Patrycja Krakowiak-Valdivia

Hot Springs, AR | 7-12, Science, 2021

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I truly believe that the future of our world depends on continued innovations that come from scientific discoveries and high quality STEM education ensures that there will always be scientists ready to make these discoveries. The excitement I am able to create among students about science that leads to life-long learning and transformative careers is what drives me. I also never miss the opportunity to multiply my efforts by teaching teachers how to more effectively engage their STEM students.

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

When I shifted from conducting scientific research to educating students about it, I multiplied my impact on STEM. In fact, being a scientist makes me a better teacher because I never stop innovating education using new technologies. Mentoring students in independent research (best way to excite them about STEM) and establishing collaborations with cutting-edge university labs, have all been thanks to my transformation. Additionally, serving as an Advocate for expanding research and a Captain at the Research Teachers Conference, both run by the Society for Science, allowed me to spread research to more students and teachers. Finally, by co-directing the Arkansas Summer Research Institute I have helped prepare over 600 students for research.

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

As a Presidential Awardee, my biggest hope is to promote scientific research which leads to students being more excited about various STEM fields. Unfortunately, very few students in our state participate in independent research that culminates in a science fair. But such endeavors are some of the most important steps in workforce development as we face a continued need for more technically skilled workers who can solve problems and interface with machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Biography

Patrycja Krakowiak has taught life science courses to grades 10-12 at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts for 20 years. In addition to high school, she has taught undergraduate, graduate, and medical-school students since 1992. As an Instructor of Excellence and the Science Department Chair, Patrycja teaches Science of Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, and the Life Science Capstone classes, and also co-directs programs that train teachers (Advanced Biology Plus Program) and undergraduate/graduate students (Arkansas Summer Research Institute). She has also mentored more than 100 students in independent research. Innovation is at the core of what Patrycja does, because of her background as a scientist. She tests if new methods of engagement and retention improve student learning. Always pushing the boundaries, Patrycja includes the latest inquiry labs (CRISPR-Cas9), engaging technologies like Pear Deck and Blooket, and independent research in her classes to excite, motivate, and empower. Her passion for research has led 12 students to the national-level International Science and Engineering Fair, Regeneron Science Talent Search, and American Junior Academy of Science student participation. Patrycja continues to present at state and national conferences and has won awards such The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards grand prize winner. Patrycja earned a B.S. in chemistry, with a focus in molecular biology, from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Utah. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at National Institutes of Health and has published over 25 peer-reviewed journal articles. She is also both state and Nationally Board Certified in science education.

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.