The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching brings recognition and prestige to our profession. It is an affirmation that my efforts to develop a rigorous and creative learning environment for students are valued beyond the classroom. I hope to use my experience as an awardee to mentor new and pre-service science teachers to develop teaching styles that support students' critical thinking and problem solving skills. 

Marni Landry Phoenix, AZ | 7-12, Science, 2013

The official biography below was current at the time of the award. For this awardee's latest biographical information, see their profile page.

Marni Landry has been a high school biology teacher for 13 years at Paradise Valley High School. She wrote the curriculum for, and teaches in the Center for Research, Engineering, Science, and Technology program on the Paradise Valley campus. Marni teaches Introduction to STEM Research, Principles of Biotechnology, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Microbiology, all honors courses (high school freshmen through seniors). Her students experience an authentic education. Students hold internships at a variety of institutes including the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, Translational Genomics Institute, Barrow Neurological Institute, and the Arizona Science Center. Immersion learning is her passion; Marni has traveled internationally with her biology club and academic decathlon students to Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, and China. As a leader in the teaching community, she serves on the Paradise Valley Technology Cadre, designing and delivering professional development to staff. She recently presented at a Google Apps for Education Summit. She is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, and a lifetime member and awards committee chair of the Arizona Science Teachers Association. Marni has a B.S. in biology from Arizona State University and a M.Ed. from the University of Phoenix. She is certified in secondary biology and career & technical education.

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