2022 STAT Statewide Award Recipients

Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year Awards

The Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year Awards recognize excellence in science teaching in Texas public, private, or charter schools and are presented annually.

2022 Outstanding Rookie Science Teacher of the Year

Emma DeVine

 Emma DeVine
Greenhill School, Addison, TX

Emma DeVine is a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas. Emma also serves as a sponsor for Future City Club and a coach for middle school Quiz Bowl. Previously, she taught middle school science in Frisco ISD. She earned her B.S. in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in science education and M.A. in teaching in science education, both from the University of Texas at Dallas. She is proud alumnus of the UTeach Dallas Science and Mathematics Program.

Bringing real-world inquiry-based experiences from the professional research level to the classroom is what she is most passionate about. Emma’s focus is working with model organisms that are used in biomedical research settings. She has worked under the mentorship of Dr. Vinita Hajeri at the University of Texas at Dallas to implement the use of zebrafish as a developmental biology tool and to model fetal alcohol syndrome teratogenic effects in the classroom.

Emma recently completed an 8-week-long summer research internship through the STARS Summer Research Program at UT Southwestern and interned in the Elmquist Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Joel Elmquist. Her summer work focused on studying genes in Drosophila (fruit flies) and their relationship to metabolism and energy homeostasis, and developing lesson materials for the middle school science classroom. Emma is excited for the opportunity to present her work at the National Partners in Science Conference in January 2023 in San Diego.

 

2022 Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher of the Year

Katie Doyle

Katie Doyle
Flour Bluff ISD

Katie Doyle is an 8-year teaching veteran, teaching fifth and sixth grade as the Oceans Program teacher in Flour Bluff ISD in Corpus Christi, Texas. Katie earned her M.Ed. from Texas State University Round Rock and B.S. in biology from Texas State University. She is a strong advocate of outdoor education, service-based projects to benefit students’ local communities, and individual growth and experience. She takes weekly trips to the wetlands where students kayak, collect water quality samples, and complete various other environmental management tasks.

She and her students have conducted air and water quality research with Citizen Environmental Literacy Foundation, completed nurdle patrols with the University of Texas, and organized World Migratory Bird Day, among many other endeavors. Katie has been able to work with students across the world while aboard the deep-sea exploration vessel Nautilus. She has also won several grants and spoken at numerous workshops. 

Previously, Katie taught in Elgin ISD where she started a vegetable garden, butterfly garden, and recycling club. She partnered with life skills and special education students to plant, nurture, and then cook the produce. She served on a farm-to-table committee helping to secure local farm produce in the school cafeterias. Through her connections with local farms, she encouraged several classrooms across the district to take field trips to established farms that gave students hands-on opportunities. She was awarded Teacher of the Year for her campus and for the whole school district in her third year of teaching.

 

2022 Outstanding Middle School Science Teacher of the Year

Amanda Canada

Amanda Canada
Crosby ISD

Amanda Canada is an eighth-grade teacher at Crosby Middle School. This year marks her 11th year at Crosby Middle School and her 16th year in the classroom. She received her B.S. in biology/microbiology and her M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of West Florida.

Prior to teaching, she worked in the laboratory as a microbiologist and a research assistant. She transitioned into teaching to share her passion for science with students. In her early teaching career, she taught sixth- and seventh-grade science in Florida. Since moving to Texas, she has taught seventh- and eighth-grade science. She continues to spark the excitement of science in her students and has founded the Crosby Middle School STEM Club. Amanda has served on the campus technology team and has presented professional development on the campus and district level. She currently serves on the district curriculum and instruction committee. In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and their three boys.

  

2022 Outstanding High School Science Teacher of the Year

Remelia Arpino

Remelia Arpino
Aldine ISD

Remelia Arpino began her journey as an educator at the University of Southeastern Philippines for 9 years before moving to Houston, Texas, in 2002. She has been working at Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD for 17 years and has taught IB Biology HL, AP Environmental Science, environmental systems, and aquatics science. She also serves as the team lead for life and fourth-year sciences.

She holds a B.S. in biology and an M.A. in science teaching biology from the University of Southeastern Philippines. She was recognized as Eisenhower High School Teacher of the Year in 2018 and was recently named the Senior Division Science and Engineering Fair of Houston Teacher of the Year for 2022. She is currently in her fourth year as Texas Leadership Initiative for Inquiry Science Teaching (TLIIST) Noyce Fellow through Rice University.

She engages her students in challenges and opportunities that help them grow academically and socially. A strong believer of using nature as a classroom, she initiated a School Pollinator and Garden program in her school, which involves educators from different disciplines. She brings scientists and experts to her brown-bag afterschool speaking series to educate students and is currently implementing a collaborative action research project along with other educators about improving the English comprehension levels among emergent bilingual students. She is also a proud mother of an 18-year-old son who is a freshman in college and member of the Army National Guard.

 

Distinguished Leadership in Science Administrator Award

The Distinguished Leadership in Science Award, presented annually, recognizes outstanding support of science education at the district or state level by a non-teaching administrator in early childhood through grade 12.

2022 Distinguished Leadership in Science Administrator Award

Terry White
Fort Bend ISD

Terry White has worked in public education for more than 24 years. He has taught second, third, fifth, and sixth grade. He served as a science/technology instructional specialist in Alief ISD and as the elementary science lead in Spring Branch ISD. In addition, he served as the assistant director of the STEM Teaching Equity Project at the University of Houston, which focused on building teacher capacity through inquiry learning and teacher mentorship. He has served on the Science Teachers Association of Texas Executive Board, including as president in 2018–2019.

Terry is passionate about providing students with STEM experiences that build upon their curiosity about the world around them. Currently, Terry serves as a curriculum coordinator for Fort Bend ISD in Houston, Texas. Terry is also the District XIII Director for the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA).

 

Gerald Skoog Cup for Outstanding Leadership in Science Teacher Education

The Skoog Cup College Faculty Award is presented to a faculty or staff member at a Texas college or university who has demonstrated significant contributions to and leadership in the development of quality science education. 

2022 Gerald Skoog Cup for Outstanding Leadership in Science Teacher Education Recipient

Kelli Allen

Kelli Allen
University of Texas at Austin

Kelli Allen has been a science Master Teacher with the UTeach undergraduate STEM teacher preparation program at the University of Texas at Austin since 2007. She observes student teachers, provides feedback, and coteaches the seminar. Kelli also serves as the induction support specialist where she provides personalized assistance to beginning teachers. Since joining UTeach, Kelli has mentored thousands of educators who stay in teaching longer, improve student performance, and influence students to enter STEM fields.

Kelli is the UTeach professional development coordinator. In this role, Kelli develops professional development opportunities that are innovative, interactive, and job embedded. Kelli also develops and conducts face-to-face professional development to STEM teachers in Texas and presents at state and national conferences.

Kelli has been involved in education for 30 years. As a science teacher, she earned National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Science and won the National RadioShack Teacher Award. She was chosen as the Outstanding Young Educator for Kansas and a Kansas Teacher of the Year Nominee. In 2019, Kelli received the University of Texas College of National Sciences Teaching Excellence Award. 

Kelli earned her B.S. in biology education in 1992 and M.S. in biology in 1998, both from Pittsburg State University in Kansas. Kelli and her husband Lucas live on a ranch in Llano, Texas, with cattle and horses, and are highly active in the production and participation of team roping. Their two sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson all participate in the sport of rodeo.

 
Learn More About the STAT Statewide Awards