The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the most prestigious award that a STEM teacher can receive. Even being considered for this award is an accomplishment I am proud of. As educators, we are lifelong learners and continuously try to bring the most up-to-date content and technology into our classes, often giving all of ourselves to our students. Having this recognized on the national level helps to validate an educator’s work.

Amy Biagioni-Chmura West Greenwich, RI | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Amy L. Biagioni-Chmura has been teaching high school science for 19 years. She has taught at Cranston West, Warwick Veterans Memorial, North Smithfield, Mount Hope, and Exeter West Greenwich Senior High Schools, all in Rhode Island. Amy has been a science teacher at Exeter West Greenwich Senior High School for 12 years. She teaches ninth grade physical science, 10th grade chemistry, 11th and 12th grade physics, and engineering and offshore wind courses to all grades. Students in Amy’s classes learn scientific principles through hands-on engineering projects that bring instruction to life. For example, her wind students build all aspects of wind turbines, from designing and 3D printing airfoils to testing different shaped coils of homemade generators. Starting in 2019 in collaboration with WindWinRI, Amy established the foundation of the career and technical education program in pre-engineering/offshore wind at Exeter West Greenwich High School. Since the development of this program, her students have won numerous state, national, and world titles. She works closely with offshore wind program developers and industry professionals to foster relationships and connect her students with lifelong learning experiences, ensuring her program is as authentic and up-to-date as possible. She has developed workshops for other teachers about offshore wind, indirectly reaching more students than just her own. Amy has earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and in applied mathematics, both from the University of Rhode Island, and a master’s degree in instruction, assessment, and curriculum from Jones International University. She is certified in general science, physics, chemistry, and engineering through the Rhode Island Department of Education.

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