Rama Devagupta

Kennewick, WA | 7-12, Science, 2023

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

Teaching STEM is not just a profession for me; it is an insatiable passion. Day and night, I strive to be an inspirational role model for my students and community. I am deeply motivated to equip my students with the tools to discover the wonders of science and celebrate the interconnectedness of life. Excelling in STEM teaching enables me to engage students in critical thinking and real-world problem-solving, so they can become the change-makers who contribute to the happiness of all humanity.

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

Back in 2014, I was teaching Advanced Placement Biology and a remedial class known as Collection of Evidence (COE) Biology. The COE class followed AP Biology. One day, as the COE students entered the classroom, one student inquired about the experimental setup on the lab bench. He wondered aloud if it was for them. I explained that it was for my AP class. The student said, "I will take AP Biology next year." This moment was transformative for that student and me. My student, with no hope of graduating on time, saw his potential, and I knew that my impact on STEM education was making a difference. Smilingly, I said, "That would be wonderful." The student took AP Biology in his senior year and then continued to the University of Washington.

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

Being named a 2023 PAEMST Awardee has been a profoundly humbling experience. Reaching this pinnacle of accomplishment impels me to advance our nation in STEM. I hope to bring positive change by collaborating with colleagues across the nation and advocating for "hands-on, minds-on, heart-centered" STEM teaching so all students seek and follow their passion. I will focus on neurobiology and teen mental health so our future citizens can fulfill their inherent potential and realize all their dreams.

Biography

Rama Devagupta has been an educator for 17 years. She has been teaching Biology, Honors Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and Forensics to students of all grades at Southridge High School since 2013. She previously taught Biology, Environmental Science, and Physical Science at Three Rivers HomeLink, and Earth Science and Physical Science at Highlands Middle School. Rama has also been an adjunct chemistry faculty at Columbia Basin College for the last 14 years. Rama's infectious passion for science and search for knowledge led her to seek professional learning opportunities that enrich student learning. She worked at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2018 and 2019 as a Murdock Partners in Science Teacher and procured funding to purchase Vernier Go Direct Sensors to empower her students with data incorporation technology. Rama received the 2024-2025 Hutch Fellowship for Excellence in STEM Teaching, 2024 STEM Research Grant from Society for Science, 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award, 2023 Polar STEAM Fellowship, and the 2023 Washington Education Association Human and Civil Rights Commission International Peace & Understanding Award. Rama has traveled to Uruguay, Amazon, and Peru as a 2024 Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program Fellow, 2023 Fund for Teachers Fellow, and 2022 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow. She was also a semifinalist for the 2024 and 2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Award and the 2025 Shell Science Teaching Award. Rama is National Board Certified in adolescent and young adult science with endorsements in biology and chemistry. She earned her B.S. in chemistry, botany, and zoology and her M.S. in chemistry from Ravishankar University. Rama has a Ph.D. in bioorganic chemistry from Texas A&M University.

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.