Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching

As an advisor to student teachers, Karla demonstrates a passion for science and science teaching. She energizes her student teachers and provides strategies for them to transfer that enthusiasm to their students. She was described by her nominator as a wonderful teacher, a great mentor, and an even better scientist.

Blake Kuriowa

Mountainside High School

Beaverton School District

In his third year of teaching, Blake’s nominator was so impressed with the responsibility in curriculum design and implementation that he took on this year. He is truly a team member who can be counted on to do high quality work and made it possible for the department to provide the best chemistry distance learning experience for their students. 

Samantha Hauser

Diamond Elementary School

Diamond School District

Samantha is beginning her third year teaching (and in a pandemic) she works to share science and learning with her students. She successfully aids her students in science learning and demonstrating their learning through projects. 

Bettina Curl

Sato Elementary

Beaverton School District

Bettina Curl is an innovative, dedicated and skilled teacher who integrates STEAM through every aspect of her instruction. She brings learning and discovery to life within her classroom through engaging lessons that are not only relevant in students' lives, but also makes them feel like they are scientists, technologists, engineers, artists and mathematicians. Bettina's ability to incorporate creative elements into science and support all students to acquire new skills and apply their learning is a true gift. Seeing connections of each of the aspects of STEAM to literacy allows her to make the time for science and also brings joy to learning all skills. During the spring remote learning she hosted Creative Friday lessons that included participatory science investigations and incorporated art. Her students were excited to come back to all of her remote learning sessions because of her ability to inspire and captivate learners. Bettina puts endless time into each of her lessons, but also in creating relationships with her students to uncover not only their unique strengths and interests, but to motivate and energize each learner. Bettina is a master teacher of technology and has presented extensive professional development to peers around the use of tools and the instruction of the application and integration of technology. Another key aspect of Bettina's professionalism is her willingness to share ideas and collaborate. Whether she is working with students or colleagues, Bettina makes everyone feel they are empowered to learn new skills and maximize their potential.

Leah Kyle

Colton High School

Colton School District

Leah is described as a team player, collaborating effectively with her colleagues to create a curriculum and lessons that has made science interesting and “cool” again with the students. She has also given students the ability to go above and beyond by providing them college credit opportunities. Her vast knowledge coupled with enthusiasm for science and teaching are influential with her colleagues as well as her students.

Natalia Gunther

Woodmere Elementary

Portland Public Schools

Natalia, a veteran ESL teacher in a K-5 Title I school, is an amazing advocate for science teaching for ALL students. When many elementary schools focus on math and ELA, especially for emerging bilingual students, Natalia recognizes the importance of language learners engaging in science and engineering. In the classes that Natalia co-teaches with classroom teachers, students may be observing and recording data from a plant investigation that they then discuss in pairs with classmates. Sentence frames offer support as needed for all learners. Or, virtually, students may be engineering a solution to shade their faces from the hot sun using materials found around their home. During the class that I observed, it was clear that students were proud of their designs as they presented their solutions to the class. Not only does Natalia center science and engineering learning for language learners at her school, but she has been instrumental in piloting multiple NGSS/ELP standards-aligned units for our district and creating weeks of content for virtual learning. Many students now recognize her and her daughter as “the science ladies,” from the many videos they created in order to make asynchronous science learning as accessible as possible.

Cecily Capistran

Meadow Park Middle School

Beaverton School District

Cecily focuses on the social, emotional, and academic needs of each young person in her grade 6 & 7 science and designing classes, which focus on the school garden and nutrition. She checks in with each person each day. She motivates those around her to solve the kinds of problems people face everyday TOGETHER. By intentionally centering specific voices, people see themselves as having the ability to use science and engineering to improve quality of life. Her instructional videos are accessible to every learner. Because they are professional and polished, learners tell their stories with clear explanations, joy and enthusiasm, too. She inspires teachers and students alike with relevant curriculum, and leads the way in designing rubrics young people can follow. Her local and international connections for Outdoor School and Global Climate cross language and geographic boundaries that open minds to the possibility of transferring lessons learned across cultures. Her ability to synergize people's ideas and goals shows in her work with the Adopt a Farmer Program, lessons on generating energy from biomass, and the genetics of plants. Whether is making an electromagnet to retrieve a key like McGyver, understanding Newton's Second Law from a race between an airliner, sports car and motorcycle, or discovering how a person can work together with the systems of one's body to generate health, she opens doors to meet the needs of each person assigned to her care and the people with which she teaches. 

Karin Magee

Nellie Muir Elementary School

Woodburn School District

Even teaching from home,  Karin taught advanced science concepts to her kindergarten students. She found creative ways for the students to use common household items to illustrate science concepts and her students were so excited to explore phenomena while working from home.

Amy Preskenis

Walker Elementary School

Ashland School District

Connie Robbins

Crane Union High School

Harney County Union High School District

Connie provides unbelievable leadership and vision for science education throughout the entire county.  She not only sparks interest in her students in the area of science but also has a unique way of tying in the arts and career and technical education.  She sparks interest in adults which has a way of trickling down to students at all levels and interests.