Naveen Cunha, 2002 Texas Awardee

“The Presidential Award was a turning point in my career. I was in a district that did not have the demographics to get many grants. I wanted to do more - do something different. I saw this as an opportunity to do just that.  

What I got was so much more. It launched my application as an Educator Astronaut and as an Einstein Fellow. These experiences filled a toolbox that I tapped into and shared with others through the formation of a STEM academy, organizations I joined, and relationships I made.

Soon after receiving this award, I had the opportunity to apply for the Educator Astronaut program. I was a finalist and had the privilege to work with the other 195 finalists out of thousands of applicants. They are an amazing and dedicated bunch. That was immediately followed by being accepted as an Einstein Fellow, working with NASA. The networking and resources I obtained as a participant in all these granted me the opportunity to start a highly successful STEM program. Upon retiring from classroom teaching, all these credentials have led me to be a program designer and curriculum writer for Robonation.”

After receiving the PAEMST Award in 2002, Naveen went on to serve as an Einstein Fellow with NASA from 2004 to 2006. He returned to teaching to start an award-winning STEM Academy in Bryan, TX. He joined a cadre of teacher liaisons with the Space Foundation in 2009 and participated in a Weightless Flight of Discovery the same year.  

Naveen was selected as the 2010 Middle School Science Teacher of the Year by the Texas A&M University Sigma Xi chapter and as a 2012 STEM Institute Fellow by the Siemens Institute. ITEEA presented him with their Teacher Excellence Award in 2019.

Natalie Johnson, 2017 Illinois Awardee

“Winning the PAEMST Award absolutely changed my life. I was busy before, but now I am even busier – and loving it! My current work is aligned with my personal motto: Learn, Earn, and Return. Being in a network with others who are authentically passionate about all student learning, personal growth, development, and giving back is very refreshing.  

I started working and networking with government agencies in capacities that I never dreamed of to expand on the work that I was already performing. Since receiving the PAEMST Award, I received significant opportunities such as occasionally working with agencies like the Department of Education, STEM Teacher Leadership Network, and the National Science Foundation. I also received several large-scale speaking engagements with organizations such as the Actuarial Science Foundation and the NOYCE Annual Conference of STEM Teachers.  

This new network of passionate educators and professionals allowed me to see more and do more for students and families from all backgrounds. My latest venture – serving in a new leadership role at National-Louis University – allowed me to successfully build a brand-new program: the inaugural Undergraduate Honors Program, which is the first one ever in the 138-year history of the university. Building a community of learners has been an incredible venture.”

After retiring from K-12 teaching in 2020, Natalie moved to higher education where she currently serves as Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Mathematics at National-Louis University in Chicago, IL.

“The PAEMST Award opened so many doors that propelled me forward. When I began my career as an educator, I never dreamed I would have the honor to meet and shake hands with the President!  

Since receiving the award, I attained my Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development and went on to receive a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching. With the Fulbright Award, I studied science education in New Zealand, which I learned about during the PAEMST Award Week in Washington, D.C. I also applied for and was offered a position for the Einstein Distinguished Educators but was unfortunately unable to accept at the time.  

All of these amazing experiences would have never been possible without PAEMST. Personally, and professionally, I feel the PAEMST Award lent me enormous support to expand my career and my passion for science education.  

Currently, I am a STEAM Coordinator for a school along Mobile Bay in Alabama and am able to connect students of all ages with authentic learning experiences in and along the bay.”

“The explorer” is how some students identify Megan. Her passion for teaching secondary science is about encouraging students to “do science.” From studying climate change in the Arctic Ocean to tagging humpback whales and icefish in Antarctica, she works to ignite the spark for science education. In 2019, Megan was part of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research team which captured the first-ever video footage of a giant squid in U.S. waters.  

“The PAEMST Award was a catalyst for my being selected for the NASA Teacher in Space Project in 1985 as Hawaii's representative. The tragic accident of the space shuttle Challenger catalyzed my journey in honoring the crew and its educational mission which has involved over 300,000 students, teachers, and parents through school and community presentations, camps, workshops, robotics, and industry and community sponsors and partners.”

Art oversaw 14 years of statewide space conferences, directed two astronaut recognition days for 20,000 attendees, and provided school programs on Space: The Ultimate Field Trip for over 150,000 students and teachers.  

Art introduced scholastic competition robotics in Hawaii including FIRST, Botball, and VEX robotics which grew from two teams to over 700. He participated in the Japan Super Science Fair for eight years, and sponsored teachers to attend NSTA Conferences, NASA summer institutes, and Japan Innovation Tours.

In addition to his PAEMST Award, Art received his school’s Biology Teacher of the Year Award, the Civil Air Patrol Crown Circle Award, the Air Force Association Christa McAuliffe Award, and the Living Treasures of Hawaii designation.

“Receiving the PAEMST Award significantly changed my life and pathway as an educator and even in my retirement it continues to have an impact on me as an educator.  

It opened doors and led to my first deployment to Antarctica as part of science research and science communication and outreach. I found out about the Teachers Experiencing Antarctic and the Arctic (TEA) Program while attending the PAEMST Award ceremony in Washington, D.C., which changed my life. I had four experiences in Antarctica and numerous in the Arctic; set up a teacher exchange program with educators in northern Sweden; and implemented study abroad opportunities for College of Education students at the University of Illinois.

I gained confidence as a speaker and as a trusted colleague in science education around the world. For the remainder of my classroom career, the PAEMST Award played a key role in how I delivered science to my students, who I networked with worldwide, and how I enriched my life and the life of my students and colleagues with my passion for science and learning. I taught scientists how to present their research and information to younger students and the general public, and they taught me more about the content I could deliver. Winning the PAEMST Award was, and still is, a professional and personal highlight for me.”

Since 2010, Elizabeth (Betty) has been a part of the non-profit, A to Z Literacy Movement, and has traveled to Zambia four times to work with pupils and teachers, provide professional development, and learn from her Zambian colleagues. Betty was named one of the Distinguished Alumni of the University of Illinois, and Outstanding Young Alumni of Northern Illinois University.  

In her "retirement" she remains active as a worldwide educator and guest speaker.