CSULB Science Credential Students Win Awards & Scholarships

Each year the Science Education Department gives several awards to graduating Single Subject Science Credential students. The Rhodes Award is given to an outstanding student teacher who has been involved in the life of the department and college. The 2006 Rhodes Awardee was Julie Bermudez. Julie did her student teaching at Pioneer High School in Whittier Union High School District. She was an NSF Noyce Scholar for the past year. As a Noyce Scholar she tutored 5 hours per week at Pioneer and she did her student teaching there. She was hired by Pioneer as a chemistry teacher.

The top 10% of all students teachers are given Distinguished Student Teacher awards. This year's awardees included Amanda Smith, Leslie Wood, Ayanna Scott, Tamara Araya and Christine Supuping. Amanda, Leslie and Ayanna were all able to join us for a celebration in their honor in late May. Each of them is now happily employed - Amanda in Garden Grove, Leslie in LA, Ayanna in Santa Monica, Tamara and Christine are both in Long Beach. We wish them all the best and look forward to great things from them!

Amanda Smith, Ayanna Scott & Leslie Wood

New Noyce Scholars Selected!

CSULB's Robert Noyce Scholarship Program is pleased to welcome its newest scholars. This highly competitive grant provides $10,000 per year to math, science and engineering majors who are pursuing a teaching credential. Scholars tutor 5 hours per week in our partner schools (Pionner High School and Cabrillo High School), do their student teaching at the partner school site and commit to teach in high needs school districts (two years for each year of funding).

This year we have two new science Scholars - Padma Haldar and Carlos Rios. Padma is a physics teacher-to-be. She will be doing her tutoring at Pioneer and has just started the credential program. Carlos is finishing his biology degree. He'll be working at Cabrillo High School while a Scholar and is planning on finishing his credential in 2008.

Continuing Scholars include Mary Neimeyer and Meredith Ashbran - both at Cabrillo High School. Science Scholars alums are gainfully employed with Melissa Wenger in Bellflower, Christine Supiping in LBUSD, Laura Ruiz at a Charter School in LAUSD and Tari Mok in LBUSD. Nolan Lambert, is working on his MS in Geological Sciences here at CSULB.

Noyce Scholars & Seminar Leader: (left to right): Cecilia Arriaza, Melissa Wenger, Julie Bermudez, Christine Supiping, Patricia Ruano, Christina Patterson and Nolen Lambert.