To me, the Presidential Award means support and recognition. Teaching is not only a job; it is a calling and a way of life. Teachers give many hours outside of the classroom to meet their students' needs and help them open doors for their futures. It is a tough, demanding, and sometimes thankless job, so being recognized with the Presidential Award is an amazing honor and appreciated acknowledgment.

Mary Maris Little Rock, AR | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Mary Elizabeth "Beth" Maris has been using her passion for chemistry to ignite student interest in science for the past 25 years. Her entire teaching tenure has been spent teaching Advanced Placement Chemistry and Pre-AP Chemistry to 10th-12th grade students at Little Rock Central High School. She has served as her school’s Science Department Chair for the past three years. Beth encourages her students to interact with one another in the classroom to develop interpersonal and collaborative skills as well as problem solving skills. She is the sponsor of Science National Honor Society and organizes their peer tutoring program. Independent research is an important component of Beth's classes as she pushes students to be analytical and improve data literacy. She is currently leading an initiative to increase participation in her school's STEM Fair. Beth has developed and presented sessions for her district's chemistry teachers and has attended several Advanced Placement Summer Institutes. She has also attended the Society for Science Research Teachers Conference as well as a variety of symposia at the International Science and Engineering Fair. She was a regional finalist for state teacher of the year and the American Chemical Society Southwest Regional teacher of the year. Beth earned a B.A. in mathematics from Hendrix College, a Master of Biomathematics from North Carolina State University, a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and is National Board Certified.

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