It is an honor to be selected for the Presidential Award from such an extraordinary group of science educators. It's a testament to my commitment to inclusive education. This recognition affirms that I'm on the right path, empowering me to advocate for all students to thrive together in my classroom and access science education. I'm deeply grateful to my co-teacher, supervisor, colleagues, and family for their unwavering support on this journey.

Anjana Iyer Hillsborough, NJ | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Anjana Iyer has been an educator for 13 years at Hillsborough High School where she has been teaching inclusion and resource level chemistry. Her commitment to inclusive science education drives her to create welcoming classrooms that integrate students of diverse cognitive abilities. She strives to provide equal opportunities for all students to succeed and foster a love of learning. Anjana has co-taught Chemistry with the same colleague for the last 10 years, earning recognition as the best inclusion teachers by the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE) in 2019. She was awarded the Governor Educator of the Year in 2022, nominated by her colleagues and students, and the Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2018. Anjana utilizes an instructional model that prioritizes an organized, collaborative approach to learning, with an emphasis on sense making. She uses an inquiry-based approach to science education, encouraging students to question and explore phenomena beyond the textbook. Anjana has presented sessions on teaching chemistry in inclusion classrooms at several conferences, including NSTA, Chem Ed, and NJ Science Convention. She and her co-teacher are regularly invited to Princeton University’s TeacherPrep program as guest speakers. Anjana was part of the governing board of the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) and continues to work with ACS on various K–12 initiatives. She has co-published two articles for AACT. Anjana earned a B.S. in chemistry from Stella Maris College and an M.A.T. in special education and general education from The College of New Jersey. She is certified as a teacher of students with disabilities highly qualified in chemistry.

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