Debra Ericksen

Bridgewater, NJ | K-6, Science, 2016

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I am now retired (2021). During my time in the classroom, the curiosity and wonder of students was my biggest motivator. They need and want someone who will encourage them to ask questions and who will help them understand the world around them. They need someone who will inspire them to solve problems and who will help them develop perseverance when they make a mistake or fail. Providing learning opportunities that led to discovery was like watching a miracle take place right in front of me.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

My role as an educator was a calling not just a job. Receiving the PAEMST affirmed my impact on STEM education on a local, state, and national level. My impact went way beyond the walls of my classroom. I designed and implemented STEM instruction that was used by my district as well as by other educators in my state and in the country. I have written about STEM education and cross-grade collaborative experiences and been published in NSTA's Science and Children magazine. Receiving the PAEMST not only affirmed all of my hard work and commitment to STEM education, it opened doors for me to serve in leadership capacities that would likely have not been offered to me without it.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

While I am no longer in the classroom to advance STEM education, I will always support national STEM initiatives and welcome any opportunity to support students and educators in that capacity.

Biography

Debra Ericksen retired in 2021. During her tenure as an educator and into retirement, she served in a variety of leadership and advisory capacities reaching students far beyond the walls of her own classroom. She was recognized by NSTA for her work in interdisciplinary instructional design (Sylvia Shugrue Award, 2016) and has been published in their Science and Children magazine for her work in cross-grade collaboration to support STEM education (May/June 2022). Debra has served as an advisor and consultant to a national publishing company providing STEM literacy resources to students. She served as a Teacher Leader with the Science Education Institute at Raritan Valley Community College as well as an advisory board member for a non-profit that provides STEM learning experiences to underrepresented populations. During her time in the classroom, Debra designed and implemented STEM Family Science nights for students at the elementary level as well as one for the PreK/4th grade students who were engaged in a mentoring relationship that supported children with special needs and the advancement of STEM learning. Debra also served on the NSTA committee for Elementary Education and provided STEM workshops at national conferences. Furthermore, her work in interdisciplinary STEM instruction was presented at the New Jersey Science Convention for several years. Debra earned a B.A. in political science from Susquehanna University and a M.B.A. in Human Resources from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is certified in elementary education, middle school English language arts, and middle school social studies.

High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
Awardee holding Presidential certificate between Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer, Michael Kratsios, and National Science Foundation Director, Dr. France A. Córdova.
High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.