Eric Grunden Raleigh, NC | 7-12, Science, 2011

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Eric Grunden teaches Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry, Honors Enriched Chemistry, and an astronomy course that he developed at Raleigh Charter High School. His 12 years at Raleigh Charter High School were preceded by 6 years of teaching middle and high school science at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, GA, and P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School in Gainesville, FL. At his current school, he has also served as the Science Department Chair for 7 years, and he chairs the Technology Committee. Eric is a regular presenter of his classroom activities at state and national science conferences. He is a member of the National Science Teachers’ Association Committee on High School Science Teaching and has served as a reader for the AP Chemistry exam. In 2008, he took a 1-year sabbatical appointment as the Education Director of the Contemporary Science Center (CSC), an education nonprofit he helped found, which has served thousands of students from across North Carolina since its inception. Eric is using that experience to open and head a science and mathematics-focused charter high school in North Carolina in fall 2012. Eric has a B.S. in chemistry and an M.Ed. in secondary science education from the University of Florida. He is certified in chemistry and general science.

• High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
• Awardee holding Presidential certificate between Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and NSF Deputy Director Cora Marrett.
• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

Know a great teacher like Eric Grunden? Nominate them for PAEMST!