I have dedicated my life to teaching, which has often involved keeping my head down, focusing on the details of the moment, and working to improve and innovate each day. The Presidential Award has allowed me to step back and reflect on all the work I've engaged in and celebrate it. I have worked with and learned from so many incredible educators and students and have been involved with so many projects that make me proud. It has been a pleasure and an honor to be a part of this tradition.

Harry O'Malley East Amherst, NY | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

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

Harry O'Malley has been serving as Math Specialist at Casey Middle School for the past 14 years. In addition to managing the mathematics department and intervention program, he has taught every mathematics course offered by the school, and currently co-teaches fifth and sixth grade mathematics courses. He has also served as Co-Director of The Gifted Math Program at the University at Buffalo for the past seven years and instructor for the program for the past 15 years. Previously, Harry taught high school mathematics courses at Frederick Law Olmsted High School and The Academy at 44 in the Buffalo Public School District. He also taught mathematics education courses for two years as an adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo. Harry is the founder of two educational software companies, Manifest Education and Fill Education, and specializes in integrating technology into his courses. As part of an NSF-funded research experience focused on biometrics, he developed a unit teaching students to use Python code to match fingerprint images. In 2015, Harry developed a districtwide intervention protocol and software. In 2020, this intervention was selected as the top innovation nationally in District Administration's Districts of Distinction award competition. Harry has presented at many local, regional, and national conferences and led year-long professional learning teams as a member of The New York State Master Teacher Program. He is a regular contributing author for Edutopia, and his videos on school culture have been featured in national publications such as the Huffington Post. Harry has a B.S. in mathematics education from Brooklyn College and an M.S.Ed. in mathematics education from Buffalo State College. He is certified in mathematics education for grades 5-12.

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