UNL awards Noyce Master Teaching fellowships to 22 Nebraska teachers

Twenty-two teachers from across Nebraska have been awarded Robert Noyce National Science Foundation Master Teaching Fellowships by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The fellowships are funded by the National Science Foundation through a six-year, $3 million grant received in September from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program. The fellowships are intended to recognize and reward outstanding mathematics teachers who make a five-year commitment to continue teaching in a high-need school district and to pursue professional development opportunities that support their development into the state's most outstanding "master teachers."

The master teaching fellows will each receive a $10,000 per year salary supplement from UNL for five years while they continue to teach in a high-need district. In addition, they will have the opportunity to take 24 graduate hours at no cost to them for tuition or fees as they strengthen their skills as leaders, focusing on improving math education in their schools and school districts. Many of the master teaching fellows may use this opportunity to pursue a doctorate from UNL's College of Education and Human Sciences.

It is expected that master teaching fellows will assume leadership roles within their schools, districts and Educational Service Units while being supported in these roles by UNL faculty. The goal of the Master Teaching Fellowship program is to increase the level of student success in mathematics in high-need Nebraska school districts.

High-need schools include those that educate a large percentage of students living in poverty, or have high teacher turnover rates or a significant number of teachers educating outside their training.

The scholarship program is named for Robert Noyce, who co-founded Intel and invented the integrated circuit, which sparked the personal computer revolution. Noyce cared deeply about the dwindling number of students heading into math and science careers.

A team led by Jim Lewis, Aaron Douglas professor of mathematics and director of UNL's Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education, administers the grant. More information about the Robert Noyce NSF Master Teaching Fellowship program can be found at http://scimath.unl.edu/noyce/math.

Following is a list of the 22 teachers who have been awarded fellowships. Two more teachers in the Omaha Public Schools district will be chosen in the coming weeks.

Arapahoe: Daniel Schaben, Arapahoe High School.

Falls City: Jason Vitosh, Falls City High School.

Fremont: Edith Ronhovde, Fremont Middle School.

Grand Island: Danielle Buhrman, Grand Island Senior High School.

Hastings: Alicia Davis, Hastings Middle School.

Lincoln: Delise Andrews, Lincoln Public Schools District Office; Garold Furse, Pound Middle School; Patrick Janike, Lincoln High School; Darla Kelberlau-Berks, Lincoln Public Schools District Office; Anne Schmidt, Culler Middle School; Katie Soto, Park Middle School; Cullen Stevens, Southwest High School; Sherry West, Southeast High School.

Omaha: Connie Colton, McMillan Magnet Center; Katie Garcia, Bryan Senior High School; Philip LaFleur, Monroe Middle School; Brent Larson, Central High School; Paula Millerd, Omaha Public Schools Central Office; Gregory Sand, Central High School.

Scottsbluff: Shelby Aaberg, Scottsbluff High School.

Superior: Jessica Thompson, Superior Junior/Senior High School.

Wood River: Jill Edgren, Wood River Middle/High School.

WRITER: Lindsay Augustyn