The STEM Teacher of the Year award honors six dedicated teachers that inspire a life-long passion for STEM and equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for careers in the New Nevada. Each year, the winners will be recognized at the Governor’s K-12 STEM Challenge Recognition Events. Over the 2018-2019 school year, the STEM Advisory Council will highlight the practices and pedagogy of the six STEM Teachers of the Year as models for teachers around the state. Each teacher will receive a $1,000 award for their classroom, supported by the generous donations of our STEM industry partners.
The Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT) and the STEM Advisory Council invited nominations for STEM Teacher of the Year for Northern and Southern Nevada in Elementary, Middle, and High School. Nominations were made by the principal of each of the schools. This year's STEM Teacher of the Year awards were presented at the annual K-12 STEM Student Challenge Events; in Southern Nevada at CSN in Las Vegas, and in Northern Nevada at TMCC in Reno.
NORTHERN NEVADA - Stem Teachers of the Year
Leigh Metcalfe - Reed High School, Sparks
An accidental job in outdoor education helped Leigh realize that she loved teaching science as much as she loved learning it. After obtaining her Master’s degree, teaching license and teaching a few years, her approach was transformed by a National Science Foundation grant that encouraged her to invite engineering graduate students into her classroom to increase STEM. Pushing students to solve real-world problems through engineering and technology led her to start the robotics/engineering club. At the same time, her school developed engineering focused pathways for students interested in going into environmental engineering related fields. Leigh designed a course called Energy Technologies that encouraged students to learn the fundamentals of engineering by exploring electricity and electronics through energy-related problems. Leigh is very encouraged by youth willing to push themselves in science, math, and technology and wants to provide opportunities for them to be prepared for college and careers in STEM.
Melissa Jones - Carlin Combined School, Carlin
Melissa Jones is a secondary science teacher who works with junior high and high school students to introduce them to STEM learning experiences, competitions, and hands-on, collaborative learning experiences in a rural school in Northeastern Nevada. Melissa strongly believes that quality hands-on, problem based learning experiences increases the engagement and understanding of science by her students. Melissa has completed the Robotics Academy’s ROBOTC for VEX EDR Professional Development course through Carnegie Mellon University, and is continually networking in the community to provide professionals the opportunity to be in her classroom. Melissa has a Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and a Masters of Arts in Secondary Education from Sierra Nevada College. Melissa is also currently pursuing National Board Certification in Science.
Tamara Roseberry - Cottonwood Elementary School, Fernley
Tamara (Tammy) Roseberry has taught in both the state of Hawaii and Nevada since 2000 and is currently the English Learner Teacher and STEM Facilitator at Cottonwood Elementary School in Fernley, Nevada. She has taught both general education and English learners. She has earned her Master’s degree in Teaching and is currently pursuing her doctorate in transformational leadership. She is passionate about STEM education and in 2013, she co-founded the Fernley STEM Council, increasing public awareness and enthusiasm for STEM employment in her community.
SOUTHERN NEVADA - STEM Teachers of the Year
Alyse Sobosan - Equipo Academy, Las Vegas
Alyse Sobosan is currently the AP Biology and Anatomy and Physiology teacher at Equipo Academy, a charter school in East Las Vegas. In addition, she serves as the “Teach Like a Champion” coach for the entire staff, as well as an Instructional Coach and PLC leader for the high school science and AP departments. A core focus of her work this year has been to improve the success of the AP program at Equipo Academy, so that more students are given access to rigorous and meaningful academic experiences in high school that will prepare them for their future college and professional lives. This includes ensuring that students are experiencing rigorous STEM instruction, rooted in inquiry, which challenges and inspires them beyond a traditional science classroom. Ms. Sobosan began her career as a Teach For America corps member in 2010, at Roy Martin Middle School.
Denise Burton - Northwest Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas
With a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters of Secondary Education, Ms. Burton worked as a civil engineer for 25 years before changing professions to become a teacher. She taught various levels of mathematics for approximately 8 years. This included 5 years at East Career and Technical Academy, four of them as the mathematics department chairperson, and 2 of them working with the Construction program to co-teach geometry with construction. She is currently teaching Engineering as well as Design Drafting at Northwest Career and Technical Academy, and has finished her first year as a CTE program teacher. Throughout her career as a core subject teacher, she has brought her real world experience into the classroom to make the concepts relatable to the students, using project based learning. Now as a program teacher, she is able to continue this philosophy to connect engineering and design concepts with students’ core subjects through project based learning.
Teri Mann - Staton Elementary School, Las Vegas
Teri Mann has been with the Clark County School District for the past 13 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Gifted Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Teri currently serves as the Gifted and Talented Education Specialist at Ethel W. Staton Elementary School. Additionally, Teri is the current Chairperson of the School Organizational Team for Staton. She has developed Green Box lesson plans for the Desert Research Institute Science Alive Program. Also, as a part time trainer for the Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program, Teri provides training to other teachers on the effective implementation of science instruction in the classroom. She has sat on the Nevada Computer Standards Writing Committee and has been a presenter for the Southern Nevada Science Teachers Association and the National Science Teachers Association at their national conference.