Kenan Fellow Melaine Rickard and her mentor Dr. Lisa Grable have been honored for their outstanding contributions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
Rickard who teaches at Turrentine Middle School in Alamance County has received a grant from the Burroughs Welcome Fund PRISM Award science education program. Dr. Grable, who is the director of precollege education for NC State University’s FREEDM Systems Center, has received the Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Award from the North Carolina Science Teachers Association (NCSTA).
The Distinguished Service in Science Education in North Carolina Award is given to those who have made admirable contributions to improving science education in our state. Grable was presented her award for excellence at the college/university level at the NCSTA’s 43rd Annual Professional Development Institute in Winston-Salem on November 9. Rickard and Grable presented workshops together at the event.
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund PRISM Award provides grants for projects that implement hands-on science and mathematics curriculum in the K-12 classroom. Rickard’s PRISM Award will allow her to pilot a project, titled “Promoting Scientific Discourse and Practices,” that targets newly designed seventh and eighth grade STEM classes.
Rickard, a National Board certified teacher, is a 2011 Kenan Fellow at the FREEDM Systems Center and has also been a teacher for FREEDM’s Research Experience for Teachers program.
Pictured: Kenan Fellow Melaine Rickard and her mentor Dr. Lisa Grable help a teacher perform an experiment during a presentation at NCSTA's 2012 annual conference.