The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) announced today the
winners of the 2019 “STEM Excellence Awards,” a series of competitive awards that recognize outstanding teachers,
leaders, and advocates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) education. TSIN will honor
awardees at the Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit on May 14th and 15th
in Nashville, TN. Nominations were open to the public in
the winter of this year.
“Tennessee’s successes in
advancing STEM learning for students are due to the combined efforts of strong
teachers in the classroom and innovative leaders and advocates that place STEM
at the top of their priority lists,” said Wes Hall, Executive Director of the
TSIN. “We are privileged to be able to recognize the efforts of these amazing
individuals and the contributions they have made to expanding STEM throughout
the state.”
This year’s awardees of the
STEM Excellence Awards include: (biographies
included below)
Excellence in STEM Teaching Award:
Amy Fricks, Math
Educator, DeKalb County High School, Smithville, TN
Excellence in STEM Leadership Award:
Don Bartch,
Principal, Overall Creek Elementary School, Murfreesboro, TN
STEM Advocate Award:
Dr. Stephanie Ivey,
Associate Dean for Research, Herff College of Engineering at the University of
Memphis; Director of West Tennessee STEM Hub, Memphis, TN
STEM Innovator Award:
Becky Ashe,
Principal, L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, TN
Excellence in
STEM Teaching Award
The Excellence in STEM Teaching
Award recognizes a teacher who exemplifies integrated, STEM-infused teaching
strategies, classroom innovation, and whose work has led to positive student
learning outcomes. This awardee engages students in inquiry-based learning to
develop creativity, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Amy Fricks
Teacher, DeKalb County High School, Smithville, TN
Amy Fricks is a math teacher at DeKalb County High School. A native of
Chattanooga, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and
Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee Technological
University. In addition to teaching math, Amy leads a STEM vision for her school
district through the development of community partnerships and through mentorship
of other local educators in STEM best practices. She has created and manages
the DeKalb County High School makerspace and organizes county-wide STEM
outreach events for local students. Amy encourages her students to apply
mathematics concepts to the solving of community-based problems and connects
learning practices to career opportunities.
Excellence in
STEM Leadership Award
The Excellence in STEM
Leadership Award recognizes a school-level, district, or regional leader with a
proven track-record of developing effective STEM programs. This awardee supports and encourages teachers
and schools to continually infuse STEM teaching strategies and embrace
classroom innovation.
Don
Bartch
Principal, Overall Creek Elementary, Murfreesboro, TN
Don Bartch opened Overall Creek Elementary in 2014 with a vision of
serving students by utilizing the latest instructional technology tools and
embracing the environmental elements surrounding the school as vital teaching
opportunities. In 2018, Overall Creek Elementary
School was one of the first fifteen schools in the state to earn Tennessee STEM
Designation and serves a model school for STEM integration. Bartch is a vocal
advocate for STEM learning opportunities that connect classroom to community
and has provided guidance for school leaders across the state. Prior to
launching the school, Bartch served as Principal at Scales Elementary in
Murfreesboro. Bartch also served as a
classroom teacher and coach at Christiana Middle School in Rutherford County
and North Pike High School in Summit, MS.
STEM Advocate
Award
The Tennessee STEM Advocate
Award recognizes a Tennessean who has demonstrated a passion for STEM education
through his or her public advocacy and participation in leadership
organizations that advance STEM for All
students.
Dr. Stephanie Ivey
Associate Dean for Research, Herff College of Engineering at the University of
Memphis; Director of West Tennessee STEM Hub, Memphis, TN
Dr. Stephanie Ivey is the Associate Dean for Research with the Herff
College of Engineering and a Professor with the Department of Civil Engineering
at the University of Memphis. She
directs the University of Memphis’ Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute,
the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center and the West Tennessee STEM Hub.
Her technical research focuses on transportation planning, livability
assessment in urban communities, and strategies to engage citizens in the
transportation planning process. She has a strong record of STEM workforce and
education research, with special emphasis on transportation workforce
development, partnerships between industry and academia, and increasing
representation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. As the
Director of the West Tennessee STEM Hub, Dr. Ivey leads innovative programming
to increase STEM engagement in schools and connect classrooms to the community.
STEM Innovator
Award
The
Tennessee STEM Innovator Award recognizes a Tennessean that has demonstrated an
outstanding contribution to the support of STEM education and outreach within his
or her region. This awardee is a leader
that identifies, supports, and promotes innovative teaching practices
regionally. The success of this awardee serves as a catalyst for STEM
integration across the state.
Becky Ashe
Principal, L&N STEM Academy, Knoxville, TN
Becky serves as the founding Principal of L&N STEM Academy in
Knoxville, Tennessee. Becky began her career in education as a biology and chemistry
teacher at West High School in Knoxville for 14 years, where she spent time as
a teacher researcher in Haleakala National Park on Maui, HI doing avian mark
and recapture studies and aboard a NOAA research vessel in Prince William
Sound, AK as a teacher-at-sea. Wanting
to create the same immersive experiences for other learners, she left the
classroom to serve as the system Science Supervisor for Knox County Schools for
8 years and was the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for 5
years. In 2011, Becky founded L&N STEM Academy, the first school focused on
the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in Knox
County Schools. The academic program at L&N STEM Academy is delivered
through project-based instruction, which develops students' abilities to make
connections, work in teams, draw meaningful inferences, and defend their
conclusions - skills that Becky sees as essential for future-ready graduates.
In 2018, L&N STEM Academy was one of the first fifteen schools in the state
to earn Tennessee STEM Designation and serves a model school for STEM
integration. Becky has additionally
served on faculty for the Innovative Leaders Institute, a year-long
professional learning opportunity for school-level leaders focused on
leadership development and the implementation of STEM best practices. Becky’s contributions to STEM education in
Knox County have served as a catalyst for the expansion of STEM learning across
Tennessee and L&N STEM Academy remains an open resource from which others
may learn.
