Jeffrey Remington

Palmyra, PA | 7-12, Science, 2002

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

For over 40 years, I've witnessed STEM transform lives, communities, and countries. As a PAEMST recipient, I gained a unique perspective on "curiosity to career" STEM's profound impact. Using my award as seed funding, my students and I built tech infrastructure to collaborate with schools in Haiti, proving authentic, transdisciplinary STEM inspires careers—a decade before modern platforms. Intel supported this "proof of concept," and students went on to impactful careers from this experience.

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

Adoption of the Pennsylvania STEELS standards was my most transformative STEM impact moment. Decades advocating for integrated STEM solidified a teacher's power to drive statewide change. I led a grassroots campaign to reimagine PA STEM with "convergence-focused" standards, reflecting real-world interconnectedness and workforce development. I was the only practicing teacher on multiple STEELS committees, providing a vital "boots on the ground" perspective. Their 2022 adoption established critical K-12 workforce development infrastructure previously absent, boosting our economic competitiveness and national security through STEM. This validated that educators can lead systemic transformation, strengthening our Commonwealth.

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

As a Presidential Awardee, I leverage my platform and Penn State's Land Grant mission to drive STEM workforce development in PA. Through our broader impacts work, we translate cutting-edge research into K-12 initiatives, fostering "curiosity to career" pathways. This builds a robust, homegrown workforce, boosting economic competitiveness and national security. My efforts solidify PA's leadership in STEM, preparing generations for future innovation and industry needs.

Biography

Jeff retired from 35 years of secondary STEM teaching in Palmyra combined with 25 years as a Lebanon Valley College adjunct. Jeff brings a wealth of experience in an encore career as an NSF broader impact professional at Penn State's Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS). In this role he translates the cutting-edge work of Penn State researchers into K12 classroom STEM learning to help build the national workforce. For decades, Jeff has been a global STEM teacher trainer/consultant, transforming education from Haiti to the UAE. He has set up international student to student collaborations around STEM learning. He champions moving STEM experiences from siloed to authentic, innovative, transdisciplinary learning, with a vital focus on workforce development. As a National STEM Teacher Ambassador, Jeff significantly impacted STEM policy nationally, statewide, and locally. He's recognized for grassroots efforts to reimagine PA STEM education by revising the 2002 PA Academic Standards, notably serving as the sole practicing teacher on both committees. Jeff's dedication has garnered significant recognition. He received the Nevelyn J. Knisley Faculty Award from Lebanon Valley College. Nationally, he earned the Paul DeHart Hurd Award and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). Internationally, he was a 2020 Top 50 Finalist for the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize from over twelve thousand nominees.

High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
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.