Erica Posthuma-Adams, chemistry teacher at University High School, has been awarded the 2014 Regional Award for Excellence in High School Teaching from the Division of Chemical Education. Applicants for this award came from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and the award seeks to recognize educators for their quality of teaching, their ability to challenge and inspire students, their extracurricular work in chemistry or chemical sciences, their willingness to remain up-to-date in the field, and their leadership of or involvement in the profession.
Mrs. Adams will be recognized at the 2014 ACS Central Regional Meeting in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Oct. 30.
Mrs. Adams has been an educator for 14 years. She is an active member of the American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education and is a Lead Contributor for the JCE’s ChemEd Xchange. Mrs. Adams is an experienced user of the Chemistry Modeling Curriculum, saying that Modeling Instruction provides her with the tools necessary to empower her students and become the teacher she has always wanted to be. She recently published an article in the Journal of Chemical Education special AP issue on the topic of using Modeling Instruction to engage students in the practice of science.