificate Project. We are excited about the many new approaches to STEM education that all participants will experience."

For more detailed information about the Fellowship visit the STEM Leadership Center website at: www.stemedcenter.org.

About STEM Leadership Center
The STEM Leadership Center is a 501(c)(3) formed by master science educators to design engaging science experiences for students and NGSS based professional development for teachers. The STEM Leadership Center specializes in developing Project Based STEM curricula and methods of instruction that effectively integrate technology and the engineering design process in the classroom instruction.

Lawrence Perretto, Executive Director
STEM Leadership Center
914-886-8284
[email protected]
www.stemedcenter.org 

SOURCE STEM Leadership Center

Related Links

http://www.stemedcenter.org