Knoxville science teacher receives national honor from Siemens Foundation

KNOXVILLE — Nicholas Wilsey, a high school science teacher at L&N STEM Academy in Knoxville, has been selected to join an elite group of just 40 middle and high school teachers from across the country to participate in the prestigious Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) fellowship program.

This annual summer event will take place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) largest, multi-purpose, national research laboratory from July 20-August 1, 2014 and is designed to empower teachers to bring the excitement of real-world research into their classrooms and inspire students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

During the program, Nicholas, along with other educators from across the country will work with some of the nation’s top scientists on short-term projects focused on the most current and innovative scientific research happening today.

In addition to conducting research side-by-side with leading scientists, Nicholas and the other STARs participants will also benefit from a number of facility tours and seminars aimed to assist teachers in effectively incorporating science and math research into their classrooms. Each teacher will also receive a grant to purchase equipment and/or supplies. For more information on the Siemens Foundation or Discovery Education, please visit www.siemensstemacademy.com.

Published April 16, 2014