Two CU alumni win STEM teaching fellowships

Two University of Colorado Boulder alumni have been awarded Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) Teachings Fellowships, which are designed to help support them for five years as they begin their careers as science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) teachers.

Receiving the fellowships were Eric Rasmussen, who received a bachelor of arts degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and a master of education in curriculum and instruction, and Rosemary Wulf, who holds a bachelor of arts and a master of science in physics.

Selected from a pool of more than 180 applicants, Rasmussen and Wulf are two of 32 early career STEM teachers to be awarded a 2014 KSTF Teaching Fellowship.

This fall, both Rasmussen and Wulf began their STEM education careers as science teachers at local Colorado high schools: Rasmussen is at Silver Creek High School in Longmont, and Wulf teaches at Thornton High School in Thornton.

Rasmussen says that "teaching is the most difficult thing I have ever done. The demands of the job are immense, I don't think the general public understands just how much a teacher works."

When asked how the KSTF fellowship has helped him, he says, "So far the program has helped me by having such a great network of other teachers around the country. I have been able to share difficulties in my classroom and get some great solutions from other fellows."

KSTF fellowships seek to improve STEM education by building a network of teachers who are trained as leaders and supported from the beginning of their careers.

The KSTF Teaching Fellows Program offers stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, and opportunities for leadership development and mentoring for early career STEM teachers through a comprehensive five-year fellowship.

The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation was established by Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles in 1999 to improve math and science education in the United States.

However, the inspiration for KSTF dates back to 1968, when C. Harry Knowles founded Metrologic Instruments, which became a leader in advanced bar-code scanners.

Knowles noticed a lack of high-quality science and mathematics training among young engineering recruits. This experience spurred his commitment to supporting science and mathematics education.

— Laura Kriho
Oct. 6, 2014