2016 Knowles Fellowships awarded to 9 Stanford GSE alumni

The early-career teachers have shown the potential to lead and drive change in education.

August 5, 2016

The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation recently announced that nine Stanford Graduate School of Education alumni are among the 34 teachers nationwide to be awarded its 2016 teaching fellowship.

The fellowship provides five years of support and professional development to early-career high school mathematics and science teachers. Teachers chosen for the award are seen as dedicated and passionate individuals committed to teaching. The foundation says these teachers have also shown the potential to lead and drive change in education.

The Stanford alumni awarded are: Cierra Atkinson, Jonathan Bower, Briana Clarke, Thach Do, Taryn Elliott, Nancy Ku, Kira Maker, Jovel Queirolo and Katherine Bellafiore Sanden.

The foundation was established by Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles in 1999 to increase the number of high quality high school science and math teachers, and ultimately improve the quality of math and science education. It provided the following information about each of the winners:

Atkinson is committed to teaching earth science and physics to high school students in the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Oregon State University in 2011, a Master of Science in geotechnical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2012, and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2016. Before transitioning to the teaching profession, Atkinson worked as a staff geotechnical engineer at Engeo Inc. She will begin her first year of teaching this fall at Del Mar High School in San Jose, Calif.

Bower is committed to teaching biology to high school students in the U.S. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2012 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2016. He will join Atkinson at Del Mar High School for his first year of teaching this fall.

Clarke is committed to teaching physics to high school students in the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from Seattle Pacific University in 2014 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2016. This fall, she will begin her first year of teaching.

Do is committed to teaching mathematics to high school students in the U.S. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Science in economics/mathematics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2016. Do will begin his first year of teaching at Del Mar High School this fall.

Elliott is also committed to teaching mathematics to high school students in the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2013 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2015. This fall, Elliott will begin her second year of teaching at Envision Academy of Arts & Technology in Oakland, Calif.

Ku earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Rice University in 2006 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford University in 2015. Nancy will begin her second year of teaching mathematics at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, Calif., this fall.

Maker is committed to teaching biology to high school students in the U.S. She Bachelor of Arts in human biology from Stanford University in 2011, a Post-Bacc/Pre-Med Certificate from Johns Hopkins University in 2012, and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2015. This fall, she will begin her second year of teaching at Envision Academy of Arts & Technology in Oakland, Calif.

Queirolo is also committed to teaching biology to high school students in the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Stanford in 2014 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2015. Queirolo taught biology and journalism at Madison Park Business and Art Academy during the 2015–2016 school year and will begin her first year of teaching at Leadership Public Schools Oakland Research & Development Campus in Oakland, Calif., this fall.

Sanden is committed to teaching mathematics to high school students in the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Princeton University in 2009 and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford in 2016. This fall, Sanden will begin her first year of teaching at Gateway High School in San Francisco, Calif.