Information for K-12 Teachers
Distinguished Secondary School Science Teacher Award
Do you know a middle or high school science teacher in Tennessee that deserves recognition?
Nominate them to the Tennessee Academy of Science Distinguished Secondary School Science Teacher Award!
The award recipient will receive $1000!
More information can be found at the bottom of our awards page!
TAS Visiting Scientist Program
Many TAS members are excited to work with K-12 teachers and students throughout the state. Some ways that TAS members may help K-12 teachers include answering questions or even visiting your classroom to talk about science!
How might you as a teacher use the TAS Visiting Scientist Program to support your students?
Here are just a few common examples
Invite a scientist (TAS member) in for a career day talk.
Invite a TAS member scientist to come do a science experiment or activity with your class.
Maybe you as a teacher would like to spend time in the summer working alongside a TAS scientist in their laboratory?
Engage your class in a citizen science project organized by a TAS scientist - find them through the TAS webpage.
Find science fair judges through the TAS website
TAS members and scientists are typically university and college faculty members, but we also have members who are undergraduate or graduate STEM majors, post-doctoral fellows, clinicians, government employees, industry employees, etc.
TAS members and scientists are pleased to support teaching and learning in STEM fields and wish to serve teachers and students from public or private K-12 schools, informal science education settings, homeschool groups, club/organizational leaders, etc.
TAS members and scientists either explicitly or implicitly aim to accomplish one or more of the following:
Increase student interest in STEM fields
Diversify participation in STEM fields
Increase engagement in science by teachers, students, their families, and the general public
Increase science content knowledge of teachers, students, their families, and the general public
Increase positive attitudes towards science by teachers, students, their families, and the general public
Reduce fear and/or distrust of STEM concepts by demystifying science and scientists.
If you are looking for a point of contact from a particular field of study, consider contacting the TAS section chairs, listed below.
| Section | Contact Person | E-Mail Address |
|---|---|---|
| Botany | Dr. Emily Powell Tennessee Tech University | edpowell42@tntech.edu |
| Cell & Molecular Biology | Dr. Felicity Sterling Belmont University | felicity.sterling@belmont.edu |
| Chemistry | Dr. Xuanzhi Shawn Zhan Tennessee Tech University | xzhan@tntech.edu |
| Ecology & Environmental Science | Dr. Stanton Belford The University of Tennessee Southern | sbelfor2@utsouthern.edu |
| Engineering & Engineering Technology | Dr. Khalid Tantawi University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | khalid-tantawi@utc.edu |
| Health & Medical Sciences | Vacant | |
| History of Science | Dr. Somaditya Banerjee Austin Peay State University | banerjees@apsu.edu |
| Physics & Astronomy | Dr. Allyn Smith Dr. Gregory Vieira | |
| Science & Math Teaching | Dr. Philip C. Short Austin Peay State University | shortp@apsu.edu |
| Zoology | Dr. Julie Baker Phillips Cumberland University | jphillips@cumberland.edu |