Winning this award is a profound honor that acknowledges my dedication to growing curiosity and passion for STEM education. It validates my efforts to inspire and challenge my students, motivating me to continue innovating in my classroom. I am proud to be recognized among a select community of educators committed to excellence and making a greater impact on education. This personal achievement is an honor I am proud to share with my family, school, and community who have supported my career.

Matthew Hansen Marcus, IA | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Matthew Hansen has taught Industrial Technology at Marcus Meriden Cleghorn-Remsen Union High School for the past 10 years. As the school’s manufacturing technology and engineering instructor in grades 7-12, he educates students in anything from mechanical engineering and additive manufacturing at MMCRU High School as well as exploratory STEM classes in the MMCRU Middle School, focusing on creating a love excitement for engineering in the district. Matthew’s passion for STEM education and the skilled trades is contagious throughout the school and community: he created a program that is all elective coursework that now serves 85% of the high school student body. He chartered the school's first SkillsUSA chapter, a nationally recognized student leadership organization that empowers students to lead and excel in the skilled and technical trades. Students and state leaders alike recognized the incredible contributions he has made by honoring him as Iowa's 2020 STEM educator of the year. The district’s skilled trades program has been recognized as an Iowa STEM BEST program in 2021 and 2024 for its commitment to engaging students with leadership and real-world training beyond high school. Matthew’s passion to lead by example goes beyond his own district: he has presented sessions on industry partnerships in rural education and STEM education for various organizations across the state such as the Iowa Governor's STEM Council, Iowa STEM Summit, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) of Iowa, and SkillsUSA of Iowa. Matthew has a B.A. in industrial technology with a concentration in education from Wayne State College and is certified in STEM education in grades 6-12. He is a member of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, ACTE, and AWS.

Know a great teacher like Matthew Hansen? Nominate them for PAEMST!