Michelle Leber, left, and Justine Ophanon have won 2013 Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowships. They begin teaching high school science in the fall.Two recent Gevirtz Graduate School of Education graduates have won Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) fellowships that will assist them as they begin their careers teaching science to high school students.
Michelle Leber (M.Ed, 2013, Teacher Education Program) and Justine Ophanon (B.S., 2011, Aquatic Biology; and M.Ed 2013, Teacher Education Program) were selected after a rigorous screening process.
In the fall, Leber will teach 9th-grade global science and 12th-grade Advanced Placement Physics at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, Calif. Ophanon will begin teaching Earth Science at Seaside High School in Seaside, Calif., in the fall.
"The professional development and community of professionals provided by the KSTF fellowship will help me grow as a teacher," Leber told the foundation. "Through discussions with other teachers and the sharing of lessons, I will be able to more effectively reflect upon my teaching practices and rejuvenate my lessons with new ideas."
Ophanon told KSTF: "The thing I am most excited to gain from being a part of the KSTF fellowship is the collaborative community. I love working with people and hearing different ideas, experiences, and stories, so getting to work with people from different parts of the nation will be exciting!"
The KSTF Teaching Fellowships are geared toward recruiting, training, and retaining exceptional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher candidates.
Read the full news release below for more details, which include a link to apply now for the 2014 KSTF Teaching Fellowships.
Congratulations to alums Leber and Ophanon!
TWO GEVIRTZ SCHOOL GRADUATES SELECTED TO RECEIVE 2013 KNOWLES SCIENCE TEACHING FOUNDATION TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS
Comprehensive program offers financial support and professional development for early-career STEM teachers
Moorestown, N.J., August 1, 2013 – The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) recently announced its 2013 cohort of Teaching Fellows, two of which are alumnae of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education: Michelle Leber, M.Ed. ’13 (Teacher Education), and Justine Ophanon, B.S. ’11 (Aquatic Biology), M.Ed. ’13 (Teacher Education). The selected fellows participated in a rigorous screening process. With only 15 percent of the applicant pool being chosen, they represent some of the top talent in the nation.
The KSTF Teaching Fellowships address the recruitment, training, and retention of exceptional science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teacher candidates, with the aim of improving STEM education in the nation by building a stable, sustainable corps of STEM teacher leaders. Leber and Ophanon, along with the other 33 members of the 2013 cohort, are committed to teaching STEM subjects to high school students in the United States. Designed specifically to develop beginning teachers into teacher leaders, the Teaching Fellowships offer support and guidance as fellows embark on the credentialing process and their teaching careers.
Born in the Allentown, Pa., area to Joan and Rich Leber, Michelle later relocated to North Carolina, where she attended Chapel Hill High School. Prior to enrolling at the University of California, Santa Barbara, she earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Washington. While conducting neutrino research at UCSB, Michelle decided to pursue teaching as a profession. In the fall, she will begin teaching ninth grade global science and twelfth grade Advanced Placement (AP) physics at Oak Park High School, located in Oak Park, Calif.
Reared in Monterey, Calif., by Jill Norasate and Visith Ophanon, Justine graduated from Monterey High School in 2007. In addition to her master’s degree, Justine holds a bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology from UCSB. In the fall, she will begin teaching Earth Science at Seaside High School, located in Seaside, Calif.
Applications for 2014 KSTF Teaching Fellowships are now being accepted. Details about the application process can be found at www.kstf.org/apply.